More about cathalchu

As you know, I have always said that football is an excuse to travel, not the other way round.  This is certainly true in the past dozen or so years that I have been actively following the Republic of Ireland national football team in various international competitions. 

Although I did time in Hong Kong (I make it sound like prison!) I was born in Ireland and I grew up there - Newry specifically - before starting university in London.  After a HND in Computing and a degree in Photographic Science (with a stint as a student magazine editor inbetween) I laboured in various jobs, from charity Christmas card admin to leasehold sales before falling back in my computing skills for a permanent career.

Working in desktop publishing in the City earns me enough to travel and see some of the world (yes I do save some of it too if my family are reading this) and although my voyages are by no means entirely football-based, they do take up a big chunk of my travels.

Why?  Because in following the Irish team, I have journeyed to many far-flung and alien locales that I most likely would not have visited otherwise.  Yes, I may be going there to watch a match, but it is also an opportunity to see exotic local sights, try something new on your dinner plate, sample the regional tipple, get a different point of view from the natives. 

And not only that, but also to do so in the company of like-minded folk.  Restive men and women who form the hardy band of Ireland's traveling support, many of whom I only ever see at Irish matches.

When I first began traveling, I sent postcards that took forever to write.  As the list of postcard recipients grew, I switched to e-postcards.  Lengthy, descriptive, sometimes funny and (hopefully) interesting emails telling of my impressions of the place, articulating my experiences and relaying a hint of what it is like. 

Now, I am moving into the cottage industry phase (for all you Marxists out there) of my writing and expanding into this travel blog you see before you.  Though set up for the purpose of my Euro 2012 odyssey, it may well have a shelf life beyond June 2012.  Stay tuned...