" Pre-season tour in Ireland "

Cardiff City are planning a pre-season tour of Ireland this summer, offering a fitting homecoming for manager Brian Barry-Murphy following the club’s promotion back to the Championship.

The Bluebirds are set to travel across the Irish Sea in the week commencing July 13, with two fixtures pencilled in for the Tuesday and Friday. Opponents, venues and kick-off times are still to be finalised, but preparations are already under way behind the scenes.

For Barry-Murphy, the trip will carry added significance. The Cardiff boss grew up in Cork and has often spoken warmly about his roots and family ties in the area.

His father, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, is a legendary figure in both Gaelic football and hurling and was in attendance for Cardiff’s recent promotion-clinching matches against Reading and Northampton Town.

Barry-Murphy has regularly drawn parallels between his hometown and his current city, highlighting the shared identity and values between Cork and Cardiff, something he has sought to reflect in his team.

“[Pep] Guardiola would always say: ‘Remember where you’ve come from, our teams represent who we are,’” he said in a recent interview with The Guardian. “I’m from Cork representing Cardiff now and there’s a Celtic correlation there where you have to display the values of the people watching the games.

“If we rocked up at the Cardiff City Stadium and there was too much tiki-taka, the locals wouldn’t be having it. We have to always represent what they want to see. It’s a kind of agreement. We try our best.”

That cultural crossover is likely to be felt during the tour itself, with Barry-Murphy keenly aware of the similarities between south Wales and parts of Ireland.

“Have you been to Barry? My daughters love that place,” he added. “The further west you go, there are beach towns and inland, into the valleys, is kind of like a throwback to what I associate with rural Ireland.”

For Cardiff’s emerging young core, the trip could prove valuable in more ways than one. Having been inspired by a season in which academy graduates such as Ronan Kpakio, Dylan Lawlor and Joel Colwill made significant first-team contributions, the next crop of prospects are expected to be given the chance to travel and stake their claim ahead of a season in the Championship.

By mid-July, the picture around the squad should also be far clearer, too.

Decisions regarding the futures of out-of-contract players including Perry Ng, Joel Bagan and Ryan Wintle are expected to have been resolved, while goalkeeper Nathan Trott’s situation will also be settled.

Bagan, of course, is Irish qualified, while Callum Robinson is also a fully-fledged Ireland international.

The tour will also give Barry-Murphy and his staff the opportunity to further assess where additions are needed ahead of the Championship campaign, with the manager already outlining a preference for quality over quantity in the transfer market.

In contrast to recent years, the trip represents a move closer to home for Cardiff. Last summer saw the squad travel to Murcia in Spain, while previous pre-season preparations have taken them to the Algarve and Salzburg.

This time, however, the journey to Ireland offers a more accessible option for supporters and a meaningful return for the man leading Cardiff in what they hope will be a bold new era.

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This is what I was saying in a previous thread about BBM seemingly being able to run the football operation without the Dalman and Choo being involved. Fingers crossed he can get some transfer targets in early too and then see how we do for loan players

Coach then Cork ferry to Ireland. Whats the quality of football like in Ireland ?

Just had a nose ..flight bristol/Cork 17th to 19th £250 return ...they're having a laugh

Just had a nose ..flight bristol/Cork 17th to 19th £250 return ...they're having a laugh

I've flown from Birmingham to Belfast quite a few times and the flights are relatively cheap, similar with flying from Birmingham to Ireland.

So for anyone that is going over, might be better to go from Birmingham.

Could do Rhoose to Dublin Ryanair ? Can't be that expensive Dublin 2 cork

Ferry from Pembroke to rossllare if it’s Southern Ireland for the tour happy days
Take a car even a caravan or as a foot passenger no flights needed and ferry cheap very reasonable cost
Did I mention lovely bar and food facilities on board

Great post .

Perhaps link up with one of our all time greats Steve McPhail.

He is only 46 and would add something to Cardiff and our manager BBM .

His ability to hold a ball and pass was superb very much in the same vain as BBM's teams .

Perhaps Shamrock Rovers is on the agenda as a game , Mcphail was their sporting Director for years