THEY'RE over-40 (mostly), over their first marriages (mostly) and over here (again). Yes, the second "Irish Sweetheart Tour" is in town, bringing the biggest invasion of American male talent since the Notre Dame-Navy American football game last November.
Well, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. Texan matchmaker Raymond Campbell has brought only a small selection of his "stable" to Dublin for a series of events over the next week. If Irish women don't find any of them to their liking, however, he's brought a mail order book as well.
The Gentlemen's Catalog of American Men is a slim volume (not something you could say about some of its contents), but it does offer a wide range of temptations to the female consumer. In the great tradition of the US free market it even invites suggestions that might "improve our products and services", though some women may feel the products are beyond improvement. Unfortunately, you can't simply quote your credit card number and order these guys for a 21-day trial period.
On show in Blooms Hotel yesterday, those who have made it to Ireland lived up to the glossy standards of the catalogue. They all have that uniquely American clean shaven look that razors on this side of the Atlantic simply can't achieve. They're also very serious about why they're here.
Roger Weigel, a company-owning 41-year-old, has spent his early life building a career and now wants to catch up on other things: "Also, older men have to be more direct. Let's face it, we're not 21 anymore?"
Tee organiser is anxious to dispel a few myths created around the first visit last year, specifically the notion that the visitors are all Texan millionaires. He thinks the idea caught on simply because the word "Texan" goes so well with "millionaire", like "love" and "marriage" (or "millionaire" and "marriage"). In fact, few of his men are Texans and, although they're comfortable enough to spend an estimated $3,500 on the tour, few are millionaires either.
The other bad news is that the men are being carefully rationed. The tour events are mostly invitation-only, so if you don't know about them already, tough luck. The good news is that Raymond is looking for other women to add to his growing database. You can e-mail him at irishhoney.pdq.net. (In case you're wondering, the pdq bit means "pretty darned quick".)
