Tours ready (and very keen) to welcome Ireland fans to the Loire Valley
TOURS: 'Place Plumereau' square in the Old Town of Tours, in the heart of the historic centre. Pic: Godard F/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Irish tricolour will be flying proudly over the Loire valley from the Royal Chateau of Amboise, once the palatial home of French kings, over the coming weeks, just as it was earlier last month in honour of the Irish Examiner’s brief visit.
Downriver, in Tours, a microbrewery is ramping up production of its new Irish Red Ale, “Irish Harvest” and across town in Quartier Colbert, Warren Gaynor, proprietor of The Pale, is putting the final touches for an influx of both French and Irish rugby supporters.
Tours is going Rugby World Cup and - in particular - Ireland crazy. That may come as a surprise given its position in north-central France, just south of Paris means it is not by any means a hotbed for the sport. Nor is it staging any matches when France plays host to the global tournament from September 8 to October 28.
What has sparked this genuine excitement coursing through the city of 130,000 inhabitants and its elected officials is that they will be playing host to Grand Slam champions and world No 1-ranked Ireland for the duration of the pool campaign.
Andy Farrell’s squad set up base this week at a five-star hotel to the north of the Loire while training daily at nearby Stade Chambrerie, a government-funded, rugby-specific facility that officially opened its gates with great fanfare on July 5.
Ireland’s ambassador to France, Niall Burgess, was in attendance for the ribbon cutting and he admitted to being taken aback by the level of interest being generated in Tours ahead of the team’s stay.
“I think what really struck me, and this is my visit to Tours in the context of the World Cup and the team being based here, is how big this is for the city of Tours,” Ambassador Burgess told the Irish Examiner.
“They know just how strong rugby is in Ireland at the moment. You can see it, we had the mayor and the deputy mayor, the prefect, the mayor of the region, the president of the region, they were all here, and it’s not just that they are hosting a rugby team, it’s that they’re hosting the Irish team and that’s enormous.
“I hadn’t expected it at quite that level so the very presence of the Irish team here, even though they’re not going to be playing publicly – they will do so for one day (an open training session) - it means something to the people of Tours.”Â
What would really be something for the business owners of Tours is a stampede of Ireland supporters visiting, staying in and drinking and eating in their home patch. A university city, former capital of France and the gateway hub to the Loire Valley and its majestic chateaux and vineyards, Tours boasts a vibrant atmosphere provided by both its student population and visiting tourists. They flock to the medieval quarter, which has Place Plumereau at its centre.
Place Plum is a cobbled square flanked on all four sides by half-timbered houses, many dating to the 15th century on the ground floors of which, with very few exceptions, are bars and restaurants that each have their outdoor dining areas in the centre of the square and will all have giant screens erected to show their clientele every World Cup match.
Sophie Boulay owns one of Place Plumereau’s bars, La Cour, and describes the area as “the centre of Tours for young people and parties and enjoying life”.
"It's also the historical centre of town because it's got the oldest buildings, the only part that wasn't destroyed by the Second World War. So the buildings are around 500 years old.
"You'll find a lot of students here, a lot of tourism, and people who just want a nice drink, they come here. I think the Irish would enjoy themselves around here, there's so many pubs concentrated in one area.”Â
Yet despite Tours’ ideal location, central to a triangle of Ireland’s pool match venues in Bordeaux, Nantes and Paris, there is uncertainty as to whether the Irish supporters will follow their team to their training base to discover the delights therein.
The official Ireland rugby travel companies and their large groups of supporters will be visiting the Loire Valley and its vineyards between matches at different stages of the campaign and staying in Tours but television journalist Florent Clavel is just one of several locals who spoke to us that were unable to accurately gauge just how many fans will turn up to accept the city’s gracious hospitality.
The TV Tours reporter was in Dublin in June to report on Ireland’s preparations for visiting his hometown and Clavel said: “Not many people knew about the Irish rugby team staying in Tours - actually no-one knew. When I told them about it, the supporters we spoke to said they don’t have time to go there, or not enough money.
“The Mayor here says there will be several hundred Irish people but I don’t know. It’s a good place to stay, not far away from the stadiums in Bordeaux, Nantes and Paris and if you’re a supporter it would be a good deal to stay here actually. There will be special trains from Tour to Paris too … but we’re ready to receive the Irish players and we’re very happy.”Â
Clavel believes the city of Tours is playing a longer game, and that the presence of Farrell’s squad in the coming weeks will leave a lasting imprint on Irish minds.
“It’s an event here. Tours is not very famous and many people don’t even know where it is on the map so now with the coming of the Irish rugby team it’s a very good opportunity for the city to be well known and get some media coverage from Irish and French reporters.
“It’s a good opportunity for after the World Cup, at least they hope so. People know the Loire Valley and the castles quite well but not Tours so the goal is for after the World Cup to make it a destination. With the airport there are regular flights from Dublin to Tours during the summer and why not open it for the whole year?
“So the city of Tour hopes to make it a year-round destination.”Â
That would be music to the ears of The Pale’s owner, Warren Gaynor. He is proud of the fact that his is the only Irish pub in Tours with an Irish owner and as such claims the bragging rights over the best stored, best cared for, best-delivered and best-tasting Guinness in the area.
Gaynor moved from Paris and life as a barman in an Irish pub there in 1997, opening The Pale the following year.
“We were lucky, France won the (Fifa) World Cup a month and a half after we opened, so The Pale was straight in and on the map as we were the only pub here at the time that had big screen TVs. And with the Rugby World Cup the following year everything just started to fall into place.”Â
There are not many Irish expats in the surrounding area and the number of those that did come in to watch All-Irelands as a community has diminished since covid and the availability of matches on smart phones, Gaynor said. So the pub’s 25th anniversary this year and the arrival of the Ireland squad could not be better timed. He is expecting an influx of travelling supporters.
“Because Ireland are here there’s going to be hundreds of Irish around,” he said, rapping his wooden bar for good luck. “It’s going to be like when the Euros were on in France (in 2016), we had loads of Irish in here. It was amazing. Because Tours is in that triangle between Nantes, Bordeaux and Paris, and the Irish matches were in that triangle they were packed in here and the Irish lads were at the bar singing and all that stuff, it was great. So we’re looking forward to it.
“Eden Park (the French clothing brand) asked if they could advertise in the pub for the World Cup and they’re supplying the staff’s uniforms. It’s hard work getting everything done just right, with the tv connections, the fibre optics, the screens and all that, but it’s going to be fun. With this World Cup and the way the Ireland team is in world rugby, I’m nervous just waiting for it. Everybody is just waiting for this one.”
During the World Cup, Nivard will be conducting tasting sessions in English, pairing cheeses selected with Halles de Tours master cheesemonger Rodolphe Le Meunier with the Art Is An Ale brews (details elsewhere on this spread).
Tours Ă VĂ©lo (www.toursavelo.com) offers 1h30 guided bike tours through the city of Tours led by the engaging Simon.
The 5.4km route is flat, save for the odd cobbled street, not too taxing and takes in all the sights of this compact city centre on both sides of the Loire. A great way to mark your card for visiting points of interest.
The Halles de Tours (Place Gaston Paillhou) is the gastronomic heart of the city showcasing artisan cheese, breads and charcuterie, local vegetables and meats, and of course fine wines. A feast for the eyes and tastebuds.
Gothic-style cathedral built between the 13th and 16th centuries described as having “a flamboyant ornate façade, remarkable glass roofs and divine choir”.
(18 Place Foire Le Roi, 3pm-2am Mon-Sat, 4pm-12am Sun): The only Irish-owned pub in town, located in Quartier Colbert, and claiming to serve the best Guinness in Tours. They’ll be showing every World Cup match on three giants screens.
(53 Place du Grand Marche, 5pm-2am): Tour-based microbrewery-owned bar close to both the market and Place Plumereau and makers of Irish Harvest, their specially crafted Irish red ale created to honour the Ireland rugby team.The bar also serves small French plates of charcuterie and cheese.
(6 Rue de Grand Marche, 2pm-2am Wed-Sat, 2-11pm Sun, 2pm-12am Mon, 2-9pm Tues): Locally owned in the heart of Place Plumereau, La Cour serves as a creperie by day and bar by night.
(23 Rue du Commerce, 12-1.30pm, 7-10pm Tues-Sat): Restaurateur Benoit Alvarez knows his wines, offering more than 40 by the glass from an award-winning wine list featuring 1200 different bottles to accompany a menu featuring mature cheese boards and organic steak.
(2 Bis Rue du Général Foy, Amboise, 5-10pm Sun-Thu, 5-12am Fri, 4-12pm Sat). Situated in town that is home to Chateau Royal Amboise, this artisan brewery was founded by French-American couple Katie, an artist, and Matt Peraudeau, a brewer, who make American-style lagers, IPAs, ales and stouts using French ingredients that are packaged in exquisitely designed bottles and cans.
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