The squad members will then train at the University of Limerick on both Sunday and Monday, with the starting line-up to face the Barbarians set to be named on Wednesday next.
The Thomond Park clash will be the first time that Ireland has played the Barbarians on home soil since 2000. The game is the first of four big end-of-season international fixtures facing Declan Kidney’s side in the coming weeks. Ireland face a meeting with New Zealand in New Plymouth on 12 June, before locking horns with the New Zealand Maoris team in Rotorua on June 18 as part of the Maoris centenary celebrations. The final game of the tour will see Ireland playing their Rugby World Cup Pool C opponents Australia in Brisbane on 26 June. The most recent meeting between Ireland and the Barbarians also coincided with the last Southern Hemisphere tour Ireland undertook in 2008 when Ireland played the Baa-Baas in Gloucester, winning the game 39-14.
The Barbarians first played in Ireland in October 1957 when they beat an Ulster Invitation XV 14-11 at Ravenhill.
More recently, they beat South Africa at Lansdowne Road in 1994, played there again against Ireland in the Peace International in 1996, and as part of the summer tour in 2000.
Opponents, the Barbarians, are due to arrive in Limerick on Monday next.
The squad is due to hold a training session at Garryowen FCs, Dooradoyle grounds on Tuesday morning, after which the side to face Ireland will be announced.
The Barbarians’ squad is coached by Philippe Saint-Andre, assisted by Kingsley Jones. Both played for the Barbarians and worked successfully together in recent years as coaches with Sale Sharks.
Philippe Saint-Andre, now the director of rugby at Toulon, played three times for the Barbarians in the 1990s, including the 1994 match against South Africa when he was a try-scorer in the famous 23-15 victory for the club. Kingsley Jones represented the Barbarians twice on the 2000 summer tour.
Munster full-back Paul Warwick has been included in the Barbarians starting line-up for the opening game of their two-game summer tour, against England at Twickenham this Sunday at 5pm.
The side in full is:Paul Warwick (Munster); Paul Sackey (Wasps), Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse); Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde (Toulouse), Byron Kelleher (Toulouse); Rodrigo Roncero (Stade Francas), Benoit August (Biarritz), Julian White (Leicester); Ross Skeate (Toulon), Ben Kay (Leicester); Rodney So’oialo (Hurricanes), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Xavier Rush (Cardiff Blues, captain).
Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Census Johnston (Toulouse), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), George Smith, Pierre Mignoni (Toulon), Fabrice Estebanez (Brive), David Smith (Hurricanes).
Meanwhile, the Munster rugby league side begin their inter-provincial campaign against Ulster this Saturday at the ALSAA Complex in Dudlin at 3pm.
The first game of the day at the ALSAA complex sees the RLI students up against Leinster at 1pm. The students will be looking to get their season underway as the volcanic ash prevented them taking part in the recent student regional championships.
Thee winners in each game going forward to contest the final on July 31.
Colm Kinsella
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