Most French towns have an Irish Pub to cater for unimaginative tourists. These days, they're likely to have an Irish rugby player or two as well...

In iconic TV series Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Oz reacts to the growing number of Turkish workers on the Dusseldorf building site by telling his hut-mates that "the Turks have become the Irish of Europe". While the Irish may have lost ground on foreign construction projects, they certainly haven’t when it comes to exporting rugby players to France.

Le Rugby’s new Irish correspondent, Sam Roq, finds out more about the lads from the old country. And after taking a look at Cergy Pontoise’s Greek scrum-half Katsakos Vasilis, he moves on to the Irish contingent.

Damien Browne (Brive)
The 30-year-old ex-Connacht and Northampton lock is now in his third season with Brive. He’s been a first-choice during this time, which makes it hard to understand why this U21 international continues to be overlooked for the senior squad. Brive have undergone a recent cull of l’étrangers, but Browne’s exclusion from that emphasises his importance to the team – he’s played in 11 games this season and even bagged his first couple of Top 14 tries into the bargain.

David McGowan (La Rochelle)
Irish U21 international McGowan began life with Connacht before making the switch to the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in 2007. This tough 24-year-old lock has been a regular for les Maritimes, missing only 13 games over the past three seasons. Promotion to the top flight didn't seem to threaten his playing time as he started all four of his club's Top 14 games until a shoulder injury against Toulon put him out of action for three months.

Shane O'Connor (Bordeaux-Begles)
Here’s one that sneaked under our radar last season. This 27-year-old ex-Munster and Harlequins lock joined Pro D2’s Union Bordeaux-Begles in November of last year. He soon became a permanent fixture in the Stade Andre-Moga outfit’s maison de chaudiere, but has struggled for playing time this season, making only three starts.

Peter Bracken (Carcassonne)
Experienced or journeyman, take your pick. Bracken is a 32-year-old tight head prop who lists Munster, Connacht, Wasps, Harlequins, Bristol and the Gwent Dragons as former clubs. He’s represented his country at U18 and ‘A’ level, but despite touring New Zealand, Australia and Argentina with Ireland, he’s never won a full cap. He’s made three starts for Pro D2 new boys Carcassonne this season, rolling off the bench on five other occasions. Actually, let’s plump for journeyman.

Brian McGovern (Narbonne)
This 24-year-old tight head prop is a new name to us. He scratched around with Connacht for two seasons before joining Italian Super 10 outfit Venezia. He was a first choice at the Centro Sportivo Comunale last season, but has made only one start for Narbonne. He has the imaginative nickname of McGov, his favourite airport is Galway and his least favourite sport is cricket, because it’s boring. Fascinating, but facts that he's had some time to digest, having played only 69 minutes of Narbonne's campaign to date.

Andrew Farley (Grenoble)
This vastly experienced 30-year-old lock switched allegiances, after initially being capped by Australia at U21 level. He joined Grenoble in July 2009, after spells with Queensland Reds, Otago, L’Aquila, Swansea and Connacht (can you see a theme developing here?). He only missed 4 games last season for les Alpinistes, and has started - and finished - all nine matches this term. His least favourite ground is Rodney Parade, his biggest fear is being buried alive and his least favourite sport is motor racing, because they just keep going around and around. Interviews with rugby players are just dynamite, aren’t they?

Christian Short (Lyon)
Lyon have done well to snap up Short, an experienced 30-year-old lock who’s played for Connacht, Northampton and Brive. He had three successful seasons at the Stade Amédée-Domenech before making the drop down to Pro D2 in the summer. He’s another one who for some reason hasn’t had the nod from the Irish selectors. He’s the son of John Short, who played alongside the likes of Roger Uttley and Ray McLoughlin at Gosforth.

Lugha Verling (Blagnac)
Move over Peter Bracken, we have a contender for your throne. The very Italian sounding Verling is a 30 year old lock, who can count UWIC, London Irish, Union Begles-Bordeaux, Montauban, Venezia, Saint Nazaire and Valence d’Agen among his former clubs. He left the Stade Evelyne-Jean Baylet in the summer to return to Fédérale 1 side Blagnac after two years away from the Toulouse suburb. He’s cornered the market in carving out a career in lower league rugby, far away from home.

Mark McHugh (Nice)
This experienced 32-year-old full-back has played at the top level with the likes of Leinster and Montpellier. He was a regular at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, so his move to Fédérale 1 outfit Nice last year was surprising, but can be put down to one r€ason and one r€ason only. The Cote d’Azur outfit narrowly missed out on promotion to Pro D2 last year, losing a one-point heartbreaker to Pro D2 new boys Saint-Etienne in the last eight. McHugh will again be leading the way as les Niçois start out on the long and winding road to Pro D2, this time from the outside-half spot where he has started every one of his club's six Fed1 fixtures to date.

Niall O'Brien (Blagnac)
O’Brien has jetted into Blagnac after a career that’s taken in Buccaneers, Clontarf and Connacht. He’s a powerful, pacy 29-year-old centre who in a recent interview admitted to the fact he likes good weather and French food, while he dislikes injuries. Riveting stuff. Tantalisingly, he revealed his nickname is Socks, but didn’t expand further. Pah.

David Connellan (Rodez)
Capped by Ireland at U19 and U21 level, 27-year-old Connellan rocked up in Rodez over the summer. The ex-Villefranche-sur-Saône and Chalon-sur-Saône full back failed to settle at Aurillac over the last two seasons – his love for the Saône region of eastern France was obviously affecting his game. With no interest from Racing Club Saône, he’s made the two-tier leap down to Fédérale 2. He’ll hope to drastically improve a playing record that’s seen him make just nine starts since August 2008.

John O’Sullivan (Agen)
You won’t be surprised to know this versatile 30-year-old back-rower once played for Connacht, for whom he was their 2003/04 player of the year. He moved on to Munster before joining Agen in the summer of last year, yet has started only 27 games since the start of the 2005 campaign. He’s turned over une nouvelle feuille this season though, having played in nine of Agen’s games. His Irish ‘A’ caps may be the height of his international honours.

Peter Durcan (Limoges)
Any of you doubting Irish U19 and U21 international Durcan's right to employment on a rugby field in France were put firmly in your place by the 24 year old fly-half’s excellent season with Fédérale 1 outfit Limoges. The ex-Connacht (ahem) and La Rochelle man made only made three starts for les Maritimes, but found a home for himself last season with the Stade Municipal de Beaublanc outfit. He racked up a hugely impressive 277 points from just 21 starts, and looks set to eclipse that this term having scored 73 points in just six outings to date.

Paddy Warwick (Nice)
Things get a bit gauche-champ with this 27-year-old ex-San Donà and Ireland U21 international centre. Warwick is a private personal trainer who has a fitness studio in Mougins, as well as offering one-to-one training from Cannes to Monaco. He even has his own website at www.paddywarwick.com. He’s obviously too busy to be concerned with his other job, as he played only 221 minutes last season for Nice. He has played two of their six matches this season though.

Royce Flynn (Montauban)
There have been plenty of comings and goings at poor Montauban this close season, but none quite as unheralded as this 23-year-old tight-head prop who joined from Leinster. His passport is already well stamped following spells with South Africans Western Province and Italian first division outfit Livorno. Both Flynn and les Sapiacains are setting out on a journey which may well end with Montauban playing in Fédérale 2 thanks to more financial debauchery and Flynn playing in Ukraine. For the moment, Flynn has played in five of Montauban's six games to date.

Sean Carey (Rodez)
Joining David Connellan at the Stade Paul-Lignon is Sean Carey, the 22-year-old ex-Connacht (woo hoo!) full back who has represented Ireland in the 2006 U19s Rugby World Cup. He’s got a decent pedigree, having helped Ballinasloe RFC win the All-Ireland Under-18 Club championship, but has seen his  opportunities wane over the last season or two. As a result, he's moved to the fourth tier of French rugby to re-ignite his career.

Others to note include ex-Cork Constitution, Munster U19s and Irish Colleges outside-half Peter Brougham, who’s made the move to Fédérale 1 outfit Marmande. Also plying his trade in Fédérale 1 is Ross Stewart, the 31-year-old second row who was the star signing during the close season for Oloron but who has only played 21 minutes of their season so far.