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You know how sometimes when you leave someone whose company you've enjoyed or somehow been impressed by, you either say to them or just to yourself I must arrange to meet them again soon? That's how I felt after spending time with the during in the West Indies.

Of course it took nearly twelve months to 'bump' into them again.

The problem, as is often the case when you fail to make that appointment to see the friend, is that in the meantime they've hit a bit of a bad patch and life has not been plain sailing.

An important fact to point out is that as we mark the anniversary of the World Cup shock win, Ireland are now wanting and put the behind them. So to drag up the troubles again is not helpful.

While I failed to watch them play one match last season I wasn't on my own in all too quickly forgeting the pleasure they brought the game 12 months ago.

At least not one of them said "hello stranger!" when I went to Dublin to talk to a few of them before they set off on a .

It's not all doom and gloom. They've reorganised the administration and the players seem happier with the reserve support.

, which really surprised me, but work on that is in progress and, unlike 13 months ago when I travelled to Dublin, this year the taxi driver from the airport knew all about their national cricket team. So there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic that they can hit the headlines again.

They do get coverage on this very website and and it appears plenty of grassroots support is available. , one of the world cup stars, tells me at his club there are still kids who arrived because of the exploits in the Caribbean.

The captain is confident they've turned a corner, admitting they were all '"cooked" when they got back last April and that didn't help get the season off to a great start. He said he's still having to point out to people just how hard it is to mix and match full time work with playing cricket.

He's right of course and every time it's a bit like a non-league football club taking on a football league side every week and somehow expecting them to win because they beat a Premier league club once (Pakistan).

is still going on about St Patrick's Day in Jamaica to the kids at his school and after thinking that would be his swansong he's hungry for a bit more. As he says, "you get a bit greedy".

I don't like to think that those who moaned about Ireland and Bangladesh making progress at the expense of Pakistan and India were right to do so. But they have more of a point if some of us just offer our support every four years. No use at all.

They don't need or want our pity but just like a decent friend to be a bit more reliable.

Time is tight and, who knows, maybe another summer will pass with far too little coverage but I hope at least they and get some exposure when they take part in the for next year's .

That's at Stormont at the beginning of August.

NB - Kingston on that weekend a year ago was not all about celebration. Arriving on the island 24 hours after the famous match we were greeted with the news that Bob Woolmer had died. The feeling that covered the city that day was as cool and unpleasant as you could imagine. That will always hang over the CWC 2007 but stories such as Ireland's will also last in the memory and hopefully be repeated.