D4 Hotel Group Welcomes Back The 'Dallas 3'

The visit was fleeting, their feet barely touched the ground, for the Dallas 3 their anticipated "100 thousand welcomes" in the land renowned for hospitality came to a grinding halt!

Three backpackers from Plano, Texas were refused entry at Dublin Airport last week and returned to the United States.

Colin Zwirko (21), Gavin Sides (19) and Ben Whitehurst (21) , three lifelong friends embarking on the first stop of a year long trip were refused entry because they lacked a Dublin accommodation address and proof of sufficient funds.

Upon hearing of the boys' plight D4hotels.ie, a Dublin-based hotel group with 3 top quality hotels in the historical Ballsbridge district of the city, made an offer the backpackers are unlikely to forget.

D4hotels.ie will fly the boys back to Ireland, provide complimentary accommodation as well as food and beverage in their Dublin Hotels and give the Dallas 3 $1,000 in spending money.

Also, Pat Phelan, CEO of the company MAXroam has offered to provide the three backpackers with mobile phones which can be used for their trip around Europe.

During an interview on Ireland's Newstalk radio station, Anthony Kelly, Marketing Manager of the D4hotels.ie Group said: "I heard the story, and considering the economic position we're in at the moment, the global recession... the thinking that I had is what the perception in America might be in relation to these three young lads being sent back from Dublin airport - which seems to be a misunderstanding - that it might be a negative one."

"Tourism is and always has been a major part of our economy, and Ireland has always been one of the premier destinations in the world for American tourists," Kelly added.

"We need them to continue to come to Ireland and we enjoy it when they come here." Colin Zwirko, 21, of Plano, told Newstalk radio he was "blown away by the offer. I wasn't expecting something so great," he added. Kelly said he was looking forward to meeting the Texans.

"These guys ... will become the greatest tourism ambassadors for Ireland in the United States," he said, adding that they have even inspired an ad campaign for his company.

"We have decided to run a cowboy advertisement on radio in Ireland with a good Texan 'Yee Haw!'," Kelly said. "It is what we hope is a good Texan cowboy accent in honour of the Dallas 3."