Byline: John Fallon

Tempted by a jaunt to Northern Ireland? If so, it's probably the relentless television advertising campaign guiding your decision. It promotes attractions such as the Giant's Causeway, the Titanic Museum, scenes from Game of Thrones and various hotels set against a catchy theme tune.

Investment reaps rewards. Tourist traffic from the Republic has spiked by 25 per cent over the past 18 months, convincing even the most cautious southerners nervous of the region's troubled past to spend their time and money there. The [euro]90 million boost to the economy renders the marketing campaign a no-brainer.

That's the power advertising offers. For years now, the League of Ireland has undersold itself. How the FAI could do with adopting an approach along the lines of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, albeit on a lower scale.

Central to the narrative is the healthy turnouts at Premier Division matches. Waterford packed 4,152 into the RSC for their opening night visit of Shamrock Rovers and a week later the Hoops recorded the biggest crowd so far with 4,522 at the home game...