"But then we use our French on them and say 'gratuit' and give them leaflets and they're thrilled and want to know all about us, " says Jean Ryan, Limerick street ambassador.

It turns out the tourists are actually lost and they're amazed that these people are here solely to help them find their way.

Ryan and fellow ambassador John Ston get out their maps and plot out where they need to go, throwing in some advice as to which are the best attractions. Problem solved; the tourists go on their way.

One lot down, hundreds more to gof This is the first day of the new Limerick street ambassadors scheme and already it seems the demand is there for the service. The first initiative of its kind in Ireland, the ambassadors are employed to roam the streets of the city giving advice to visitors and local people on anything from the best places to stay, eat and drink to tourist attractions, events and local history. Limerick may have had a bad reputation in the past, but the ambassadors are just part of a new scheme to promote and change people's perspectives of the city.

"The concept originally comes from the UK and the US and we thought it could work really well for Limerick, " says Andrew Mawhinney, of the Limerick co-ordination office, which secured 71,000 from the EU to fund the two year pilot programme.

"In the UK, they use it as a scheme for the long-term unemployed, while in the US it is mostly pensioners who do it.

We decided that a good mix of young and old would be the most effective. The idea behind it is that first impressions are really important and when people first arrive, it's great to have someone who can give you firsthand information on what to see and do."

The ten ambassadors, who range in age from 18 to 65, have been given a crash course in communication skills and first aid and have even learned a smattering of German, French, Spanish and Italian to help them converse with tourists in need. On this, their very first shift, Ryan and Ston are pleased that their language skills have already come in handy.

As they continue on their beat, they meet two Australian women who have lost their way.

As Ryan gets out the map and shows them where to go, it transpires that they haven't anywhere to stay either. To their surprise, Ryan recommends a B&B on the Ennis Road nearby and shows them how to get there. "This really is a good idea, " says one.

"It's great to be able to recommend places to visitors firsthand and know that they'll have a lovely stay there, " confides Ryan as they walk on. "This is everything I expected it to be and more. It's great to get paid for walking around and talking to people. It's something I love doing anyway."

The ambassadors, five men and five women, were all picked after they wrote a 300-word letter to the local paper explaining why they thought they would be perfect for the job.

For some like Albert Cullen, who is retiring as a traffic warden this summer after 21 years, it is about carrying on the nicest part of his former job. Leaving Cert student Rose Maher, who worked as a volunteer in Indian hospitals last summer, sees it as a more interesting pursuit than the usual summer job.

For Ryan, 39, who is the team leader, it seemed like a natural progression from the business and tourism course she completed in LIT last year. "I'm Limerick born and bred and from a big family with ten kids, so you had to become a talker or you wouldn't be heard, " she says. "I know Limerick insideout, it's a great city in that everything is literally within walking distance. Tourists can do a lot in a single day."

The ambassadors are paid 10 an hour and do one fourhour shift a day, five days a week. On each shift they walk a certain route, taking in all the major tourist attractions and bus and train stations at busy arrival times. In their distinctive uniform of red jacket, red tshirts, beige trousers and navy cap, Ryan and Ston are already attracting a lot of attention.

"Limerick ambassadors, wahey, " cheers one man as they walk by. As the afternoon wears on, they help out some more French tourists, take a photo of a Chinese couple and their baby, stop for a chat with a local man from Turkey on the Turkish barbers in Limerick and discuss Irish prices with a group of English pensioners.

"This is such a good idea, " says one man from Ennis who is visiting Limerick Castle for the first time. "Other places should do the same, I'm going to spread the word."

"How many people would you say we've talked to so far today, Jean?" says Ston, originally from Scotland but living in Limerick for the past 24 years, as their shift draws to a close.

"We're pushing towards a hundred people, I'd say, " says Ryan. "But I haven't got lockjaw yet. Let's keep going." So they do.