*No monopoly
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Only about 10 years have elapsed since the Republic of Ireland Government gave permission to certain British coach operators to tour the Twenty-six Counties under licence arrangements, thus relaxing the protection that was formerly given to Coras Iompair Eireann. Initially there was some slight opposition to the idea but it quickly collapsed and J. P. Murray of the Irish Tourist Board told me that in the past season 38 British coach tour companies were operating over there. Including travellers by CIE they reckon they had about 70,000 coach tour visitors. to-operation is now going strong and in 1969 at least 45 British operators are expected to be providing coach tours in the Republic.