Growing up in Wollongong, Trent Johnston scarcely thought that he would wind up becoming a pivotal figure in the development of Irish cricket. Aaron Dunne met the Irish skipper in Dublin.

In the summer of 2007, a magical few weeks in the Caribbean altered the course of Irish cricket forever.

An amazing run through the group stages at the World Cup sent the game thundering into the hearts and minds of a previously apathetic Irish nation.

What took just four weeks to accomplish in the West Indies, has in the intervening years completely transformed the game in Ireland.

No more part-time over-achievers togging out in the nation’s green as a result; in their stead, highly ambitious and motivated, full-time, professional sportsmen.

Irish captain Trent Johnston has been central to the transition. Having played Sheffield Shield level cricket for New South Wales from 1998 to 2000, he had all but given up on ever playing top class cricket again, and had settled down in Dublin with Irish wife Vanessa.

Happily tipping away with local club Railway Union, and having been drafted into the Irish set-up in 2004, life was largely uneventful for the native of Wollongong. Until the West Indies, that is.

All of a sudden everything changed, and Johnston found himself firmly in the eye of a media storm, the leader of an unheralded Irish side heading towards an historic first-ever appearance in the Super Eight stage. It was a whirlwind.

Three years on, the now 36-year-old New South Welshman finds himself staring down the barrel of another World Cup. This time though, he will face into it as a full-time pro – something which he says has not only changed his life and his attitude to the game, but has also extended his playing career by several years.

The first delivery of that tournament next February in India can’t come fast enough as far as he’s concerned. He believes Ireland could be genuine contenders.

“We really have high hopes of going even further than we did the last time out. We had high aspirations in the last two Twenty 20 World Cups, but a lot of things just went against us,” Johnston says.

“We were probably just a little short of the mark when it came to experience, but we’ve got that experience now so we can’t go into this competition [the 2011 World Cup] saying that we’ve got a professional set up. All 15 guys that we’ll have going to the World Cup will be full-time cricketers, so teams certainly won’t be taking us lightly or thinking we’ll be an easy game for them.

“We’ve just got to bring our ‘A’ game to the table and play out of our skins to be competitive, but if we can do that we can beat any team on our day.”

The return of former England Test star Ed Joyce will certainly help their cause.

Originally from Bray, the 31-year-old transferred across the Irish Sea in 2006 for a chance to play at the highest level. But now back in the Irish set-up once again, he will bring added class to a newly-confident side in fear of no one.

“Ed went off and did his thing and played a few games for England, but he’s done his four years there now. The ICC gave us special dispensation to have him back for this World Cup, and it’s great to have the experience he gained at the very top level in the team.”

Before the serious business of next February though, there’s one major sporting date looming on Johnston’s radar – this summer’s much anticipated Ashes clash between England and Australia.

Growing up in greater Sydney, Johnston spent much of his youth fantasising about one day lining out against England in an Ashes series.

“Just like every other kid growing up playing cricket in Australia!” Johnston laughs. “If you had any sort of aspirations as a cricketer growing up it was to wear the baggy green or to play in a Boxing Day Test match or an Ashes Test match.

“For me, it was always to play at the SCG in a New Year’s Test match against England. It didn’t work out that way for me, but I was lucky enough to play half a dozen games for NSW and a couple at the SCG so I think I was pretty fortunate to be able to do that.”

He may not be pulling on a baggy green this year, but Johnston is giddy at the prospect of sitting in the stands for the series when he returns to Australia at Christmas.

“Simmo [Irish coach Phil Simmons] has allowed me to go back to spend my first Christmas in Australia since I moved to Ireland, and I just can’t wait!” he smiles.

“I’m going back for a few weeks, and I’ll be there at the MCG for the Boxing Day Test match. I’ll be in Sydney for the New Year’s Test match too, so I’m really looking forward to that. Hopefully the Aussies can get stuck into them and beat them 5-0 again like they did four years ago!

“I haven’t been home for seven years, so it’s going to be great for myself and the family to get back there. I can’t wait to just kick back and watch a day’s cricket in the sun while everyone is freezing back in Ireland!”

One of the stars of that Ashes series could well be yet another Irishman. Dubliner Eoin Morgan followed the lead of Joyce in heading across to England to pursue a career at the very top.

So far it’s been a tremendously successful venture for Morgan, and Johnston certainly believes his former Irish teammate will make the English touring squad.

“I think with the century he scored in the first Test against Pakistan there recently, and the way he handled himself in the one-day games, that he has really established himself in the team.

“It would really be great to see him walk out there on my home ground in Sydney playing for England against Australia. It would be a pretty bizarre scene, but it would certainly be good for Eoin!”

Great for Eoin, bad for Ireland. With the Dubliner in the Irish side, prospects of a promising 2011 World Cup run are within reach.

“Obviously we’d love to have Eoin in the Irish team, but at the end of the day he wants to play at the highest level. At the moment Ireland can’t offer him the chance to play at Test level, or the chance to play consistently at the top level in Twenty 20 or at County level.

“It’s unfortunate to lose players like Eoin, but at the end of the day Ireland have got be pretty proud of one of their own being in Ashes contention and one of the first picked in the English one-day and Twenty 20 side. He’s certainly been their best player this year.”

Make no mistake, these are indeed golden days for Irish cricket. February, it seems, just can’t come fast enough.