‘There are one million cars in Georgia. Insurance is optional'

Irish Times

a day ago

Watching the mayhem in the square outside the hotel, the words of Conor McPhillips, the Templeogue-born assistant coach with the Georgia national team, spring to mind. 'I think that there are four million people in Georgia, two million live in Tbilisi and there are one million cars. Insurance is optional.'
When you see the condition of some cars and what appears to be an absence rather than disregard for any rules it seems bonkers that there is no financial accountability. Travelling to the stadium for last Saturday's Test match between Ireland and Georgia, a 20-minute journey, we happened upon two fender-benders en route, with the police in situ.
There are few, if any, lines on the roads and at one point in a taxi journey there were three cars tootling along abreast in the one direction, one in the contraflow, rather than a traditional method of two v two sharing the tarmac.
Car horns blare incessantly. Hesitating in traffic is considered an affront by all other road users. No room or care is afforded those opening car doors. Crossing the road, well, that's survival of the fittest. The only refuge from this game of British Bulldog is traffic lights – few and very far between – or the occasional underpass, where a surprise awaits.
READ MORE
Shards of light from tiny shops or stalls illuminate the darkness. One sold jewellery. A loose description. That's real-estate entrepreneurship.
Tbilisi reveals other charms, one of the most compelling being the manner in which the street animals are embraced and treated: with compassion and care. The guesstimate, according to local figures, is that there are between 35,000 and 50,000 dogs and cats that roam the streets of the Georgian capital. In 2024, 9,000 stray dogs were sterilised, a 25 per cent increase on the year before.
They are everywhere. It's improbable to walk 100 metres without seeing one. Most have a yellow tag in an ear that indicates the dogs have been through an animal management programme that captures strays, vaccinates them, including against rabies, sterilises them to try to neuter the expanding population, and releases them back to the streets.
A dog rests by the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Tbilisi. Photograph: Vano Shlamov/AFP via Getty Images
The tag confirms that the dog is vaccinated, safe and not a carrier of disease. They are fed and watered by the locals and only approach strangers if beckoned, trading a pet for a morsel or two. Anecdotally they are docile and non-territorial, coexisting peacefully.
The Georgians' attitude to the dogs highlights a character trait – naturally warm and welcoming. McPhillips, who has worked with the Lelos under head coach Richard Cockerill on a part-time contract basis for the past 19 months, explained: 'When you're in their inner circle, it's a very loving environment.
[
Paul O'Connell happy with hard-fought Ireland triumph against Georgia
Opens in new window
]
'A proud nation, culturally they're very family-oriented, around which everything revolves with an emphasis on hospitality. You'll never go hungry or thirsty in Georgia. A lot of the players have apartments in Tbilisi, but they're basically from the mountains, from the countryside. There's a lot of horse riding, a lot of hunting. Tbilisi's really popular for snowboarding and skiing.'
McPhillips points to a similarity with Ireland from a couple of generations ago. There's old Georgia and there's new Georgia. The older generation have a hard-work ethic, don't really speak up, don't really challenge anything, probably coming from a time when they were ruled by Russia.
'But all the younger people in Georgia want to kind of move towards Europe and Nato because they want those opportunities. So that's kind of the way it is going. And how that's going to transition over the next 10, 15 years will be very interesting.'
Getting to experience that generosity first-hand is humbling. Eating in the family-run Kneina restaurant in the old town, a part of Tbilisi where stunning, ornate architecture vies with buildings with a more austere and unappealing facade, 'mama' organises a tour of a premises that was once the family home. There are parts that date back to the 11th century. Her three sons cater to the clientele, but she speaks the best English.
Georgian speciality Khinkali, dumplings filled with meat or cheese. Photograph: Getty Images
One of Georgia's most famous dishes is Khinkali – pasta dumplings the size of tennis balls that boast a variety of fillings. The way to eat them is to hold the twisted top and bite into the ball part, exposing the meat/vegetables/cheese and its cooking juices. You leave the 'handles'. Unless you're Irish and unaware, in which case you eat the lot, using a knife and fork, wondering about the chewy part. They're delicious. The meal concludes with Chacha, Georgian poitín, often home-made, a grape brandy/vodka that's 55-70 per cent proof in some cases. It'd make you dance all right.
Georgia is recognised as the world's oldest winemaking region, dating back 8,000 years. In a short, non-scientific survey, there are some top-notch reds available for a song. A Bolt ride from the Shota Rustaveli International Airport, 17km to the centre of Tbilisi, costs €7 in the wee hours of the morning.
[
Ireland's six debutants against Georgia: What they said and what song they sang
Opens in new window
]
Food and drink is remarkable in quality and affordability. Ascending on the funicular railway to Mtatsminda Park some 501 metres high – stopping near the Pantheon of the same name, a cemetery that houses prominent Georgian writers and figures from public life – and coming back down by cable car costs the princely sum of €8.
Georgia is marooned in a rugby neverland, miles too strong for the Rugby Europe tournament and, at face value, with no prospect of being a plus-one for the Six Nations somewhere down the line. The government funds 75 per cent of the sport; private investors and World Rugby provide more modest investment.
Football, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), wrestling and powerlifting are hugely popular. There is no sport in schools. Players take up rugby at age 15 or 16. With minimal investment in coaching and introducing the sport at a younger age, Georgia's capacity for a growth spurt is significant.
Playing against Ireland was great but after their upcoming Test match against South Africa they are not scheduled to play another Tier 1 nation before the 2027 World Cup in Australia. It's just plain wrong. And for those worried about a trek to Georgia in any future Six/Seven Nations: don't. It's got a charm all of its own.