Not sure if it is of interest to you, but something closer to home for you might be the Special Boat Squadron a part of the interesting community of Special Operations Units in the United Kingdom. From what I've heard, they are a small, dedicated unit that does everything the Special Air Squadron does...only they also specialize in seaborne operations. Kind of like SWCC and SEALs rolled into one package (due to limited resources). I've also heard some things (not much, which is probably better if you're talking Special Forces) about the Irish Defense Force Ranger Teams. Particularly a Hostage Rescue Unit or something. Either way, there are a number of Special Operations forces that have a great relationship with the United States Navy SEALs and all of the great individuals who make up the Special Operations COMmand.
Of course, I would never discourage another individual from the Teams. I'm a huge fan of their work as well and enjoy learning and reading everything I can about them (for instance my presence in a topic simply based on the title "Navy SEAL"...I didn't need to read any further). If you plan on Enlisting, there is a "SEAL Contract" that you might be able to qualify for. The name is incredibly misleading, however. The "Contract" allows for you to participate in additional Physical Training during Recruit Training and allows you an additional chance or two at the Physical Readiness Test that can earn you a spot in BUD/S. The average Recruit is allowed a single chance. Something to be sure to ask a recruiter about. If you're interested in going in as an Officer, you may have a difficult time finding a slot open unless you manage to get into Annapolis (not even sure how someone in Ireland would do that). You could find a way to go through another service-affiliated university, such as Texas A&M or the Virginia Military Institute, or even make your way through a college/university and then apply for OCS but the available billets go to interested individuals in the order in which I've presented them to you. Of course it is possible to find your way into a similar field, such as Naval Intelligence, and apply for an open slot later in your career. Not sure where you see yourself in the Chain of Command, of course. If you'd like the opinion of some stranger, I'd suggest reading Warrior Soul by Chuck Pfarrer. He has a pretty good deal of focus on his time in BUD/S and his career on the Teams.
Best of luck to you in whatever field you pursue.
