An Irish government official says the experiences of three Plano men denied entry into Ireland last week were "very atypical" and promised that the country's justice department would quickly investigate.

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Ben Whitehurst, Gavin Sides and Colin Zwirko stand at a DART station at the beginning of their journey.

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The three friends from high school landed last Friday in Dublin to begin a yearlong backpacking trip across Western Europe. But the men never stepped foot outside the Dublin airport before being ordered to return to New York City.

According to the men, immigration officials said they couldn't enter Ireland because they lacked an address where they planned to stay in Dublin and bank statements to prove they could afford to travel.

"If they want us to go to their country, they shouldn't do this," said Colin Zwirko, 21, who sold his Volkswagen to help pay for the trip. "They should step up and apologize or help."

Irish immigration agents in Dublin were unavailable for comment Monday, but Irish officials in the U.S. apologized and said they would work to get the young men's problems promptly resolved.

"We regret that these men had this experience," said Breandan O'Caollai, a deputy consul general of Ireland, who is stationed in New York. "It's not typical for American citizens. Usually they get a tremendous welcome."

O'Caollai, who has spoken to the men, said they could file a complaint with Ireland's justice department and the consulate would work to expedite a resolution. However, he said he wasn't certain what outcomes might be possible.

He stopped short of saying the country could reimburse them for the $1,800 that each spent on plane tickets to return to the U.S. However, officials for Delta Air Lines said Monday they hadn't heard of the young men's stories but would try to help.

"Delta is looking to work out an arrangement on their travel costs," said Anthony Black, a company spokesman. "We are working on reducing their expenses."

The turn of events Friday could wreck plans the friends hatched nearly a year ago to go backpacking through more than a dozen European countries. Zwirko and his two friends, 19-year-old Gavin Sides and Ben Whitehurst, 21, said they imagined walking through centuries-old European villages, stopping into Spanish art museums and sleeping on people's couches.

The friends said they probably need to get reimbursed for the return flight in order to restart their trip.

"We wanted to see new things," said Sides, who worked two jobs the past year to save for the trip. "We wanted to meet new people, especially from Europe."

The friends, who all quit their jobs to make the trip, said they don't understand why immigration officials forced them to return to the U.S. They didn't have printed financial statements, as the agents requested, but they told the agents they had thousands of dollars in their bank accounts. Zwirko said he offered to show them his bank balance online, but they refused to look at it.

Plus, the friends said, they had contact information for someone they met on a Web site, couchsurfing.com, who had offered them a place to stay in Dublin.

"My mother backpacked when she was younger and would join up with other backpackers," said Zwirko, who is staying with family in New Jersey until he hears from Irish government officials. "My understanding now is that it's some sort of fantasy that you cannot do."

Irish tourism officials said they were powerless to help the three but would hope they would consider returning to Ireland.

"The Irish are very well-known for their hospitality," said Ruth Moran, a spokeswoman for Tourism Ireland. "There is such an affinity between the U.S. and Ireland."

However, the young men said they got a sour taste after leaving Ireland about two hours after they arrived.

On the flight leaving Dublin, Whitehurst leaned over to look out the window. Below, Ireland's famous verdant farm country extended for miles.

"It was very green. Lots of cottages and farmhouses," Whitehurst said. "It just looked very nice."