Did you check to see if the US warranty will still be vaild in Ireland? I have been looking into this recently and from what I can gather a US warranty only applies to products purchased within the confines of America and not outside it. The reason I bring this up is if you have a problem with your Canon when you return, then either Canon in Ireland or the UK may not recognise the US warranty and you will have to pay for any repairs which in some cases can cost as much as a new camcorder.
EDIT - Read this paragraph
http://www.americandj.eu/images/medi...pectrumFX2.pdf
1-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
A. American DJ® hereby warrants, to the original purchaser, American DJ® products to be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for a period of 1 Year (365 days) from the date of purchase. This warranty shall be valid only if the product is purchased within the United States of America, including possessions and territories. It is the owner’s responsibility to establish the date and place of purchase by acceptable evidence, at the time service is sought.