Theres a very old thread that I started a long time ago about the Seleucids going to Ireland - kinda Roleplay post.

I recently (about a month ago) did it again but lost the save to corruption :(

My advice to anyone trying this is not to start abandoning cities to early. Start pumping out peasants and only have ONE main army - enough to take the city in Ireland. Send that fleet out ahead with 2 family members. Then start to send Peasants in a string of fleets. Destroy all enhancements to all cities except Antioch. By the time your Expeditionary 1st fleet arrives at Ireland you should have a string of peasant fleets and family members en route.

Once you take Ireland - start disbanding the army and all the peasants that arrive afterwards - then one by one remove the garrisions from your eastern towns, letting them fall - ONLY when most of your peasants and army are disbanded.

Finally a touch of RP - My Leader was last to leave antioch....

Oh it helps if you take Kydonia on the way :) (south of sparta)

I would hunt out that thread but I cant be bothered right now - alot of people posted there efforts in that thread