Meet Our VagaGuides

Aidan was the first Irishman to conquer Everest barefoot. He can also pat his head whilst rubbing his tummy. We were delighted to help re-introduce Aidan back into society after retiring as a sergeant in An Garda Síochána (the Irish police force). He's made amazing progress.

During Aidan's time in uniform, he served in the traffic corps and the former Yugoslavia on UN Policing duties. He also founded the Garda mountaineering club. Hiking and mountaineering remain Aidan's passions.

With Alan, you’re in extremely experienced hands when it comes to driving. After all, he first took a spin in a tractor, aged 10, at home on the family farm in Meath.

Since then — besides VagaTrons — Alan has mastered maritime modes of transport. He’s a keen windsurfer and has skippered yachts. When back on dry land, this man of steel is also fond of mountaineering and welding. Easy does it.

We call Andrew, ‘The Cat’, by virtue of the amount of lives he seems to have lived. Having survived almost being blown up while on UN peacekeeping duties in Lebanon, Andrew almost lost a tussle with the prop of a powered paraglider.

Andrew's enthusiasm is infectious. He’s never without a smile on his face. He loves the outdoors and storytelling. Andrew's VagaGuide colleagues love when they meet him on tour as he’s addicted to vehicle cleaning.

Angela is from Roscommon, just west of the river Shannon. She comes from a farming family and can still be found wandering the hills and hollows in 'wellies' when the opportunity presents itself.

Angela's professional background is in aviation. She has worked in both the Airport Police and Fire Service at Dublin Airport. On the cultural side of the tracks, Angela loves travel, history, music and sport. She played rugby for her province, Connacht. Angela is also a member of a local choir, writes poetry and songs and has published a CD of her own music.

Cork-born and bred, Brian knows a thing or two about Ireland. He’s an award-winning travel blogger and a published Lonely Planet author.

But this fella is also a true ramblin’ man, having lived in 17 different countries around the globe and travelled to many dozens more. Vegan Brian loves sinking his teeth into an outdoor challenge. Hiking, surfing, snowboarding, mountainboarding, diving, trail running… You name it, he’s conquered it!

Ciara is a real renaissance woman. She boasts a degree in film and video production, is a First Aid responder, is a former Dublin & Wicklow Mountain rescuer, volunteers with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, has worked on a farm, can drive a tractor and last, but not least, is qualified to instruct rock climbing, kayaking, snorkeling and sailing. To top it all off, she also bakes very cool cakes!

When she is not doing any of the above, Ciara is a super-dooper VagaGuide with an almost unrivalled knowledge of Ireland and just the right smiley, friendly personality for the job.

Proud Meath man Conor is passionate about sports… and Guinness. This Navan local has travelled all over Europe to support our national soccer team and has played gigs everywhere from Paris to Sarajevo.

After earning his Arts degree, he served in the Irish Army Reserve for many years before joining the Vagabond ranks. As comfortable on a hillside, as he is on a barstool, Conor is ever-entertaining and a wealth of knowledge. He also loves a good chicken fillet roll.

Damien has led hiking expeditions in Tibet, Nepal, China, India... And Carlow. He is recognised in Ireland as a pioneer of the adventure industry. Having climbed some of the world’s highest peaks, Damien yearned for even loftier heights; and so he became a flying instructor!

'Damo' is now one of Vagabond & Driftwood Tours' most experienced guides. In his spare time, he plays the bodhrán (Irish drum) and sings ballads. Despite his vast ‘life experience’, he once risked his career by beating his boss Rob in a half marathon.

Behind his quietly spoken manner and permanent smile lurks a heart of gold. Darran has lived and worked in Asia, Australia and NZ (where he was a beekeeper). As a child, Darran was often seen on Irish soap opera, Glenroe - a bit like an Irish Dallas but without JR.

At just 9 months old, Darran got his first case of altitude sickness when his parents took him walking in the Alps. Not to be deterred, he gained a degree in Outdoor Education and Leisure. He's also handy at soccer.

Naval veteran Dave hails from Wicklow — known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’ — which is also where Vagabond Tours is based. Aside from his tour guiding skills and encyclopaedic knowledge on Irish history, nature and landscapes, Dave is a fully qualified instructor in scuba diving, sailing, kayaking, hill walking and — according to him anyway — drinking games!

Fadó, fadó, before his Vagabond era, Dave’s portfolio career had spanned the diverse worlds of trucking, construction, nightclub security, landscaping, winemaking, bartending and outdoor education. But his first job was definitely the most eclectic: processing malt from Guinness brewing for use on farms as fertiliser. You can’t get much more stereotypically Irish than that!

Another VagaGuide hailing from the west of Ireland, Denise’s previous career was as a sound engineer. From sound-proofed, windowless recording studios, her daily grind is now exploring the Irish countryside.

An avid traveller, Denise has horse-trekked the Grand Canyon, husky-sledded in the Arctic and hiked the Peruvian Andes. Last year, she rode across the mountainous frontier between Argentina and Chile. Like many of our VagaGuides, Denise is a musician and plays mandolin and violin.

Ed the Red is so-called partly because she's from Cork (red is the county colour); partly because she is part of the endangered species of redheads. With a quick wit and a laid back manner, Ed boasts years of experience leading groups, working as a lifeguard and being generally adventurous.

With a degree in Outdoor Education and Leisure, Ed is also a qualified surfing instructor, climbing instructor, and limbo dancer. Oh yes and she has red hair. Did we mention that?

Anyone of Irish descent will relate to Jason's personal history; emigrating from the quiet of rural western Ireland to its very antitheses – London. Having spent his formative years in England’s teeming capital, Jason returned to Ireland to study for his degree in Outdoor Education.

Jason has vast experience in guiding, as well as a stint teaching English in Vietnam. He can instruct in mountaineering, surfing, kayaking and sailing. He is also a qualified beach lifeguard. But we don’t allow him to pack his Speedos. He also enjoys rescuing helpless baby animals.

Former tree surgeon Jasper truly is a cut above. Growing up in a cottage in West Cork, this wildlife enthusiast has a real bond with all things natural. Jasper loves homegrown food and rears his own 5 star Hereford cattle.

In a previous life, Jasper studied Shakespearean theatre and classical acting. Culture is where his heart is. He’s also passionate about music, writing and enjoys a boogie. With Jasper leading your tour, you can be sure that you will be entertained.

Lisa is one of the newest members to the VagaGuide crew. Having previously worked as an optician in London, Lisa has a great eye for adventure. Reared in County Down, she grew up surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Mourne Mountains. When she’s not guiding, Lisa enjoys hiking and paddleboarding.

Lisa loves Irish food and recommends that her guests bring a healthy appetite on tour. Her favourite Vagabond destinations for locally-sourced food are The Moorings in Kerry and Gougane Barra in Cork.

Another world traveller, Michael has lived in Honduras, New Zealand and Spain. He has travelled to many others, including South Asia and Nepal. Michael is fluent in Spanish and also speaks French.

When he returned from his travels Michael worked with Amazon. We ordered him online but Amazon couldn’t complete the requested drone delivery. Michael's surname is Stout. But please, Vagabonds, no Guinness jokes. Hailing from Cork, Michael prefers Murphy’s (obviously). Like fellow VagaGuide Denise, Michael has also worked as a sound engineer and plays guitar.

Kilkenny native Philip spent 35 years in banking before becoming a tour guide. This is his first real job! In his own words, Philip's now on a permanent vacation and living the dream.

Expect history lessons a-plenty if Philip is your guide; he has a passion for the subject and completed history qualifications before passing his VagaGuide exam with flying colours. Philip once enjoyed running marathons and continues to celebrate his countless victories with the odd glass of red wine.

Music makes the world go around for Mayo composer and musician, Roisin. She has been known to break out the fiddle on tour and holds lots of certificates, awards, diplomas plus a degree in music.

Volunteering is another of Roisin's passions; she tries to fit it into her life regardless of where in the world she is, be that Mount Kilimanjaro, Ecuador or South Africa (all of which have been ticked off her bucket list).

Another outdoor education and leisure graduate, Ronan was made for the outdoors - be it kayaking, hiking, skiing or climbing.  He has instructed and led expeditions in Scotland, France, Norway, New Zealand, Namibia, Turkey and Kerry. Despite all that travelling he is yet to cross the Atlantic and visit North America. But that doesn't stop Ronan from going above and beyond to please his guests!

Rumour has it he once had an ‘astronaut moment' whilst camping overnight with fellow guide Daz on Mount Blanc in temperatures of -20°C (-4F).

The seaside was Sarah's playground while growing up on the east coast of Ireland in Meath. Sea swimming remains close to Sarah's heart, as well as biking, hiking and marathon-running.

Those adventure hobbies, coupled with her love of amateur drama and her past careers in fashion and education seem like the perfect training for life on the road as a VagaGuide; she's up for a challenge, fit as fiddle, full of stories and a fashionista!

Shane hails from Wexford, in the southeastern corner of Ireland, and has an addictive personality. Luckily, he is hooked on saunas and cold water plunges (rather than anything unhealthy). You can usually find him up a mountain or immersed in water on his days off. When the sun is shining, he loves nothing better than jumping on a motorbike and exploring Ireland.

Shane is a metropolitan modern man, having lived and worked in France, Britain, Norway, Sweden and Finland. In the latter, he became a close confidant of Santa Clause in Lapland. So if you have been good girls and boys, Shane will put a good word in with the big fellow.

Tim has has worked as a mountaineering instructor and guide for over 20 years across the world. A tour led by Tim will show off his gentle spirit and quirky sense of fun. Tim loves making wild Irish coffees for his guests and can eat seafood chowder daily for lunch.

Tim trained as a luthier, making mandolins, mandolas, bouzoukis and classical guitars. He is currently being taught Irish by his 7 year old daughter. Recently, one of our guests suggested Tim looked a bit like George Clooney. A bit.

Monaghan-made Tony is a handy man to have around the place. Not only does he have a military background, Tony is also an ex-paramedic with carpentry and mechanic skills to boot. Fortunately enough, our fancy fleet of tour vehicles are well-oiled and run smoothly, so there's zero need of onboard mechanics!

Tony loves playing music and is interested in both Irish folklore and UFOs. So if you're lucky enough to have Tony leading your small-group tour of Ireland, you are guaranteed to hear some cosmic tunes and otherworldly stories.

Ironman and marathon veteran Vaughan runs an epic tour. He has also run in multiple marathons all over Ireland before getting involved in the triathlon scene. When he’s not racing, Vaughan enjoys exploring the hills on a clear winter's day. Talk about cool!

Originally from the sunny southeast, he’s now an honorary Corkman. Vaughan has travelled all over Europe, lived in a kibbutz and visited every continent. As a self-confessed foodie, he loves nothing better than cooking for his better half and getting stuck into a good bottle of red, post-tour.