Testimonials about Walking & Talking In Donegal
Read what people who have taken the tour have to say…
Denise in Glenveagh National Park
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It was one of the best holidays I have ever had. I took part in a walking and talking tour in County Donegal from 09.07. – 16.07.2011. It was a kind of a magic tour for me. A wonderful group with very nice people, magnificient landscapes, natural coastlines, wild countrysides, fantastic meals, long evenings and a lot of stories from Sean. I can really say “Walking and talking in Ireland with Sean is good for heart, body and soul” – and it is like a cure for everyone – Absolutely!!!
The walking was wonderful. It was so varied. I think we all enjoyed the Giant’s Causeway day and the last day the best. And as for the weather, I have to say that I got wetter walking home from the Underground Station than I did the whole week.
Nina was great. She made us laugh a lot, as well as having read every book and every film that anybody mentioned.
But it was your company that was the best of all. We loved your relaxed style, and all the info. and history that you gave us, and the things and places you showed us. And the singing and readings, and your kindness in finishing up for tea rather than a pub. And all that driving. Cicely
Cicelytaylor@live.co.uk
Many elements melded to make this an exceptional and unforgettable week. It was an unusually small group, with only three of us plus Sean. We hit it off beautifully and quite quickly felt as if we had known each other for a long time. That may have been serendipitous chemistry or perhaps it was Sean’s special gift for making people feel completely at ease. The weather gods were also on our side. Despite Ireland’s well-deserved fame for providing more than its share of “liquid sunshine,” we had only a few hours of a medium drizzle all week—most of which was spent walking through a beautiful sheltered forest on the Ards peninsula. The rest of the week was a brilliant mix of scenery. Our first day was on Rathlin Island, the northernmost point of Northern Ireland and a short ferry ride from the mainland. It’s a birder’s paradise—with puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes, among other species. Fantastic density of bird life! The next day we went to the Giant’s Causeway, an astonishing sight made even more dramatic by the long coastal pathways we took to reach it. A complete change of scene (and mood) came with our visit to the walled city of Derry, a place whose turbulent history Sean knows so well. Yet another change of scene came with our walk around Glenveagh Castle, straight out of a fairy tale with its exotic gardens (but somewhat menacing history). Our final day was on the Fanad Peninsula, a place of magnificent beaches. While each cove has its own singular character, the entire coastline has a completely otherworldly feel to it.
Each day’s walks were special and distinct, but really it was Sean’s intimate knowledge of the area that made the trip so memorable. When a person is so excited to show you his favorite tree in a garden of many wonderful trees or his favorite rock in a setting of spectacular rocks or a view that he particularly treasures above others, that—in my mind—is the kind of sharing that truly enhances the experience. Sean focuses on Antrim and Donegal exclusively because he knows those areas so thoroughly. And it’s not just the natural sites that he knows; he’s also got a fine list of accommodations and restaurants to soothe and sustain. Want more? Ask him to sing a song or read a poem or two. He’ll oblige, and with an absolutely lovely voice, to boot. Nina
ntobier@earthlink.net
Our week in Ireland went so quickly – it was a wonderful experience in every way – meeting you and Nina, the lovely walks, the talks, learning from you all about the area and its geography, history and geology, the good and delicious food, the Guinness (es), in fact everything conspired to make my visit really interesting and memorable. I also feel a bit fitter as a result of the exercise, but certainly no slimmer!
Love and best wishes, Hilary
h.m.beau1@btinternet.com
Visited April 2013
I would like to thank you for a wonderful holiday. As a first introduction to Ireland it couldn’t have been better. The countryside, mountains and beaches have an unspoilt beauty which I haven’t found elsewhere. The warm welcome from the Irish community was refreshing it’s very unusual for people in Southern England to greet you with a smile and a hello. You managed the group with good humour , congratulations.
I really look forward to seeing the photos, once again many thanks for an amazing holiday.
saw beautiful beaches with colourful sand,
looked at the birds sitting on their nests,
heard their voices and had a short rest
with Snickers, ham and bread,
were surrounded by friendly, sporty people from foot to head.
We talked a lot, jumped over hills
or went under trees and saw mills.
When we arrived one of the nature`s wonders,
we took a deep breath,
Irland brought to us it`s nature wealth.
In the evening we always got delicious food,
we were sitting together in happy mood.
When we thought about the song and speech for Sean,
it was made for an experienced man, who has a friendly behaviour nice and warm.
Often, when the week in Irland flashes upon our inward eyes,
in our hearts pleasure lies.
THANK YOU SEAN FOR ALL !
Hope to see you and the friendly members of our group again.
Warm regards
the three ladies from Hamburg
I loved getting to know the various members of our group.
I loved the balance between stop and go; between walking and talking.
I loved Sean’s manner which is informal and low key.
I loved our two B & B’s and all the delicious meals we had together.
I loved the drizzle, and Sean’s name for it: “liquid sunshine.”
I loved the balance between comfort and work (i.e. walking).
I was stunned, day after day, by the meadows, the cliffs, the rocks, and the tapestry of all the wild flowers, heather and ferns.
Every trip involves two things: wrestling with logistics and immersing one’s self in a new world. Sean takes care of the logistics so well that we were free to lose ourselves in beautiful, tragic, and still beautiful Ireland.
Ireland is a wonderful country and Sean showed us on our walking in Donegal some especially scenic places. Without Seans knowledge of this beauty routes, our trip would have been to typical tourist places.There were so many impressions I will keep in my mind.
The day in Derry was full of the younger history of Ireland and the details Sean told helped to understand the background of this bloody period.
It was the first time that we spend our holidays with a group of people we did not know before. But from the first day on it was a team. During our walks and in the bus everybody was talking to everybody and from my side all conversations were very pleasant and interesting.
It was amazing! Thank you for a wonderful week.
Avec toute mon amitie,
Nadine (toujours en retard!)
I want to thank you for a most enjoyable trip. There was something about your web site whenever I look at it that says genuine, and somehow I had the feeling it would be the guide, I was right. Yes the scenery was spectacular, even through the fog and clouds, but it was your chatter and the way you made our group feel welcome and took care of our every need that I felt the most…
Although the sun wasn’t beating down on us every day, we enjoyed you walking and talking with us up the main street down the same street. We loved your stories, songs and jokes, but also the fairy-tales about magic mushrooms, private ships, pirate ships, selfish giants and recording studios…
We got an idea of Mullan’s Medical Walking Treatment (MMWT) while having our banana-stops beside the daily ‘Kirsch’ – sip.
MMWT became famous for providing people ( especially middle-aged women) with liquid sunshine for the skin, daily liquid Guinness for the soul and the Irish Times for the brain.
