Patricia Gardiner

Mini Bio

I’ve had a wonderfully varied career, starting out as an urban planner and then a project manager with wind energy companies, so I’ve had the privilege of walking hills from Spain to Wales, Scotland to California, before becoming a teacher of adult education. I came to guiding through being a Super Host with Airbnb when I landed back in Sligo.

We enjoyed the company of our guests and would take them to see local places they wouldn’t be able to reach on their own, as they were travelling by bus/train. So megalithic tombs, Yeats grave, Benbulbin were all on our list of favoured spots, with a little bit of history about the Big Houses and Estates, the stone walls, the famine graves, etc. along the way.

I loved showing people the little things that wouldn’t necessarily feature in a guidebook, like the Holy Wells, or a place in a local church dedicated to those who died in the First World War and the history around that. We built friendships with people from around the world that continue to this day. I love learning about and supporting nature by taking courses in hedge laying, helping plant hedges with native species, or going ‘rhodi bashing’ to cut out invasive rhododendron from state forests or woods.

Favourite Place to Play

The Ox Mountains in County Sligo and all around Killala Bay in County Mayo, for the scenery, the hiking, the history, the stories and the people.

Not a lot of People Know This

I come from a family of small farmers, so I know more about sheep, cattle and cows than I usually admit to in case I’m asked to cover the morning milking!