Dan MacCarthy

Mini Bio

I’m from West Cork and grew up exploring the back roads on my bike. Family summers on Sherkin Island instilled a love of islands into my blood, and in the last number of years I’ve set myself the task of visiting as many Irish islands as possible (kayak, ferry, helicopter – any available means!), 656 and counting. I wrote about many of these islands in a weekly column for the Irish Examiner newspaper.

I’ve adapted my love of cycling into a book – Cycling Munster: Great Road Routes with 47 original routes covering coastal, inland, mountain and woodland routes. Something for everyone!

I have hiked all over the world, including Argentina, Rwanda and South Korea and have visited 75 countries on my adventures.

I am passionate about music, literature, the outdoors, and people, and love meeting new people to learn their stories.

Favourite Place to Play

Has to be West Cork with its beautiful beaches, charming towns and villages and rugged countryside.

Not a lot of People Know This

I returned to playing tennis in my 50s, and while I might not win Wimbledon, I still love the game and practising my drop shots and slices.