Dean McMenamin
Me in 3: Reliable | Friendly | Adventurous
Favourite Place to Play: Connemara’s Twelve Bens Mountain Range – especially Benbaun mountain. A great place to take some friends out on a hike.
Not a lot of people know this about me… I worked as a film and TV extra to earn money in college. I appeared in Irish television shows such as Fair City and Love/Hate along with larger productions such as Titanic – Blod and Steel mini-series.
Mini Bio: Originally from Co. Monaghan, I studied creative digital media at the Dublin Institute of Technology. After graduating, I decided to buy a bicycle and see how far I could cycle. This ended up being a 44,000 km biking journey over the duration of 4 years visiting 35 countries on five continents.
This epic biking trip brought me into contact with many different people and places, and I was always moved by the hospitality and generosity I experienced. After returning from my travels, I’ve moved over to the west coast to live in the colourful and bustling city of Galway. This gives me the opportunity to explore the local mountains of Connemara and beyond, as well as appreciating Irish culture. Ireland has so much to offer and I look forward to sharing this beautiful country with you!
Qualifications
- Higher Level Degree in Digital Media
- Guide cycle training in 2018
- Mountain Skills Training 1/2 – I’m currently logging hikes for this
- Rec 3 Mountain first Aid
Previous experience
I’ve been working in the travel industry since 2018 which included several guided cycling trips in the west of Ireland.
Travel/Biggest Adventures
From 2013 to 2017, I cycled 44,000 km on five continents across 34 countries. This included cycling through Europe, the Middle East, SE, Asia, Australia, South America, and North America. I had to carry all of my equipment on my bicycle during the journey! I was very lucky in that I spent the majority of the trip wild camping as well as being welcomed into local peoples homes.
You can read more about my travels on my website, Gone for Milk, which chronicles my round the world adventures.
Outdoor activities
I enjoy cycling and bike-packing – obviously! I also love to hike and enjoy open water swimming. Currently, I am training for the Killary Ford Open Water Swims. This will be a massive achievement for me seeing that I only learned how to swim in 2017!!
Hobbies & passions
- Photography
- Videography
- Woodworking
- Woodcarving
- Art
- Irish History (Particularly interested in the history surrounding the Famine)
- Flag Design – as nerdy as it sounds, I love a good flag!
Regions you’re an expert on
I have a good knowledge of the backcountry and hiking paths in Connemara and the Burren region. I also love the islands along the west coast of Ireland – the Aran Islands are particular favourites of mine!