Ruairi Leddy

Me in Three – Friendly | Passionate | Adventurous

Places to Play – The Burren & Connemara

Not a lot of people know this – Due to rapidly depleting funds, I spent my last term of college living out of my van. Happened to be one of the coldest winters on record. On the bright side, the library had more visits than I had ever envisioned!

Mini Bio – I’ve always been most at home when in the outdoors, be it biking, kayaking or surfing. This is why I gravitated towards studying outdoor education and why becoming a guide seemed such a natural fit. I love nothing more than loading my van with gear and heading out to explore with likeminded people.

Away from guiding, I work with young offenders. I am also a trained Yoga instructor in a Yoga style called Vinyasa Flow with Green Lotus Yoga. I feel very fortunate to guide people through some of Ireland’s most majestic landscapes and share some of my favourite places with them.

Education & Qualifications

BA Honours in Outdoor Education and Heritage of the Irish Landscape
MSocSc (Master of Social Science) Community Development and Youth Work
Diploma in Business, Executive and Life coaching
Level 3 Sea Kayak instructor
Single Pitch Award
Surf instructor
Ride leader award
Vinyasa yoga instructor

Experience

I’ve worked as an outdoor guide since 2005 in numerous locations along the West coast of Ireland, be it guiding visitors to Ireland down into caves, hiking the hills and mountains of the Wild Atlantic Way, navigating around islands in a sea kayak or meandering through the beautiful Irish countryside by bike. I’m very fortunate that my job is to introduce visitors to sports and locations that I love!

Travel& Biggest Adventures

I’ve always had itchy feet and love to travel myself. When I left school at 18, I packed my rucksack and headed to South America for a year – and definitely caught the travel bug en route! Still to this day packing for a trip brings unbridled joy to my life, I love the butterflies in the stomach before setting off on any adventure with mates into new territories. My biggest adventure to date has been sea kayaking around Ireland – it was an amazing way to experience the beauty of the Emerald isle in an entirely new way! I know I’m perhaps biased in saying this, but after travelling the world, I truly believe that the hospitality the people of Ireland give to visitors is second to none.

Outdoor Activities

The expression, a “Jack of all trade and master of none” really applies to me! Depending on the time of year (and perhaps my mood!), you’ll find me trying my hand at numerous activities. Be it trying to catch a wave during a winter swell, hanging from a rock face when the sun is shining or exploring the islands along the west coast by kayak when the sea is flat (trust me, it rarely is), I’m most at home when outdoors and spending time with friends sharing the experience.

Hobbies & Passions

Over the last 8 years, I’ve really gotten into yoga. Honestly, if you’d said this to me a decade ago, I admit I would’ve laughed at you. A friend introduced me to a hot Vinyasa flow class when I was recovering from a knee injury and I was instantly hooked. I’ve deepened my understanding and practice by becoming a fully qualified Vinyasa yoga instructor in 2017. Every sport and lifestyle helps create muscle imbalances in the body and I found yoga to be a great way of bringing balance back. It also improved my performance while surfing, biking or rock climbing.

I’ve always had an interest in history – an interest that as led me to study the heritage of the Irish landscape at university. The vast amount of folklore and mysticism associated with Ireland’s diverse landscapes is fascinating!

Specialty Regions

I grew up in the Midlands of Ireland which is a relatively flat region, so I quickly gravitated to the West coast where the adventure of the hills and coastline is on your doorstep. At present, I live on a little island off the mainland in Burren region in county Clare, it’s an amazing part of Ireland due to its rugged beauty and only a stone’s throw away from Connemara in Co. Galway. It’s a fantastic part of the country for music, seafood and socialising!

I have lived in Galway for the last 16 years and this is definitely home for me. Right on the Atlantic with the mountains of Connemara, the rugged backcountry of Mayo and the wild Burren landscapes in Co. Clare are all only a short drive away. It’s a fantastic part of the country for scenery, seafood and socialising!

Ruairi's Trips

Bike Tour – Biking and Yoga Escape @ 07/09/2019

Choose Your Perfect Adventure