Meet Ireland’s Local Characters

Who is Michael Gibbons?

One such person is renowned archeologist Michael Gibbons. Born in a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) community, his mother was a local historian who handed down oral stories and his father worked abroad. Between the two of them, he learned not to take the landscape for granted, and he spent his childhood exploring the landscapes of his hometown – all of which led to him becoming an archeologist. He’s worked on digs and in antiquities museums all over the world – London, Greece, Jerusalem, Turkey – but it’s always Ireland that pulls him back.

What does being an Irish archeologist mean?

Michael Gibbons spots the sites that no one else notices. “My goal is to show people a long lens view of the Irish landscapes,” Gibbons explains. “On a single hike, I take visitors through prehistoric landscapes, ancient monuments, Neolithic tombs, iron age burials and forts, and an abandoned village – bringing the landscapes alive and active. It is an immersive and fun learning experience – and that’s just one hike!” he says, sharing his gift for reading the long history of a landscape with visitors.

Once Michael Gibbons gets started talking about his passion for archeology, there’s no stopping him – and there’s no telling what you may learn. No matter how many times you might have seen a  landscape, Michael Gibbons will change the way that you see it.

No dry archaeology – he describes the ancient civilisations and why they might have decided to carry dozens of boulders to the top of a hill and arrange them in a particular way. And it’s not just the ancient people that bring an academic sparkle to his eye – Gibbons also studies holy landscapes such as pilgrimages, holy wells, and sacred mountains – and notably the all-important pilgrimage trails that lead to them.

Where do Irish folklore and archeology overlap?

Another interest is studying Irish mythology to interpret landscapes. One great example are the beds of Diarmuit and Grainne – Diarmuit was a warrior in the Fianna, Grainne was his wife. They eloped, which turned out to be a bad idea as they were chased all over Ireland – wherever they slept was called a bed. There are hundreds of places called beds all over Ireland. In fact, often these are neolithic tombs. So through Irish folklore, which goes back about 1500 years, we can study even older Irish history.

Anglicisation of Irish names saved the names into landscapes here, he claims. Superstition, too, preserved the landscapes, the Irish heritage. “I was up on Inishmann [on the Aran Islands] yesterday,” Gibbons recounts. “And one of the clients was asking about fairies, if I have ever seen one? Of course I hadn’t, but I could show her the fairy forts and the ancient settlements that constituted their houses. Throughout history, and even today, you know that farmers won’t go near or touch them, since people are still wary. Fields will be ploughed around these fairy forts, roads built not just along natural obstructions, but also to avoid destroying the fairy forts.”

Meet archeologists galore and discover Ireland’s fascinating ancient past and the impact they still have on our landscapes today. Perhaps you might like to join our Ancient Ireland private trip.

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Who is Iain Miller?

Iain Miller has spent the last 30 years exploring the wild coasts and cliffs of Donegal. A long-time adventurer and trailblazer, Miller has pioneered the activity of guided sea-stack climbing and more often than not, has become the first to ascend many of Donegal’s wild sea-stacks.

He has made the first free solo of sea stack Cnoc na Mara as well as the first ascent of Tormore Island, Ireland’s highest sea stack. A complex journey involving hillwalking, mountaineering, rock climbing, open sea kayaking, ocean swimming, recreational scuba diving and in general having fun, Miller takes his passion for adventure and exploration to the extreme.

So far, he is the only sea stack climbing guide in Ireland and he is eager to share his passion and expertise in summiting some of Ireland’s most overlooked wild spaces.

What landscapes inspire Iain Miller?

The wilds of Donegal are composed of desolate but beautiful landscapes – sweeping valleys and hidden glens, rugged mountains, idyllic castles and jagged coastlines. Bogs and villages are left to their own devices, and the Gaeltacht communities still have a strong hold.

Donegal is a county of rough headlands, sheer cliffs and towering sea stacks jutting dramatically from the swirling Atlantic. It is this outdoor playground that is Donegal adventurer Iain Miller’s stomping ground.

What is a “sea-stack climbing” experience?

“Imagine descending 850 feet of sea cliffs to arrive at the outstandingly beautiful storm beaches in the most remote and atmospheric locations in Ireland,” Miller explains, a twinkle in his eye as he paints the scene.

“We then launch from the shore to cross open ocean to land at the base of towering monsters of immaculate rock. We climb these columns of rock to arrive atop pristine pinpoint summits far from anywhere in the real world.”

“Surrounded by ocean waves and vast horizons dotted with swooping fulmars, diving dolphins and the odd basking shark or whale while standing on a pinpoint summit 350 feet above the ocean, half a mile from the nearest point of land and nearly 15 miles from the nearest main road is a truly spiritual experience.”

Who is John Fitzgerald?

Meet John Fitzgerald, seaweed expert, nature lover, and local historian. Lucky enough to live on the Wild Atlantic Way, John developed a deep love fishing and boating early in life, spending summers as a kid going fishing with his family.

“No matter how much you learn, there’s always more to learn,” John says. “My wife and I used to go fishing together – the sea brought us together. After a while we started paying more attention to the ocean and nature and started learning more about it. It was a snowball effect – the more we learned, the more we wanted to know! So I’ve been running seaweed foraging and fishing tours for 10 years now.”

Asked to speak at a conference about the Wild Atlantic Way and seaweed, he is renowned across the island as one of Ireland’s leading experts on seaweed and plant life in the ocean.

Why seaweed?

Not only can he give you the history of seaweed from ancient times to today, explain its natural properties and its health benefits, he can also show you how to eat it! But his passion and knowledge extends past just seaweed. If you want to know what is edible that comes out of the Atlantic Ocean, John’s your man. From sea radishes to sea spinach and sea rocket, as well as coastal wild edible plants such as aster, rock samphire and seabeets – John loves to share these tasty green treats with visitors to the Kingdom of Kerry.

While some edible plants can be eaten as one walks along the shore, others need a bit more preparation. Some foraged plants can be combined with fish to create gourmet dishes like ceviche or sashimi, a picnic delicacy enjoyed on a deserted island or quiet beach.

Along the way, John showcases his other passion – that of local mythology and storytelling, bringing the landscapes alive with tales from Irish legend and history. Once John Fitzgerald gets to talking about local legends, the ocean and its plants, there’s no stopping him.

Want to experience the magic of seaweed foraging and gourmet fishing in Kerry’s hidden coastlines and islands? Join our Kerry self drive to meet John Fitzgerald yourself. 

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