Connemara Adventure Tours

Over 30 years of cycling and walking vacations in Ireland

This is the story of a family and a small village and the belief, energy and adventurous spirit which has prevailed amongst them. It is the story of a tour company which is unequalled for their passion for the tours they offer and renowned for their personal service.

Mary and Jamie Young – adventurers and founders of Connemara Adventure Tours

Connemara Adventure Tours is part of Killary Adventure Company and was created over 30 years ago by Mary and Jamie Young who came on holidays to what was then a very remote part of the west of Ireland, saw the immense beauty of it, and decided to stay. Ireland in the 1980s was in the grip of a recession but this did not halt their far-reaching vision.

Jamie had participated in the 1976 single-handed race to America and then was joined by Mary when they spent their honeymoon sailing to America in a 26ft boat designed for single-handed sailing. In 1979 they once again took to the water spending a year working on the famous 80ft ocean racing yacht Ondine. Theirs was a life of travel, adventure and discovery and they brought this strong interest and experience to their new business.

Family business continues into the next generation

They created a home here in wildest Connemara, they learned how to be self-sufficient and to work with the environment around them in a respectful way. They had three children, all of whom are now working full-time in the business. Ciara is the Marketing Manager for the Killary group of companies, Shane manages Killary Adventure Centre and Kim is also involved in marketing.

All three have spent years travelling and experiencing far-flung corners of the world in between study and work. They agree that this “university of life” has been in many ways as valuable as all their years of study combined.

Connemara Adventure Tours management team – Chloe and Conor

The current management team at Connemara Adventure Tours have added their own chapter to this story. Chloe Lefebvre came from France via the city life in Dublin of which she had quickly grown tired. On her travels she discovered Leenane and Connemara and has never left. She took up her position as manager and not only that, but she met her future husband and world-travelling companion, Conor Bolger, in Leenane.

Conor who has travelled extensively is now the person who will meet you at the start of your tour, will answer all your questions, prepare your equipment and look after your luggage – he is a busy man. Chloe and Conor married right here in Leenane in 2013 and have made it their home with their two little girls.

Each winter they can be found travelling the roads of France, Spain and Portugal in their trusty campervan, clocking up new experiences and gathering exciting ideas to bring home.

Mary Young

Founder and Director of Connemara Adventure Tours, Mary has lived the adventure of their 35 years in existence!  Sailing to America for her honeymoon in a 26’ boat, working on an 80’ ocean racing yacht whilst sailing 30,000 miles around the world – all before starting up Killary Adventure Company with husband Jamie in 1980. She has travelled extensively by boat, bicycle & foot but has yet to find anywhere better to live and work than Connemara.

Having grown up around the Adventure business, Mary and Jamie are now joined by their children who have also travelled widely but chosen to return to Connemara to live and work -  what better testimony to the power of this place.

Mary and her team look forward to welcoming you to see for yourself the place where the Wild Atlantic Way combines mountain, seashore and island and where a warm Irish welcome awaits you.

Jamie Young

Founder and Director of Connemara Adventure Tours. The real adventurer in the company, Jamie has sailed the Atlantic in a 23’ boat, skippered Ondine around the world, sea kayaked around Cape Horn, sea kayaked in the Islands off Guinea Bisseau, re-enacted Shakleton’s small boat voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia and most recently led a three-month sailing, climbing and sea kayaking expedition to Greenland.  And as he says himself, he is not finished exploring yet!

Our trips are not of this hard-adventure level, but we offer you the chance to explore a more remote part of Europe, knowing you have the comfort of a reliable and well-organised back-up team.