Walking Boots Tours, Exploring the heart & sole of Ireland. Carefully choosen hiking, walking& special interest vacations tours throughout Ireland.

What the clients say.


Why Visit Ireland with Walking Boots?

Maybe you want to travel to a place that's safe and friendly, where the simple, open beauty of nature is always close at hand.
Maybe you want to touch the ground that your grandparents called "home." Or maybe you have no Irish ties, but find your feet moving to the music of fiddles and pipes.
Maybe you're a lover of history who is curious about an ancient civilization. Maybe you're a photographer entranced by sunlight on green fields. Maybe you're a great reader who wonders how Joyce came by his wit and wordplay.
Or maybe you simply think that there's no better way to spend a day than walking in the open air that smells of the sea.
Whatever the Ireland you're seeking, Maeve Kelly can help you find it. Her walks are thoughtfully and thoroughly planned, and, above all, great fun -- a holiday like no other.

Written by Ellen Murphy New York, USA

Compiled by, Professor Emeritus Jim Gallagher,  University of Wisconsin, La Crosse,U.S.A.

What some of my past clients have said, when asked the question, ‘what is your evaluation of our guide, Maeve?

Very knowledgeable, excellent.
Maeve is a super personality and is well organized. She did a great job planning the hikes.
An outstanding person and very competent. I liked her encouragement to keep us going up those long hills. I would recommend her to anyone without reservation.
Maeve was willing to answer all of our questions.
She was well organized and prepared.

The University of Wisconsin, La Crosse tour with Jim Gallagher, 2007.

What Jim Says...


I have been organizing tours of Ireland from America for about the last ten years. Since 2001 I have arranged walking tours, all led by Maeve Kelly of “Walking Boots”. Maeve is an excellent guide. One of her most important qualities is that she puts people and their needs and concerns first. The safety and enjoyment of the clients are always her prime concern.

She is also very well organized; always follows through on arrangements and commitments; and knows a lot about Ireland, its natural history, and culture. People on her tours are well taken care of, have a darn good time, learn a lot, and come home knowing that they have had a great experience.

At the end of each tour I give the members of the group an evaluation form to fill out. They are asked to rank (on a scale of 1-10) and make comments about the tour, food, accommodations, guides, cost, etc. The evaluations for the various physical aspects of the tour always average in the 9-10 range. However, people are usually unanimous in ranking Maeve herself a 10, and realize that it is her hard work, organization and planning, wonderful personality and sense of humor, and genuine concern for people that make the trips so enjoyable and successful.

I highly recommend Maeve and plan to continue using her services in the future. She is terrific!

Jim Gallagher,

Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.

Tel. in the U.S.: 608-785 8463
E-Mail: jimjangallagher@msn.com

What some wonderful walkers said in 2008...

We experienced Ireland in July, 2008, with Maeve Kelly. Our trip was so well planned that we were able to enjoy every minute of it.  Accommodations were unique and wonderful and the food was delicious. The best part of the trip was learning something about the history, archeology and culture of Ireland from Maeve and the others that she included as part of our tour group. The hiking was challenging, yet enjoyable and was kept at a pace that was perfect for our group. Walking on boggy land high above the sea was truly unique for us. It rained quite a bit, but we were prepared and it didn’t stop great hikes or interfere with our many opportunities to view phenomenal landscapes and seascapes and of course, to visit Irish pubs. We appreciated being able to communicate with Maeve before the trip to iron out many details and get it “just right” for our group. She was a tremendous help in planning those parts of our trip where we were “on our own.” If you want to see Ireland with someone who avoids crowds and focuses on the experience we would highly recommend Maeve Kelly and Walking Boot Tours. It was lovely.


Dennis and Marianne Stanke
Mark and Jean Ledman
Ramona Bishton.

Walking in the Esknamucky Glen on the Kerry Way July 2008. (M kelly c)

Here are the comments from Jim & Joan.

This is our third hiking tour with "Walking Boots Tours" of Ireland. For us,
there is not  a better way to exprience the incredible scenery of Ireland.
Maeve takes us to isolated coastal and island villages that have first class
accommodations. The meals are beyond expectations. Naturalists and local
cultural experts accompany the tour at at various times, who are very
knowledgable and make the tour that much more interesting. For anyone that                             wants to experience Ireland without the hustle of large cities and buses, we
would strongly recommend "Walking Boots Tours". The entire trip is well
organized and just a whole lot of fun.


Jim & Joan
LaCrosse, WI

 

Hank and Lorene participatd in my Educational tour in 2007.


"We were able to see Ireland from the fresh viewpoint of local Irish people,
so we felt thrilled to have this unique opportunity to get "down and dirty"
in Ireland!  I loved identifying the birds and finding their habitats."
We tell people about your great country any chance we can.  It was great
getting to know you.
Sincerely, Lorene


"To learn about a special place with special people in such a special way
created pictures and moments that will never fade away. It was a true
blessing and a time I will never forget and long to repeat." from Hank.

Hank & Lorene Wellnitz, WI.