Experiencing Ireland
Experiencing Ireland
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About
Welcome to Experiencing Ireland! Trudy, your dedicated private driver guide and genealogist, invites you to embark on a remarkable journey through the heart and soul of Ireland. We specialize in providing a truly distinctive and personalized adventure. Trudy has an expertise and passion for Irish heritage, culture, and history offering an authentic experience that goes beyond the beaten path to discover the hidden gems of this enchanting land. We pride ourselves on curating bespoke itineraries that immerse you in genuine Irish traditions and local life. Trudy will introduce you to charming villages and towns and the locals who reside there. You will experience their customs, traditions, and authentic Irish way of life. Whether you're tracing your roots or simply seeking an off-the-beaten-path adventure, let Experiencing Ireland be your guide. Join Trudy for a journey that's more than a tour—it's an intimate exploration of Ireland's soul.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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5.0
10 reviews
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Chip A
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
My family just returned from a wonderful trip of 8 days with Trudy in October, 2023.
Trudy tailored/customized the trip perfectly so that we enjoyed the things we set out to experience, and also to delight in surprise places and activities that she wanted to show us.
We toured central and west Ireland, including the counties Offaly, Galway, Dingle, Kerry, Clare and Killarney.
Trudy has a network of great contacts for accommodations and for specific experiences (for example, her contact
who does sheep dog demonstrations was wonderful).
A major reason for our trip was my wife's desire to see the home area of her ancestors in Offaly.
Trudy worked hard in advance of the trip, to find birth and marriage records of family members.
When we got to the ancestral town, Trudy even located some of my wife's living cousins and we gathered for a celebration.
Our family of eight rode with Trudy in her 9-passenger van, which she safely and expertly drove
on the narrow and tricky lanes of the Irish countryside.
Trudy has a great sense of humor and ability to impart her deep knowledge of Irish history and culture. She's a joy to spend time with.
It would take too long to do justice to all the ways that Trudy goes above and beyond.
Suffice to say that we highly recommend Trudy and Experiencing Ireland if you are planning a trip to Ireland.
Trudy tailored/customized the trip perfectly so that we enjoyed the things we set out to experience, and also to delight in surprise places and activities that she wanted to show us.
We toured central and west Ireland, including the counties Offaly, Galway, Dingle, Kerry, Clare and Killarney.
Trudy has a network of great contacts for accommodations and for specific experiences (for example, her contact
who does sheep dog demonstrations was wonderful).
A major reason for our trip was my wife's desire to see the home area of her ancestors in Offaly.
Trudy worked hard in advance of the trip, to find birth and marriage records of family members.
When we got to the ancestral town, Trudy even located some of my wife's living cousins and we gathered for a celebration.
Our family of eight rode with Trudy in her 9-passenger van, which she safely and expertly drove
on the narrow and tricky lanes of the Irish countryside.
Trudy has a great sense of humor and ability to impart her deep knowledge of Irish history and culture. She's a joy to spend time with.
It would take too long to do justice to all the ways that Trudy goes above and beyond.
Suffice to say that we highly recommend Trudy and Experiencing Ireland if you are planning a trip to Ireland.
Written 19 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maureen B
2 contributions
Apr 2023
We had an amazing time with our tour guide, Trudy. She made our trip an experience of a lifetime. Dad wanted to return to Ireland where he spent several years of his childhood before his father passed. Trudy’s genealogy knowledge was so helpful in researching our heritage in Ireland. Our trip was dedicated to finding family roots, seeing the farmland, blessing my grandfather’s burial plot in Moville, visiting the peaceful atmosphere of the Knock Shrine, seeing the stunning views of the Cliffs of Moher, spending time in Cong [yes, we are all Quiet Man fans, including Trudy ~ we will always remember the side trip to Squire Danagher’s Home 😊] and sharing a meal at Bunratty Castle. Trudy planned a truly memorable adventure travelling through the countryside with so many added stops. We shared with her a few places we wanted to see in Ireland, and she made it all happen, and then some. Fairy trees, Corkscrew Road, the Burren, Matchmaker Hotel, Tabletop Mountain, Ashford Castle and the Abbey in Cong filled our trip with so much more than we imagined. Trudy was so knowledgeable and entertaining. We felt like she was part of our family. We laughed together, shared stories, and travelled the countryside in style. She made sure we had a wonderful time. Every aspect of our trip was personalized. We highly recommend travelling with Trudy for anyone who wants to experience the best of Ireland with a friendly and professional guide. We all enjoyed our time together and we are very grateful for her guidance, expertise and of course the laughter.
Written 15 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Seaside592324
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Friends
Trudy organized a fabulous private 4-day tour to Northern Ireland., including various sections of Belfast, Braavos Canal (Game of thrones filming), Ballymena, Cushendun caves, Kinbane castle and lovely lunch in Ballycastle, Dunseverick Castle. Then spent a beautiful day touring Derry (Londonderry) walked the Strand and toured the "Derry Walls" and City Centre. Then off to Dobegal. Such an amazing adventure and we had so much fun while gaining such great information about each area and its story. The accommodations she secured were fabulous and the cost was very reasonable, we got so much more than we paid for. Would absolutely use Trudy again (and I have!). Thank you Trudy.
Written 21 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JVtravelbear
Boston, MA105 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
We take a girls trip with 6 women every fall, this years adventure was Ireland. Trudy did an amazing job setting up a 2.5 day scenic tour of the west of the country. Not only did we see the Cliffs of Moher and Ring of Kerry but we experienced local pubs and shops too. Trudy was very knowledgeable about the history of the country as well as being communicative and punctual.
The driving is not for the faint of heart so it was lovely to sit back and enjoy the views. Even better was not being on a big tour bus and, instead, having a personalized tour.
We highly recommend using Trudy for creating memories of a lifetime!
The driving is not for the faint of heart so it was lovely to sit back and enjoy the views. Even better was not being on a big tour bus and, instead, having a personalized tour.
We highly recommend using Trudy for creating memories of a lifetime!
Written 9 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara A
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
Our family group of eight booked a trip with Experiencing Ireland, hoping for a small, personalized tour in which we would visit our family roots in Offaly, and venture west to Galway and Connemara, the Dingle Peninsula and Kerry/Killarney. Not only did we see amazing scenery along the way, but Trudy had suggested some wonderful experiences, including a sheepdog demonstration in Connemara, the Wild Birds of Prey and Ailwee Caves, the beehive huts and baby lambs of Dingle and many, many more. We visited pubs and restaurants and national parks. It was an absolutely delightful experience! Trudy is also a seasoned genealogist and had traced our family to a particular area, where we met cousins and saw what had once been our family homestead. Highly recommend!
Written 18 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen G
Boston, MA25 contributions
May 2023
I and four others, just finished a 7 day Wild Atlantic Way tour with Trudy and it went beyond our expectations. Along with what she planned based on what we wanted to see, each day had a surprise she had planned. By the end of the trip she was one of us. For me there is no other way to really see Ireland, than with Trudy!
Written 15 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary T
Su Thep, Thailand38 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
I have always wondered where my wife’s family started so we started to do some research on the net ,we didn’t get to far and started to lose interest as we could find very little information.
That was when I heard about Experiencing Ireland from a friend who used them.
We contacted Trudy who went and did the work for us .
Trudy really knows her stuff and the whole experience was amazing.
We soon became immersed into the Ireland experience so packed up and headed over there.
Once again Trudy was amazing as she became our guide, we visited so many ancestral places that we had no idea existed.
It truly was an incredible trip finding your ancestors.
I can recommend Trudy from Experiencing Ireland as she went beyond our expectations.
Oh and by the way she is a lot of fun as well
That was when I heard about Experiencing Ireland from a friend who used them.
We contacted Trudy who went and did the work for us .
Trudy really knows her stuff and the whole experience was amazing.
We soon became immersed into the Ireland experience so packed up and headed over there.
Once again Trudy was amazing as she became our guide, we visited so many ancestral places that we had no idea existed.
It truly was an incredible trip finding your ancestors.
I can recommend Trudy from Experiencing Ireland as she went beyond our expectations.
Oh and by the way she is a lot of fun as well
Written 15 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas L
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • Friends
We had a wonderful time w Trudy. She is knowledgeable, flexible, delightfully funny and easy going. She helped us in a pinch when our planned driver became ill . I would highly recommend her as a guide. We were 4 Americans not interested in driving from Kilkenny to Galway and wanted a local to show us some sights on the way. She did a great job of that.
Written 27 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Tom
Thanks so much for leaving such a nice review. I had such an amazing time showing you guys some of the beautiful places to see in Ireland. I'm glad you enjoyed the day and I hope you will return to Ireland some day.
Trudy
Written 2 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kristen G
1 contribution
May 2023
Sincerely, if I could give more than 5 stars I would. Trudy is an amazing tour guide and took my family on a trip that we will remember for the rest of our lives. She took us to places that you would not see going on one of those large bus tours - in a sense, we went off the “beaten path”and got to see the REAL Ireland. Trudy was extremely accommodating and so much fun to spend the week with. I will miss her so much and will 100% be back to check out Northern Ireland with her.
Written 14 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike M
2 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
On our recent visit to Ireland we found many Irish surprises and treasures. None were more valuable to the success of our trip than Trudy and her team. Before our trip I was skeptical of the need for a guide. Before we were even out of the airport it was already obvious we were in for a great time with Trudy. Over the course of the next 6 days we were treated like family. We were taken to so many beautiful, exciting and fun places that we would never have heard of or found without the local knowledge and contacts that Trudy has. I am no longer skeptical...We arrived and met our guide, but left Ireland with a new friend. I wish there were more that 5 stars to leave. I cannot recommend Trudy and her team enough. They will definitely be our first call on our next visit...which I pray will come soon. A true Irish treasure. Thank you Trudy!
Written 15 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience