Colleen Joyce: Colleen Travel Tours and Maumfin Chauffeur
Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you found yourself in the tourism industry?
I grew up in the heart of Connemara, where tourism isn’t just an industry — it’s part of our family story. For generations, my family has welcomed visitors from near and far.
My great-great-grandparent, and grandparents ran a tourism business and a craft shop in Recess, and as a child I watched travelers wander in, eyes wide with curiosity about our landscape, our stories, and our way of life. I didn’t realize it then, but that tiny shop planted the first seeds of my own path.
I attended secondary school at Kylemore Abbey, surrounded every day by the mountains, lakes, and lore of Connemara. That’s where my love for sharing this place really took root.
I went on to study tourism and then eco-tourism, determined to help protect the landscapes that shaped me while finding ways to welcome others into them — responsibly, warmly, and with pride.
Over time, I became a nationally approved tour guide, trained future guides, and eventually launched my own businesses — first Colleen Travel Tours, and later Maumfin Chauffeur Ltd — both built on the same belief: that the best tours are led by people who live the stories they tell.
Today, I’m lucky enough to spend my days connecting visitors with local guides who, like me, have deep roots in Connemara and Galway. Every tour is an opportunity to share not just scenery, but heritage, humor, and the small everyday moments that make this part of Ireland so special.
Being that you are a County Galway native, how did that shape the experiences that you create for your customers?
Growing up in County Galway shapes every experience I create for my guests — not in big, dramatic ways, but in the small, authentic touches that only come from living here all your life.
As a Galway native, I don’t just show people the highlights; I share the deeper layers — the stories my grandparents told me, the places locals consider sacred, the humor and warmth that are woven into everyday life here.
I know the shortcuts around Lough Corrib when the light is best for photos, the quiet bends in Connemara where the mountains seem to breathe, and the rhythm of island life on Inishmore that you can’t learn from guidebooks.
It also means I create tours that feel like a day out with a friend rather than a script. I grew up with the landscape, so I know how to slow down and let people feel Galway — whether that’s having a chat with a local in a pub, hearing the wind sweep across the Burren, or walking up to Dún Aonghasa with time to absorb its history.
Because my roots are here, I’m always conscious of showing visitors the real Galway, not the polished postcard version. I design experiences that are personal, local-led, and grounded in the pride I feel for this place. Guests don’t just see Galway — they understand it, connect with it, and carry a piece of it home.
Are there places from your childhood and formative years that you love sharing with clients when you bring them on a tour?
There are several places from my childhood that I love sharing with guests, because they’re not just scenic stops — they’re part of my own story.
Growing up in Connemara, I spent countless hours exploring its lakes, bog roads, and little hidden corners. Bringing guests there now feels like introducing them to an old friend.
Kylemore Abbey is another place that shaped me deeply. I attended there as a student, walking those woodland paths and watching the seasons change on the lake. When I bring visitors there today, I can point out the little things people tend to miss — the best viewpoint, the quiet corners, the stories the guides don’t always have time to tell.
And then there are the small, local spots that never make the brochures: the bog roads around Recess near my grandparents’ shop that still feels like home, the mountains around Maam, the beaches where we played as kids, the winding roads where I learned to drive — these places carry memories and sharing them feels like sharing a piece of myself.
Being a local, you no doubt have lots of local networks and connections that you can tap into. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how it helps you craft your tours and the benefits it provides to your clients
Being a local means my network isn’t something I built for business — it’s something that grew naturally over a lifetime. The people I work with today are often the same people I grew up with, went to school with, or whose families have known mine for generations. Those long-standing relationships shape every tour I create.
Because I’m connected to local drivers, guides, shopkeepers, islanders, farmers, and craftspeople, I can offer guests something that goes far beyond a standard itinerary. I know who to call when the weather changes and we need a smoother plan, which café will have the freshest scones that morning, or which local guide on Inishmore will bring real island stories to life.
These connections mean:
- Authentic experiences: Guests meet real locals — not performers — who genuinely enjoy sharing their home.
- Priority access & flexibility: Whether it’s arranging a boat, finding a quieter time to visit a site, or creating a route that avoids crowds, my local contacts help keep our tours smooth and personal.
- Hidden highlights: Locals know the places guidebooks don’t. Because of that, my clients get to see the viewpoints, beaches, and stories usually reserved for those who live here.
- Trust & safety: Working with people I’ve known for years means reliability. Guests feel that — they feel looked after.
In short, my local network allows me to craft tours that feel less like tourism and more like being welcomed into a community. Visitors don’t just see Galway and Connemara — they experience them the way locals do.
Beyond the popular attractions in County Galway that everyone wants to see, are there other, lesser-known spots that you like to include in your tours?
Beyond the big attractions that everyone has on their list, I love sharing the quieter, more hidden corners of County Galway — the places locals cherish but visitors rarely stumble upon.
Some of my favorites include the back roads of Maam Valley or Inagh Valley, where the mountains wrap around you like old friends and the only sounds are sheep calls and wind. It’s a place where you can still feel the heartbeat of old Connemara.
I often bring guests to little lakeside pull-ins that aren’t marked on maps but offer some of the best photo stops — mirror-still water, drifting peat scent, and the kind of silence that stays with you long after you leave. The simple places, but they show Connemara at its rawest and most honest.
And then there are the local beaches and small harbors, the ones with no visitor centers or buses — just soft sand, seaweed, and the occasional fisherman. Guests always light up when they realize they’re seeing a part of Galway that feels untouched.
These kinds of stops add balance to the big-name sites like Kylemore Abbey or the Sky Road. They offer moments of quiet, authenticity, and connection — the chance to experience Galway the way locals do, not just the way guidebooks suggest.
What is your own favorite attraction in the region?
It’s always hard to choose just one — Galway is full of places that leave their mark on you — but if I had to pick a single favorite, it would be Kylemore Abbey.
Not just because it’s beautiful (which it is, in every season), but because it’s a place that’s part of my own story. I attended school there, walked its woodland paths every day, and watched the light change on the lake in ways that still stop me in my tracks.
The Abbey has a calm, almost timeless energy: the mountains rising behind it, the soft reflection on Pollacappul Lake, and the sense of history layered with the quiet rhythm of monastic life.
When I bring guests there, I’m not just showing them a landmark — I’m sharing a place that shaped who I am. I can point out the small details most people miss, the views that meant something to me as a student, and the stories you only learn from living within those walls.
But truthfully, what makes Kylemore Abbey my favorite is that it captures everything I love about Connemara: beauty, history, resilience, and a deep sense of peace. It’s a place people remember long after their trip ends — and I feel lucky every time I get to bring someone there for the first time.
If you hadn’t become a tour guide, what else might you have done?
If I hadn’t become a tour guide, I imagine I still would have found my way into a path connected to people, place, and storytelling — because those have always been at the heart of who I am.
I’ve often thought I might have gone deeper into eco-tourism or conservation work, helping to protect the landscapes of Connemara and Galway that shaped my childhood. I’ve always felt a strong pull toward preserving natural places, and I could easily see myself working on community projects, habitat protection, or sustainable tourism planning.
Another path I might have taken is education. I loved my time at Kylemore Abbey, and becoming a teacher — maybe in geography, history, or even Irish heritage studies — would have felt like a natural extension of what I do now. Guiding is, in many ways, teaching outdoors.
And on quieter days, I sometimes wonder if I might have ended up in writing. I’ve always been drawn to stories — especially local ones — and sharing them is such a big part of my work now. Writing about Ireland’s landscapes, its folklore, or the people who make it special would have been another beautiful way to connect with the world.
But in a way, guiding lets me blend all of those passions: the land, the stories, the people, the teaching moments, and the joy of seeing someone fall in love with a place you’ve loved all your life. It’s the path I was meant for — but I like to think those other paths are still woven into what I do every day.
You can find out more about Colleen Travel Tours by going to her website. You can reach Colleen at [email protected].
Colleen is a member of my Licensed Private Driver Network.
