Who We Are

“The mountain is my cathedral… it’s freedom, it’s where I feel alive”

My name is Brian Hoey and my company is Mountain Ways Ireland. I grew up in the magical ring of hills that surround Slieve Gullion Mountain , South Armagh. This geologically unique landscape and its people is etched in my DNA coming from a 7th generation hill – farming family.

My love for the mountains led me to qualify as an All Ireland and UK Mountain Leader (MLS) and Accredited Tour Guide with TGNI.

As an outdoors person I lead a variety of guided walking experiences, everything from high mountain adventures , navigation training, geology based outings to historically themed slower experiences where I share the unique stories of my homeplace.

Wild food foraging, preparation and preservation has been a passion of mine since I was a child. My Grandparents and generations before have handed the gift of nature down to me and I love nothing better than to pass that knowledge on. Wild food is medicine and offers simple but powerful folk remedies. Food for free, fungi, ferments, pickles, jams, wild syrups, medicinal tinctures, salves …the list goes on.

I also regularly host foraging events / workshops themed around nature the changing seasons and different habitats.

I really look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into my world.

“I like meeting new people and sharing my stories with them“

Hi, my name is Lorraine and I’m a passionate walker and lover of the outdoors.

I have walked many of Irelands mountain ranges from Kerry in the far South to Rathlin Island in the North.

Myself and Brian both walked every step of the 790 kms Camino Frances across the Pyrenees, through the heart of the Basque country and Northern Spain to reach Santiago de Compostela.
I’m the ‘brains’ in the background, well somebody has to be and I will be there to making sure everything goes smoothly for you.

I also come from a rural part of County Armagh. I’m lucky to remember some of the ‘old ways’ and as a child cutting turf on my grandfather ‘Toner’s Bog’.Those memories are precious and make us what we are.

I love nothing more than to share with you my choice of the best places to stay, to eat and unwind in our beautiful destination, the hidden gems that make an experience organised by Mountain Ways Ireland a memory to cherish.

I want to share the real heart and soul of the country with you.

For me, the best part is meeting new people and listening to their stories, so really looking forward to meeting you !