Essential Ireland

COST EFFECTIVE VIP TRAVEL FOR SMALL GROUPS

‘Essential Ireland Tours’ strive to ensure you don’t have a generic ‘tourist’ experience. Our founders, Patrick Wade & Stephen McPhilemy, are passionate about ensuring you meet the locals! So important. We want you to experience the heart of Ireland.

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Authentic Irish Experiences:

We promise to never have you feel like a tourist. Our small groups guarantee this, we have 8 - 16 people max on each tour. When we enter a pub in the evening, we filter away, we don’t dominate the space like big groups do. Big groups change the dynamic of the pub, restaurant, village or historic site that they arrive into, its not their fault - they can’t help it. But Essential Ireland Tours are subtle and because of our small group-size we blend in easily and have a much more authentic Irish experience. We also cannot be beaten on price! Fact.

Your Guide to Ireland

STEPHEN MCPHILEMY

Stephen is one of Ireland's most experienced tour-guide, he began his career in 1995, the first summer after the IRA ceasefire and a new dawn for tourism in Ireland. He became the Marketing Director for Paddywagon Tours and enjoyed ten fun-filled years helping to build their brand and guiding their backpacker tours.
Stephen has learned valuable tour techniques from 3 decades working in every area of Irish tourism, from 19 year old broke backpackers to high-end VIPs. He has equally enjoyed guiding them all, as someone once said - “from the King on his throne to the beggar alone”.

He is an Irish History & Politics Graduate from QUB (Queens University, Belfast) and for post-grad attended the acclaimed Journalism School at Ulster University. Most importantly he is the youngest graduate of the Irish Tour-Guide Academy!

He is a regular guest on TV, radio and the National press as an expert on Touring and travel in his beloved Motherland. In 2015 the National newspaper, the Irish times, invited Stephen to be a judge on the ‘Best Place to Holiday in Ireland’ competition

Your Guide

STEPHEN MCPHILEMY OF ESSENTIAL IRELAND

For 20 years Stephhen has been the right-hand man and Irish protege of American travel TV star Rick Steves, appearing many times on Rick Steves PBS TV Show and NPR Radio programme. Stephen still enjoys guiding a few Rick Steves tours of Ireland each summer.

Stephen was born in Historic Derry and spent his formative years growing up in beautiful Donegal. In 2013 he and Patrick bought Milltown House, a luxury guesthouse on Dingle Harbour, (this is now our Essential Ireland Travel HQ) so Stephen divides his time between his beloved Ulster and his cherished second-home in the Kingdom of Kerry in Irelands magical South-West coast.

Co-Founder

PATRICK WADE OF ESSENTIAL IRELAND

Co-founder & passionate Traveller

PATRICK WADE

Patrick is an Irish-American entrepreneur and world-traveller who cherishes his Irish ancestry and has been to Ireland possibly more than any other American of his generation.
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He is one of those Americans who relishes history and politics. He cherishes his passport and utilities it as often as he can to experience every corner of Europe and beyond.

His favourite destination however is the land of his ancestors, Ireland. Patricks Great-Grandfather, Hugh Patrick Curran, left County Tyrone just after the Great Famine of 1845-49 and landed in New York, where he used his skills as a brick-maker to earn a living before travelling on and finally settling in Bakersfield, in the then ‘wild west’ of California. Patrick has a burning pride for both his Irish and Californian roots.

After graduating from UCLA, Patrick found success in the pharmaceutical industry, where among other things he now makes drugs for race-horses at the Kentucky Derby.

His business interests range from producing Hollywood movies to passionate Irish Hotelier

He has traveled extensively in all 4 Irish provinces and relishes every opportunity to explore every part of Ireland on his many anual

OUR STORY

From Derry to Bakersfield: How Stephen and Patrick came together to form Essential Ireland Tours

1995

Stephen begins leading Walking Tours of Historic Derry, Patrick and the few other Irish kids in Bakersfield, California join together to form the ‘East-side Irish”.

Essential Ireland's chief guide Stephen McPhilemy in 1995 giving a guided tour of Belfast

1998

Stephen becomes first guide from ‘Northern Ireland’ to graduate from the Irish Tour-Guide Academy and begins his life-long connection with his Mentor and friend Rick Steves.

2003

Stephen filming in West Belfast with his good friend and mentor Rick Steves. Stephen has conducted hundreds of tours for Rick and his frequent guest on his NPR radio show, a 20 year travel relationship that continues to this day.

Essential Ireland's chief guide Stephen McPhilemy in 2004 guiding a tour of the Slea Head Drive

2004

Patrick Graduates from UCLA and rewards himself with a trip to Ireland for St. Patricks Day. 30 minutes before departure decides to hop on a 6 Day Backpacker Adventure, with Stephen as the tour-guide

2006

Stephen tour-guide career and stories begin their appearances on Irish National TV & Radio.

Essential Ireland's chief guide Stephen McPhilemy in 2006 being interviewed on national television

2007

Stephen helps Patrick organise their first group-tour of Ireland, for 20 of Patricks best friends. They realise an amazing co-incidence that Stephens Great-Uncle was Patricks Priest in far-off Bakersfield and is buried years from Patricks grandfather in a US military cemetery (both men were WW2 Veterans).

2008

Stephen organises and guides his 500th tour of Ireland. Champagne (and Guinness flows). He meets the President of Ireland, Her Excellency Mary McAleese in Aras an Uachtarain.

Essential Ireland's chief guide Stephen McPhilemy in 2008 at Aras an Uachtarian with a pint of Guinness

Stephen McPhilemy and Francis Brennan outside Milltown House in the sunshine

2013

To cater for the amount of guests they are introducing to Ireland, Stephen and Patrick purchase beautiful Milltown House on Dingle Harbour, the former home of Hollywood Star Robert Mitchum. They also acquire Seamus, a gentle-giant Irish Wolfhound.

2014

2014 Stephen and Patrick consolidate their Irish touring services into our tour-company ‘Essential Ireland’ to cater for the select but steady amount of groups wishing to travel with the man enjoy authentic and fun Irish experiences. The highlight of the first year is hosting 40 of our friends and family from the US, Ireland and abroad.

Stephen McPhilemy and Patrick Wade in the bar at Milltown House in 2014 where tehy consolidate their touring services into Essential Ireland Tours

Small group tour outside Milltown House looking toward Dingle Harbour in Ireland

2016

In addition to our various tour activities and a year long celebration of the 1916 Rising (we change our logo for the year to remember with pride), we create our ‘Travel Bursaries’ to ensure deserving travellers with a love for Ireland get to enjoy our Motherland despite busy schedules or other commitments.

2018

Stephen and Patrick welcome their 1,000th Guest to Ireland, to enjoy their award winning tours and hospitality. Plans are in place to welcome many more guests to Ireland. They launched a new range of tours to the North of Ireland along with a luxury VIP castle tour

OUR STORY

From Derry to Bakersfield: How Stephen and Patrick came together to form Essential Ireland Tours

1995

Stephen begins leading Walking Tours of Historic Derry, Patrick and the few other Irish kids in Bakersfield, California join together to form the ‘East-side Irish”.

1998

Stephen becomes first guide from ‘Northern Ireland’ to graduate from the Irish Tour-Guide Academy and begins his life-long connection with his Mentor and friend Rick Steves.

2003

2004

Patrick Graduates from UCLA and rewards himself with a trip to Ireland for St. Patricks Day. 30 minutes before departure decides to hop on a 6 Day Backpacker Adventure, with Stephen as the tour-guide

2006

Stephen tour-guide career and stories begin their appearances on Irish National TV & Radio.

2007

2008

Stephen organises and guides his 500th tour of Ireland. Champagne (and Guinness flows). He meets the President of Ireland, Her Excellency Mary McAleese in Aras an Uachtarain.

2013

2014

2016

2018

Testimonials

Don't take our word for how great our Tours are: here what some of our many guests say about us

"I had an amazing time on my Essential Ireland Tour! My highight was when the arranged for me to golf on the Ryder Cup course at the K-Club... Sláinte."

Jin Link

Washingon

"Stephen and Patrick helped me re-connect with my Irish heritage, I loved travelling with them, I learned so much and had so much fun. Even learned to pour my own Guinness! Thanks to everyone at Essential Ireland for making my time in Ireland so special"

Jeanne O’Neill Sutter

Seattle

"Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Danniel Ford

Member

COST EFFECTIVE VIP TRAVEL FOR SMALL GROUPS

Authentic Irish Experiences:

STEPHEN MCPHILEMY

Your Guide

Co-Founder

PATRICK WADE

Our passion

Our Tours

Wild Atlantic Way Tour

IRELAND’S TRUE NORTH

PRIVATE TOURS

CASTLES AND CLASSICS

OUR STORY

1995

1998

2003

2004

2006

2007

2008

2013

2014

2016

2018

OUR STORY

1995

1998

2003

2004

2006

2007

2008

2013

2014

2016

2018

Testimonials

"I had an amazing time on my Essential Ireland Tour! My highight was when the arranged for me to golf on the Ryder Cup course at the K-Club... Sláinte."

"Stephen and Patrick helped me re-connect with my Irish heritage, I loved travelling with them, I learned so much and had so much fun. Even learned to pour my own Guinness! Thanks to everyone at Essential Ireland for making my time in Ireland so special"

"Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

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