DENIS O'REILLY:I GET UP at 7am and head to the yard to pick up my bus before driving into Dublin to meet Wild Wicklow Tours' other drivers. In peak season we run five buses. When it's quiet it's just me.
As soon as the first guests are picked up, outside the Shelbourne Hotel, the entertainment begins. I put my little headset on and guide as I drive, picking up people as I go and telling them all about Dublin and the various points of interest.
We go out the coast road by Dún Laoghaire and up to Dalkey, stopping at Sandycove to show them the Forty Foot. Nude swimming ends at 9am, so that’s all over by the time we get there, but the passengers are always amazed that anyone gets in at all, it’s so cold – except for one group of Danish students I had, all of whom stripped off and got in, much to the delight of the locals.
The regular swimmers often ask me when am I bringing the Danish women back.
From there we head on to Avoca Handweavers in Kilmacanogue for a coffee break before heading up to Glencree. There’s loads to tell them about along the way, including the background to the little German war cemetery and Glencree Centre for Peace Reconciliation and its history. At the moment there are lovely lambs along the route, too, which I tell them look just ready for the plate.
Cutting turf seems amazing to visitors, and as we pass over the Sally Gap we will often see turf cutters, so we stop and give people a chance to see and feel the turf for themselves. We stop, too, at Lough Tay, which is fabulous. At that stage I’ll pass around a hip flask and we’ll all have a little toast to Ireland.
From there it’s on to Roundwood and Laragh, where we stop for lunch, before making for Glendalough. I’ll give them a full historical tour of the monastery. Yesterday I walked to the Upper Lake with a group, but sometimes they like a little time to themselves there.
I had as much craic with my group yesterday – a group of French visitors with very little English – as I’ve ever had, and that’s the thing about this job: it’s great fun.
On the way back home I’ll put on some Irish music and let them relax and chill out, having them back in Dublin for 5.30pm.
Then I’ll drive the bus back to the yard and steam it down and wash the floors before heading home by about 7pm.
It’s a long day, and it’s exhausting, because I’m talking all the time, but we really have great fun. Before I set up Wild Wicklow Tours, 14 years ago, I was a chartered surveyor. This is just so much better.