About
Steve McPhilemy
Stephen McPhilemy has been on the road, touring his beloved Ireland, for 25 years.
Stephen is one of Ireland's most experienced tour guides. 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 working for three decades in every area of Irish tourism, from 19-year-old broke backpackers to high-end VIPs. As someone once said, he has equally enjoyed guiding them all, "from the King on his throne to the beggar alone."
He graduated from Irish History and Politics at QUB (Queen's University Belfast) and attended the acclaimed Journalism School at Ulster University for postgraduate studies. 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 and an expert on touring and travelling in his beloved motherland. In 2015, the National newspaper, The Irish Times, invited Stephen to judge the 'Best Place to Holiday in Ireland' competition.
About Your Tour Guide
STEPHEN MCPHILEMY 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 judge the 'Best Place to Holiday in Ireland' competition.
For 25 happy years, Stephen was the right-hand man and Irish protege of American travel TV star Rick Steves. He appeared many times on Rick Steves's PBS TV Show and NPR Radio programme. Stephen retired from guiding for his mentor in the summer of 2024.
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 famous 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 Ireland's magical South-West coast.
