[NoHo Arts District, CA] – In this month’s Active World Journeys travel blog, Jack Witt gives us an “Interview with an Irelander,” his travel industry partner, Pascal, with Fitzpatrick Coaches.
I asked Pascal if I could do a short interview for my blog on what it was like to grow up in the “Emerald Isle” and give us a little more insight into the local way of life there.
Which area of Ireland did you grow up in? What did your parents do for a living? Tell us about being a kid in Ireland.
I grew up in a small Irish village in Co Monaghan on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. My parents ran a transport company moving people around the county and the country. Growing up in a close-knit village, everyone knew everyone, and local life revolved around community events and the GAA (Irish football), which was a big part of everyday life.
What did you do following high school? Tell us about being a young adult in Ireland.
I finished secondary school and went to college to study History and Business. I did some travelling and when I came back, I started working with my parents in the bus company. Like many young adults in Ireland, it was a time of figuring things out, gaining
independence, and balancing study, travel, and early work experience.
When did you decide that you wanted to be in the travel industry? Tell us about your first job(s) in the industry.
I grew up in the travel industry with my parents owning a passenger transport company, so I was never far away from organising day trips, weekends away and extended tours. From an early age, I helped with bookings and planning, which gave me a real understanding of how the industry works. That early experience naturally led me into a career in travel.
Has working with tour groups changed at all in Ireland over the past few decades?
It has changed in the sense that the popular tourist attractions have become much busier, e.g. Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway etc. Since the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland, visiting Northern Ireland is so much more popular than a few decades ago. A lot more thought has to go into the logistics and timings of planning a tour to make it an enjoyable experience for visitors.
What are some of your favourite food dishes and local drinks in Ireland that might correspond to a local festival or a family tradition?
Ireland has a vast range of fantastic restaurants and coffee shops. Guinness is a famous
and much enjoyed drink among the Irish and tourists alike. Irish stew is a much-loved warm dinner on a cold and wet Irish day. With all our coastlines, seafood is very popular too.
What are you most proud of being Irish?
I am most proud of our welcoming hospitality and friendliness. Irish people are known for making visitors feel at home, whether it’s through a friendly chat in a local pub, offering directions to a traveller, or simply sharing stories and laughter. There is a strong sense of community and warmth in Ireland, and I love that visitors often leave not only with beautiful memories of the scenery, but also with memories of the people they meet.
The Irish are famous for being genuine, friendly, and welcoming – is that just in front of us tourists or are you that way with each other as well?
I do think that we are genuinely friendly to everyone and that we can strike up a conversation easily with friends and visitors. It’s very much a part of our culture, not something we put on just for tourists. Whether it’s chatting with a neighbour, helping a stranger, or catching up with someone in a local café or pub, people generally enjoy making connections and having a good conversation.
If you need ground transportation while in Ireland and/or tour logistics and resources for your small, medium, or large group, you can email Pascal’s team directly at info@fitzpatrickcoaches.com
I’ll be hosting an Ireland Tour in the summer of 2027; so please stay tuned for more details.
Cheers,
Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
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