Seamus O'Brien

I grew up in Kinnitty, just outside Birr. Walking the estates near home wasn't something I thought much about as a kid—it was just what we did on weekends. But looking back, those walks planted the seed for everything that came later. There's something about Irish demesnes that draws you in. The landscapes aren't random. They're deliberate, layered with history, designed by people who understood land and legacy.

After secondary school, I studied Irish History and Landscape Studies at the University of Limerick. It wasn't enough to learn about estates from books. I wanted to understand how they actually functioned—how the grounds reflected the decisions of their owners, how they changed over time, why certain routes existed. During university, I started volunteering with the Irish Heritage Trust, leading small groups through different properties. That's where I discovered I actually enjoyed explaining things. Not in a lecture-hall way, but in a real way. Walking alongside people, pointing out details, answering questions on the spot.

In 2012, Birr Castle hired me as a full-time guide. That was fourteen years ago. I've walked those grounds more times than I could count—in every season, every weather condition, every time of day. I've watched the trees grow, seen restoration work transform spaces, documented which paths flood in winter and which stay solid. When the castle started thinking about accessibility for older visitors, I was already deep in that work. I'd been noticing which routes tired people out, which rest points got used most, where the terrain could cause problems. We brought in accessibility consultants, but I was the one walking the grounds with them, pointing out real-world details.

Now, working as Content Specialist at banaspaty Limited, I'm combining all of that—the field experience, the research, the time spent understanding what actually works for real visitors. It's not about making everything easier or dumbing it down. It's about helping people experience these places authentically, at their own pace, without frustration or risk.