Our Team, Your Team
Working Together with You
We are a small and tight knit team at Small Escorted Tours and in every sense it’s a family company. Because we are small we all work together on each tour, getting to know our guests in advance so that we can work with you to perfectly tailor your vacation and make it the experience of a lifetime.
Anne
Anne worked closely with her husband, Michael, to establish Ireland Escorted in 1987. Since his passing in 2009 she has maintained his high standards and is determined that the company stays small and continues to offer the very personal service our guests have always enjoyed.
Anne is convinced that getting the little details right is what makes a vacation really special and nothing makes her day like an email from a happy client. She is famous locally for her warm hospitality (and her delicious scones!) and insists that we treat everyone who travels with us as we would a welcome friend.
Paul
Paul (Michael’s nephew and Margaret’s son) joined the Company in 2016. Since then he has become an expert Driver/Guide. He is known for planning great tineraries that work for everyone in a group. He is very popular with our guests and gets consistently great reviews on Trip Advisor.
Paul is also in charge of making sure our vehicles are always in tip top condition. He has two children, Luke and Lily.
Marion
Marian joined the Company in 2017. She loves communicating with guests right from when they start thinking about their vacation until everything is in place to make that dream trip a reality. She loves to plan tours she would enjoy going on herself and has become a real expert in planning the perfect itinerary and booking just the right hotels for each group.
Marian has two adult children, Katie and Paul and two grandchildren, Ellen and Hugo.
Tommy
Tommy (Michael’s brother and Paul’s uncle) is our newest recruit. He is married to Brigid and they have one son Brian and a much doted on grand-daughter, Aoibheann. His hobby is bee keeping.
Tommy has enjoyed many holidays travelling around Ireland with his family over the years and really enjoys using this experience to help guests plan itineraries which meet and exceed all their expectations.
Maurice
Maurice reckons he has the best job in the world – touring the most beautiful and interesting places of the country he loves, sharing his vast knowledge of Irish history and culture and getting paid for it!
He is an Irish Tourist Board qualified National Tour Guide and knows all the best places to visit, including many hidden and off the beaten path gems. Our guests appreciate his easy good-humoured company and the way he always seems know instinctively how to make their tours that extra bit special.
Millie
Millie the Westie believes she is the office manager and boss – and who are we to argue! She is dedicated to keeping us all entertained and making sure we all get a turn at playing in the garden.
She is the best girl!
Michael
Michael Forristal founded Small Escorted Tours of Ireland in 1987 having worked for many years with large tour companies as a driver/guide. It had become clear to him that many people wanted a more flexible and personal service with an itinerary that allowed for spontaneity and that included places that were ‘off the beaten track’.
Those who had the pleasure of touring with him were struck by Michael’s passion when talking about Ireland and his extensive knowledge of the country along with his story telling and his wicked sense of humour. Michael put up a brave fight against cancer but unfortunately passed away in January 2009.
We are all very proud of Small Escorted Tours of Ireland and know it would not be the company it is today without Michael’s hard work and dedication. He was a perfectionist and was driven by the desire to provide every guest with their best ever vacation. We miss him greatly.
Anne’s sister-in-law Margaret, who played a huge role in the early years of Small Escorted Tours of Ireland, lost her battle with cancer in 2015.