Gemma Leahy (aka The Irish Gem)
Former Gaelic Footballer Gemma Leahy serves up Irish tidbits, history, and travel tips under the handle of The Irish Gem on social media. Her content has garnered an impressive following thanks to her humor and storytelling style. Although the content is more than travel tips, as I browse through her posts, I can’t help but find myself reminiscing about a trip I took to Ireland in April 2005 and hoping to do it again. While I haven’t traveled in quite some time, when I did I had one basic rule. Learn from locals.
Much of the best advice I’ve received when on a trip would come from the likes of cab drivers, bartenders, shopkeepers, and local citizens. Gemma has created quite an online presence with a friendly take on life in Ireland. From that perspective, she offers humorous tales, historical facts, and useful travel tips. This has led her to release a series of guides giving first hand advice on what to do and where to go when traveling The Emerald Isle.
Presented with the kind of lyrical cadence that is at the very nature of the Irish, Gemma’s tips are delightful and inspiring. The effect it has is exactly what travel advice should. It makes me want to pack my bags and take a trip. To spend time in Irish cities and villages. To breathe the air and taste the food. To enjoy the music and laugh at the jokes. To bathe in the hospitality that is so quintessentially Irish.
@theirishgem If you visit Ireland you have to visit The lovely town of Muff ✅Great barbers ✅Great diving club ✅Great bars #mufftown #funnytownames #irishtown #visitireland #irish
I thank Gemma for helping me add another bullet point to my growing (yet forever on hold) travel to-do list. By the way; I’m still taking applications for a wealthy benefactor to bankroll my travels. Just sayin’.
In the meantime, I’ll live vicariously thru my social feeds.
Cheers!
Stephen
TikTok → tiktok.com/@theirishgem
Instagram → instagram.com/Theirishgem1
YouTube → youtube.com/@theirishgem
Irish Gem Travel Guides → stan.store/theirishgem
Irish Road Trip & Pub Tour → stephenbailey.com
