Susan O’Connell and her sister Kathy grew up with tales of their Irish ancestors, from the lord of Ballycarbery Castle to the Irish Fenian who escaped to America. Susan first visited Ireland as a teenager and has been back many times.
A librarian by training, she combines her information seeking skills with a passion for learning about Irish heritage. She began her tour guide career by introducing family members to their rich Irish family history, then shared her love of place by leading tours as a library fundraiser. Now Susan is available to share with you the natural beauty and the history of this unique corner of our planet.
Craig Slaughter is our steady driver and all around problem solver. When not driving visitors around Ireland, he works as a delivery driver for an electrical supply company. He first traveled to Ireland in 2011, where he learned the fine art of shifting gears with his left hand, and traversing a traffic circle in a clockwise direction. Since then, he has driven down one lane tracks that end in piers over the ocean and over serpentine mountain passes. Ireland’s most beautiful scenery is often found on the most narrow and twisty roads, which makes having a steady and skilled driver like Craig at the wheel a valuable asset.
Kathy O’Craven has a background in cognitive neuroscience and study of how the brain works. She is an entrepreneur who brings her business and financial management skills to Closer Look Tours.
Kathy experienced major life upheaval when her decades long marriage ended. This prompted her first to travel, and then to launch the Ever Widening Circles group tours for others who have experienced separation or divorce. She is excited to be able to use her experience to help other women re-discover their strength and move forward in positive ways.
“I loved getting the “inside scoop” and local knowledge from Susan and Craig. Their perspective really made the trip special! ”