Our Story

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Working to provide this unique holistic approach to education, health and well-being” 

Mayo Adventure Experience is an activity based company located at Lough Lannagh, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. Our Aim is to provide a quality experience in a friendly and safe environment.

Mayo Adventure Experience was set up in 2014 by Castlebar native Jarlath McHale, who started this business after finishing his Honours degree in Outdoor Education at the GMIT Mayo Campus in Castlebar. Since Mayo Adventure Experience humble beginning's in the public car-park of Lough Lannagh the company has catered for everyone from local kids looking for adventure, to elite athletic All Ireland Champions looking for team bonding sessions.

Mayo Adventure Experience has a clear aim of creating an enjoyable experience in the outdoor and reconnecting with nature, whether through Stand up paddling, open boating, Pilates/Yoga, and team building. We create bespoke packages for individuals, teams/groups to provide you with the type of experience that suit you and your needs.

The primary adventure activities include, SUP (Stand Up Paddling), open boating, orienteering & team building.  We can tailor to the needs of our customers, tell us what you want and we'll do our best to meet your needs, our priority is for your safety and enjoyment, in our beautiful lake side environment.

Working out of Lough Lannagh is great, we are based in a central location in Castlebar with easy access from wherever you're coming from.

Meet the Team

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Jarlath McHale

Jarlath is a graduate of the GMIT Outdoor Education & Leisure course with Honours in 2014, at which time he set up Mayo adventure experience. During his time at at the GMIT he enjoyed success with the Surf intervarsities teams and won a National award for organising the best Intervarsaties competition in the country.

Jarlath's love of sports and the outdoor combined with is interest in Psychology have brought him to study for a Masters in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at Waterford Institute of Technology. He did so to further expand his knowledge and practical skills at working with individuals through adventure sport and exercise to reduce stress and facilitate health and well-being.

Jarlath loves adventure and is happy exploring and finding new ways to challenge himself which lead to him going back to Peru in 2017 to be the first non Peruvian to complete the Inca Trail as a porter. An experience that was unforgettable and can be seen on our blog Mayo to Peru and through the documentary “Carried Away; A Porters Story”.

Tom BaynesOur senior Instructor Tom started off his adventure with us when he was only 12, joining our very first adventure camp almost 6 years ago. Since we couldn’t get rid of him….. We thought….’ we better give him a job’. A true trooper in the o…

Tom Baynes

Senior Instructor Tom started off his adventure with us when he was only 12, joining our very first adventure camp almost 6 years ago.  Since we couldn’t get rid of him….. We thought….’ we better give him a job’.

A true trooper in the outdoors, Tom took on the challenge of getting qualified as a SUP instructor and hasn’t looked back since.  Tom has spent the last 5 years working with us, graduating from young adventurer to lead instructor, ensuring that all our guests from summer camps to stag parties have enjoyed themselves and had the true Mayo Adventure Experience.

His background in the Scouts laid the foundation for his ability to understand the needs of young adventures, how to build solid rafts and teach others all he knows about the outdoors. Now studying for life with Law and French in University College Cork (UCC), Tom continues to be an integral part of our team here at Mayo Adventure Experience……..and in case you didn’t notice, he likes donuts!!

Steven Lenihan

The teams Head Activity Instructor and company manager really is larger than life, standing a mere 17ft tall (when on tippy toes) and has the wingspan of an albatross.  Originally from the unknow wilderness of Galway somepleace, some say Connamarra other’s say Claregalway, either way this bushman is something even Chuck Norris would look up to.

A grauadte of Outdoor Education, his knowledge and skill set is vast, form building wildernes shelter and living of the grid to indoor kayak polo, is there nothing this giant cant do!! Steven’s passion is bush-craft and anythnig to do with survival skill. His water-instructorships include kayaking, canoeing, SUP, kayak polo and when he not in a boat teaching, he is anwering all your questions and booking enquires.

A true leader Steven is known for his organisational and team management skills wheather its running activity sessions or answering emails and the phone he is a constantly on the go.

He takes an extremely personal approach to instruction and strives to make each client’s experience with Mayo Adventure Experience enjoyable, educational and unforgettable.


Caoimhe Ward

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Caoimhe is our newest member to the team, a Mayo native who love’s everything that the west coast has to offer. Caoimhe is our queen of hospitality always striving to ensure our customers receive the best adventure experience. Currently studying for her Degree in Outdoor Education at GMIT Mayo, this pirate queen has a passion for all things wild and wonderful of the outdoors.

A keen Archer, Caoimhe holds the role of Public Relation Officer (PRO) in the GMIT Mayo Archery Club and enjoys putting her skills to the test competing regularly in intervarsities. When she is not equipped with a bow and arrow,  she loves to splash about with a paddle in her hands kayaking, Canoeing or SUP’ing.  She shares her passion and knowledge for the outdoors by volunteering as a leader for her local Brownies Group (Irish Girl Guides).

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Heather O'Connor

This Galway Girl is surely a descendant of the original O’Connor Clan of Galway who were once the High Kings of Connacht.  Heather, also graduate of The GMIT Outdoor Education Bachelor of Honours Degree (I think we are starting to see a trend here) was a trend setter herself during her time attending college tough no-nonsense approach to having fun….as she puts it herself “sure we’ll  give it go it’ll be grand”.  Her hobbies include surfing, surfing, more surfing and yes you guessed it……surfing. Although when she can't be found in the salty waters around the world, she loves to paddle her way around the fresh water lakes of Mayo with her new found love for SUP’s.

Her sporting exploits don’t just include water and Heather has been spotted with a ball in hand every now and again. She repented the FAI as one of their 15 Student Activators, where her role was to coordinate recreational 5- a-side soccer leagues for the GMIT campus.A was naturally gifted footballer and coach before surfing and the aquatic world of Mayo got a hold of her.

 Through her time in GMIT as part of a hugely successful surf committee and club (3 in a row Irish Surfing Champions) she is a very confident water user and has a passion to get people out on the water and enjoy it as much as she does. Although she is not as tall as some of her co-workers, at 5 ft 3, she is a hard-working minion ready to get stuck in.