I’m a qualified Tour Guide and a member of Tour Guides NI.
Recently, I helped set up Carrickfergus Tours and Tales, a group of Tour Guides who deliver a range of Walking Tours around Carrickfergus.
From a young age, I developed a keen interest in the Second World War, largely influenced by the stories my late mother shared. She was a young girl living in occupied Eindhoven, The Netherlands, during the conflict, and her experiences sparked my curiosity about that time.
At school, I studied the events leading up to the outbreak of the war, as well as the pivotal moments that shaped the world between 1939 and 1945. However, it wasn’t until recently that I realised my hometown of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, has a rich and often overlooked wartime heritage. Despite living here for over fifty years, I had no idea how the town and its people had adapted to the challenges of wartime life.
Civilian life changed dramatically during the war. Factories shifted their focus to manufacturing essential goods for the war effort, while military personnel from Britain, the United States, and Belgium made Carrickfergus their temporary home.
It was during some research on my late father’s family that the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. I discovered, almost by accident, that my father’s formative teenage years in Carrickfergus coincided with the war. Sadly, I never asked him about that period before he passed, so it was a true revelation to learn about the tanks, parachutes, GIs, and more that were part of his daily life.
This discovery sparked the idea for a Guided Walking Tour. I believe the wartime history of Carrickfergus is fascinating—a time still within living memory, yet largely overlooked.
By joining me on this tour, I hope you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what life was like here during the war. I guarantee you’ll encounter a few surprises along the way. You might even find inspiration to explore your own family’s wartime stories.
In the Media
Here are a few articles which have appeared in the local media. They give you an overview of my Guided Walking Tour, and who I am.
My Weekend (Belfast Telegraph)
New walking tours to explore rich and varied World War II history of Carrickfergus (Irish News)
Episode 09: The U.S. Rangers lead the way with Adrian Hack (PODCAST – Wartime NI)
Lead The Way Tour 