Outdoorsy Irish Instagrammers to follow

These brilliant accounts will inspire you to spend more time in nature

Fill your feed with people who inspire you to get outdoors and embrace our beautiful island. Here are some Irish accounts that will help you discover the best places to walk and swim, hobbies to pick up like gardening and hiking, and so much more.

Clare Rooney @she_sows_seeds

Clare’s account is lovely to follow as she shows how easy it is to grow lots of vegetables at home. We love that she shares all her successes as well as any mistakes or failures and what she has learned from them.

She grows lots of vegetables and flowers in her allotment and polytunnel. You will feel seriously inspired from the colourful images on her feed, and she really knows how to embrace all her outdoor space, recently hosting a cute tea party inside her polytunnel.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Clare (@she_sows_seeds) on Apr 25, 2020 at 10:35am PDT

View this post on Instagram

My first bunch of homegrown sweet pea 💐 . 3 varieties (featuring 1 or 2 rogue pinks?) – Charlie’s Angel’s are the lilac ones on the top they’re from @swancottageflowers – Scarlet knight, the deep wine ones, & blue ripple, the purple white mix, both from @premierseedsdirectltd . They all smell divine! I’m delighted I’ve gone back to growing flowers this year and not just veg. . #flowers #sweetpea #growwithzoe #homegrownflowers #instadaily #flowersofinstagram #shesowsseeds

A post shared by Clare (@she_sows_seeds) on Jun 19, 2020 at 11:44am PDT

Charlotte Black @the_functional_yogi

Charlotte is one of the organisers of Portmarnock Swimrise Meetup, a community group that meets for morning meditation, a dip in the sea and chats. Charlotte is a healthcare worker, PT and yoga teacher. The swimrise meetups are in aid of charity, and this month’s chosen charity is AWARE mental health services.

View this post on Instagram

“When we focus our energy towards constructing a passionate, meaningful life, we are tossing a pebble into the world, creating a beautiful ripple effect of inspiration. When one person follows a dream, tries something new or takes a daring leap, everyone nearby feels that energy, and before too long they are making their own daring leaps and inspiring yet another circle.”- Christine Mason Miller @swimrise_meetup

A post shared by C H A R L O T T E B L A C K (@the_functional_yogi) on Jan 29, 2020 at 1:21am PST

View this post on Instagram

S W I M R I S E MEETUP . Hi guys, we hope this post finds you well. We will be meeting this Sunday on Portmarnock beach (opposite koba thai cuisine) 12th July @ 04.50am for meditation, a dip in the sea & chats. The meditation will start at 04.55am sharp so if you arrive late please respect the space & join in quietly. You will need: A yoga mat Towels Swim gear Warm clothing Flask of tea/ coffee. Our chosen charity for the month of July is AWARE. We will post more in the stories about the services they provide for Mental health. The link for donations is now live & in the bio. The meditations for this month will have a mental health awareness theme. This weeks meditation theme will be about creating boundaries to protect your mental health. We encourage everyone to follow social distancing guidelines, cough/sneeze etiquette & to respect the personal space of others on Sunday. If you are unwell please stay at home as we will be back again every week. In the event of a rainy morning , the meditation is cancelled and we will just have a dip in the sea instead. We look forward to sharing the morning with you. Leave a 💙 if you are planning on coming along / tag a friend who you think might be interested in joining. See yous sunday, Char & Ste x #swimrisemeetup #portmarnockbeach #community #connection #nature #healing #outdoors

A post shared by Portmarnock Swimrise Meetup (@swimrise_meetup) on Jul 8, 2020 at 8:59am PDT

Toni Rae @american_girl_in_Ireland

Toni takes the most beautiful pictures of Donegal, you won’t be able to resist planning a trip there. She is originally from Florida but now lives in Donegal and shares her Irish travel adventures.

View this post on Instagram

Pro tips for visiting Malin Head: 1. It is always windy. It is never not windy at Malin Head. It is the most northerly point in the entire country, which means it’s virtually on the edge of the earth. It gets pretty wild on the edge of the earth, so bring a hair tie…unless you fancy having your eyeballs whipped out by your own hair (I’m talking to me). ° ° 2. Wear reasonable shoes. Sure, those leopard print knock off Vans may look adorable, but the way is rugged and your feet will not be happy with your poor choice in footwear (also talking to me; I had to drive home barefoot because my poor piggies were so upset). ° ° 3. Do not stop when the footpath stops. Come on, you’re a rebel! The best views are found when you keep walking until you literally can’t walk any longer (unless you’re Jesus and have that whole “walking on water” thing down. If so, I wanna talk to you about the water to wine thing, too). ° ° 4. Take your time. There are no barriers and the most daring of us can just waltz right up to the edge of the world, so just be steady and safe and don’t get blown off a cliff. But also take your time to explore everything and enjoy everything, including the drive up; it’s all gorgeous and deserves to be savored. 😊 ° ° 5. Don’t listen to David Gray on the drive back. You’ll be far too emotionally vulnerable from all the raw and wild beauty you just witnessed and it’s really dangerous to drive when you’re sobbing. I suggest The Beach Boys or Snoop Dog. ° ° 6. Have fun, take photos and be present. ❤️ ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° #malinhead #irelandsmostnortherlypoint #topoftheworld #govisitdonegal #goseeireland #lovesdonegal #lovesireland #raw_ireland #icu_ireland #failteireland #donegalpage #irelanddaily #visitdonegal #loves_ireland #ig_ireland #inishowen100 #bestofireland #banbascrown #takemetoireland #tourismireland #irishdaily #malin

A post shared by Toni Rae (@american_girl_in_ireland) on Jun 20, 2020 at 10:17am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A gorgeous, misty Glengesh Pass. Glengesh, which means Glen of the Swans, was formed by glaciers many thousands of years ago and cuts a beautiful valley through the Glengesh and Mulmosog Mountains. This pass connects Ardara and Glencolumbckille. ❤️ ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° #glengeshpass #glenoftheswans #discoverdonegal_ #irelandaily #irishdaily #raw_ireland #instaireland #govisitdonegal #donegalpage #bestofireland #best_of_ireland #bestirelandpics #wildatlanticway #ardara #irishmountains #tourismireland #failteireland #lovesireland #icu_ireland #irelanddaily #lovindonegal #ig_ireland

A post shared by Toni Rae (@american_girl_in_ireland) on Jul 13, 2020 at 1:55am PDT

Finn Ni Fhaoilain @saltwaterstories.me

Marine scientist and sustainable living advocate Finn is also a cookbook author, and manages to squeeze in a lot of seaswimming and time outdoors. Her grid is a soothing mix of gorgeous food, fun activities and calming reminders of the importance of wellness and selfcare.

View this post on Instagram

Ready to dive on in? In college studying oceanography I learned about how the sea (but also things like waterfalls) give off negative ions. As we humans wander about stressed & buzzy we give off positive ions and so when you swim, surf or even just walk by the sea this balancing out is one of the (many reasons) it helps to calm us. I think I first heard the term #thebluemind from @easkeysurf at one of her talks, speaking about the affect the ocean has on human behaviour. We are all in a weird place at the moment and for many you might be sheltering in place no where near the coastline. I’m really lucky to live & work by the sea, but a little nature anywhere you can (safely!) go is good. There is no day that I’ve spent on my phone/computer and come away feeling refreshed or rejuvenated but even just a 10 minute walk outside perks me up. If you’re interested in an even more deep dive (pardon the pun) I really liked the book Deep by @mrjamesnestor & learning about the human mammalian dive reflex (similar to what I studied in seals!). Do you have a favourite spot in nature that you go to help you unwind? . . . . . #saltwaterstories #salttherapy #saltwatervibes #getsalty #beachlife🌊 #bluemind #negativeions #diverightin #marinescience #marinescientist #marinebiology #sustainableliving #saveourseas #oceanplastics #plasticfreeocean @wild_atlantic_way_pics #wildatlanticwaypics #plasticfreeoceans #wildatlanticway

A post shared by Finn Ni Fhaolain (@saltwaterstories.me) on May 27, 2020 at 3:53am PDT

View this post on Instagram

I’ve been a little quite on here the last week or so, many things going on in the background (both awesome but also stressful), taking a piece of own advice and where possible making sure there’s always a little time for exercise and a little time for water! Yesterday I did a 6h round trip to Dublin but made sure to have a dip in the sea before heading out. Today my hips are super sore from all that driving but I know another chilly dip will help sort me out! . . . . . #saltwaterstories #oceanlove #saveourseas #saltwatertherapy #seaswim #seaview #irishsummer #moodyskies

A post shared by Finn Ni Fhaolain (@saltwaterstories.me) on Jul 9, 2020 at 1:04am PDT

Sarah Hanrahan @i_come_undone

Sarah is well known as an expert on all things that are happening on the Dublin culture scene, but she is also a go-to authority on the most gorgeous outdoor experiences in Ireland. An avid wild swimmer and hiker, she creates personalised Irish travel itineraries for people who want unique staycations to remember.

View this post on Instagram

Lost moments 💙

A post shared by Sarah Hanrahan (@i_come_undone) on May 12, 2020 at 10:32am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sarah Hanrahan (@i_come_undone) on Jul 8, 2020 at 12:26pm PDT

Galz Gone Wild @galzgonewild_

This brilliant hiking club for women is back in action after lockdown. If you’re not familiar with the group, Galz Gone Wild is a community that aims to encourage a love of the outdoors, and embrace the mental health benefits of nature. It is an open, welcoming group of women. Leaders plan out a route and there are day trips planned to suit all levels of experience.

Galz Gone Wild has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by adapting the model for trips to ensure numbers are lower and has postponed international trips. In the meantime, the account is still a brilliant resource of hike inspiration and encourages us all to spend more time in the soothing surroundings of nature.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GALZGONEWILD (@galzgonewild_) on Mar 24, 2020 at 12:20pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Hey Galz! Amid all this uncertainty there is one thing we are certain of- the importance of your mental and emotional wellbeing. We wanted to do something to help and encourage you all to get outdoors during this time. ⁣ ⁣ We bring you the #hikeforhappiness challenge! ❤️⁣ ⁣ We have mapped out 4 of our favourite GGW hikes. The maps for these hikes can be downloaded onto your phone for free and used offline at any time 🙌🏼😊 We need nature and the outdoors now more than ever. The positive benefits of spending time in nature, out on her mountains, on her trails or in her woods and parks are huge! ⁣ ⁣ Nature has been proven to ⁣ •reduce fear⁣ •stress⁣ •anxiety ⁣ and increase feelings of ⁣ 🌟 joy⁣ 🌟calm ⁣ 🌟happiness 😁🥰⁣ ⁣ Exposure to her can enhance your mood while boosting those feel good hormones. Time spent in nature increases our ability to pay attention to its beauty, this provides a respite for all our overactive minds who have been subject to constant news and social media updates. I think the majority of us can agree that too much time in front of our phone screens this week has been deadly and harmful to our mental health. If you can’t join us on our hikes we understand but we strongly encourage you to put down your phone, switch it to airplane mode and get out onto the trails either solo or with a small group of family or friends while of course adhering to HSE standards🤓☝🏼 ⁣ ⁣ We are all in need of some fresh air, a new perspective and a time out in nature ⁣ TO JUST BE 🧘🏻‍♀️⁣ ⁣ You can get involved by clicking the link in our bio, download all 4 hikes, then hit the trails and share your challenge with us, your friends and family to hopefully inspire others to get outdoors and do the same for the benefit of their mental , emotional and physical wellbeing! #hikeforhappiness 🙏🏼❤️😊

A post shared by GALZGONEWILD (@galzgonewild_) on Mar 13, 2020 at 1:25pm PDT