Seán O'Flaherty

Seán grew up near the Royal Canal in Ashtown and developed an early fascination with the Victorian engineering embedded in Dublin's waterways. It wasn't just the physical structure that captivated him—it was the people. Lock keepers, bargemen, working-class families whose lives revolved around the canal. That curiosity never left.

After completing his degree in Irish History at University College Dublin in 2008, he could've gone the academic route. Instead, he joined the Irish Wheelchair Association's accessible tourism initiative. That decision shaped everything. Working with older adults and people with mobility challenges taught him something textbooks couldn't: accessibility isn't about ramps and wheelchairs alone. It's about dignity, inclusion, and giving people real reasons to leave home.

Over the past 16 years, he's guided thousands of walkers along the Ashtown to Castleknock stretch. He's documented oral histories from retired lock keepers and their families. He's mapped rest points, identified accessible entry points, and uncovered the quiet stories that make these walks meaningful. His work with the Irish Canal Restoration Society earned recognition as a leading voice in canal heritage interpretation. He's published in Heritage Ireland and the Dublin Historical Record. But what matters most to him? When someone in their seventies tells him they've never felt confident walking outdoors before—and now they do.