PROFESSIONAL DRIVER-GUIDE TRAINING
DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL PRIVATE DRIVER-GUIDES
KNOWLEDGE. JUDGEMENT. PERFORMANCE.
THE ROLE IS CHANGING
Ireland's professional chauffeurs already understand discretion, service and the demands of private clients. Private touring asks for something more.
Knowledge. Judgement. Storytelling. Presence.
The ability to turn a journey through Ireland into an experience of Ireland.
BUILD ON WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN TO DO
Knowledge & Place
Build the knowledge to understand Ireland in context — its people, landscape, history and culture — and recognise what matters in the place around you.
READING THE GUEST
Recognise different interests, personalities and expectations, adapting depth, pace and style to the people in front of you.
STORYTELLING & PERFORMANCE
Turn research and knowledge into engaging stories, delivered with confidence, imagination and presence.
PRIVATE TOUR CRAFT
Move naturally between driving, guiding, conversation, walking, logistics and hospitality so the experience feels effortless.
JUDGEMENT & VERSATILITY
Know what to say, what to leave out, when to change direction and how to respond when the day doesn't follow the plan.
IRELAND ON THE ROAD
Develop the working knowledge to guide confidently through Ireland's principal regions, routes, towns and visitor sites.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Develop the standards, preparation and judgement expected by discerning private clients and premium travel partners.
About the Trainer
Jim Dempsey has spent more than 20 years working across Irish tourism — as a professional guide, driver-guide, tour manager and educator.
He holds both the National Tour Guide and Dublin & Environs qualifications and has taught the National Tour Guiding Programme six times, training almost 200 guides.
But qualifications are only part of the story.
Private guiding is a people business. It requires knowledge, judgement, imagination and the ability to read the person in front of you. Jim has built his career around turning those skills into memorable experiences for private clients.
This programme brings that experience into the classroom — combining professional standards with the realities of working on the road.
The aim is not simply to make chauffeurs more knowledgeable. It is to develop professional driver-guides.
Who Should Attend?
- Chauffeur drivers ready to develop professional guiding skills.
- Existing tour guides who want to develop their private touring practice.
- Qualified National & Regional Tour Guides.
- Newcomers with relevant experience, curiosity and potential.
Join the Next Training Programme
- Programme: November 2026 – April 2027
- Online: 18 evening classes, every second week
- Practical: 6 in-person classes in Dublin, Galway & Killarney
- Programme Fee: €1,495
- Admission: By application and short interview
ENTER THE 2027 TOURING SEASON
PRELOADED AND READY TO GO.
NOVEMBER 2026 — APRIL 2027
18 ONLINE CLASSES
Tuesday & Wednesday evenings, 18:30–21:30, every second week.
The weeks between classes are Development Weeks — time for research, assignments, fieldwork, reflection and preparation.
6 PRACTICAL CLASSES
- Dublin — 20/21 March
- Galway — 3/4 April
- Killarney — 10/11 April
Three practical weekends bring the learning out of the classroom and onto the road.
arrange a call with jim
Before applying, arrange a call with me to explore the programme, the philosophy behind it and what professional driver-guiding really involves.
You will get a clear sense of the training style, the expectations of the programme and whether it feels like the right fit for you.
If you are interested afterwards, the next step is a short application and conversation.
- Chat with Jim and hear how the programme works
- Understand the professional standard being developed
- Ask questions before deciding whether to apply