By Brian E. Clark
WisBusiness.com

When Philip Ryan worked as a tour leader in his native Ireland, he was notorious for ignoring standard routes and heading off the beaten path.

"I'd find out the interests of the people in my group and then we'd go for it," recalls the amiable Dubliner, who was guiding for a company called Tir Na Nog, which catered to the adventurous. (Roughly translated from Gaelic, the name means "land of eternal youth.")

Ryan worked for Tir Na Nog for three years, and in the process met his future wife and former Milwaukee resident Caroline Janette. She lured him to Madison, where the two settled five years ago.

His first job here, after obtaining the proper papers, was as an X-ray librarian at UW-Madison. He worked in a windowless room for six months and said it nearly drove him batty.

"I needed daylight," said the avid backpacker, climber and white-water kayaker.

So Ryan, 35, went back to school and got a degree in music and recording technology from the Madison Media Institute and set up his own business, Audio Architect. But he never lost his itch to travel.

So last year, Ryan and his wife established Inroads Ireland, which will begin leading groups of up to 20 to some unusual and not-so-unusual places in his homeland. The eight-night, seven-day trips will run from May through September and start at $1,450. The fee includes breakfasts, but not lunches or dinners.

Though the tours will visit Dublin, Blarney Castle and the Cliffs of Moher, Ryan said they will spend even more time visiting out-of-the-way villages that have historical or cultural significance.

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