A Galway-based adventurer will offer an insight into what it’s like to navigate the entire length of the Grand Canyon in a kayak, in an illustrated talk to be delivered in An Spidéal on Friday next.

Hosted by Cumann Seoltóireachta an Spidéil as part of the sailing club’s winter talks series, Jamie Donald – who also happens to be the club commodore – will be speaking in An Comhlacht Forbartha at An Ceardlann, and all proceeds will go toward the club’s relocation and development of its boat pen.

From a young age, Jamie has been attracted to water. He learned to swim before he could walk, and he discovered kayaking at a summer camp on the Liffey in Newbridge, Co Kildare, in 1984.

Later that year he started boarding school at the Kings Hospital in Dublin where kayaking “came to the rescue again”.

Many kayakers will admit that they started the sport because they weren’t much good at other sports and Jamie says he “definitely falls into that bracket”.

Competitive marathon kayaking was his main discipline throughout his teens, but his eyes were opened to other activities and the wider world of adventure sports on a family holiday to Little Killary Adventure Centre in Connemara, which introduced him to mountain and sea sports.

Moving to study in University College, Galway in 1990 opened up a lifetime of adventures for him.

Trips to every corner of Ireland developed further into summer road trips to the Alps and winter adventures in Connemara, Mayo, Kerry, Wicklow, Wales and Scotland, hunting down whitewater with hiking, and with mountain biking “filling in the gaps” when the rivers weren’t running.

Further whitewater, sea kayaking and climbing expeditions have followed and he has been on adventures to France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, USA, New Zealand, Ecuador, Argentina, Kerry, Wicklow, Mayo …and a few other places.

However, Jamie Donald describes that Cois Fharraige is ‘home’ and he notes that “we are spoiled by the depth and breadth of outdoor opportunities waiting for us on our doorstep”.

Last year, he was part of a Galway Kayak Club team which navigated the entire length of the Grand Canyon in the USA. Setting out on April 3 2024, they spent 21 days paddling from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry, a distance of 450 kilometres/ 280 miles.

Eachtránaithe inár Measc (Adventurers in our Midst) with Jamie Donald as part of Cumann Seoltóireachta an Spidéil Winter Talks 2025 takes place in an Comhlacht Forbartha, An Ceardlann, An Spidéal, on Friday, March 28, at 8pm.

Tickets available at the door from 7.15pm. For further information email csswintertalks@gmail.com.