Siobhan O'Brien

Siobhan's path into cycling advocacy wasn't planned — it happened on a Saturday morning in 2012 when she moved to Waterford and discovered the newly opened Waterford Greenway with her two young children. What started as weekend family rides evolved into something much bigger. She became obsessed with understanding the routes, mapping the details, and figuring out how to make cycling accessible for families like hers.

That curiosity led her back to study. She'd already completed her BA in Environmental Science at University College Cork, but she wanted practical skills. She completed formal training in bicycle mechanics and road safety through the Irish Cycling Safaris programme, spending time learning not just how bikes work, but how to help people feel confident using them.

Between 2013 and 2016, she worked closely with Fáilte Ireland researching family travel patterns along greenway corridors. She'd spend weeks cycling routes, interviewing other families, documenting what worked and what didn't. The research wasn't abstract — she was looking for real answers to real questions. What makes families choose one route over another? Where do they actually want to stop? How do you plan a ride that works for both teenagers and seven-year-olds?

Her breakthrough came in 2016. She published a comprehensive guide to the Great Western Greenway that became the go-to resource for visiting families. Regional tourism boards started sharing it. Bike rental operators asked her advice. By 2018, she'd formed partnerships across Cork, Kerry, and Mayo with local cycling businesses.

Now at Drumconell Ltd, she leads comprehensive content development for leisure cycling enthusiasts. She's personally cycled over 8,000 kilometres of Irish trails, documented detailed route guides, and developed safety protocols that are used by tourism operators and cycling advocates across the country. But she still believes the core principle is simple: leisure cycling shouldn't be intimidating. It's about matching the right bike to the rider, choosing stops that people genuinely enjoy, and understanding the basics that keep everyone safe.