Finn Ni Fhaolain joins us on a breathtaking Donegal walking trail: the Glencolmcille Loop. She chats about sustainable living.
The Irish are a nation of storytellers. Our stories are embedded in us, and in our landscape. Tales and Trails podcast is a brand new and immersive audio experience that invites you to walk the Irish countryside with the nation’s most interesting people.
On this episode, we walked the Glencolmcille Tower Loop, Donegal. (
Find the full trail guide here).
Our guest is Finn Ni Fhaolain, author, chef and entrepreneur - who is passionate about sharing the benefits of a healthy,
sustainable lifestyle (and swears that Ireland is the best place to surf in the world).
We chatted about Finn’s varied career thus far (from marine biologist to cafe owner before the age of 30!) as we climbed towards the Napoleonic Signal Tower and looked out over the Sliabh Liag cliffs - to take on one of the most rewarding walks in the country.
Finn is passionate about living sustainably, and is frustrated at the perception that living sustainably is “too expensive”.
In fact, Finn gets her entire weekly shopping for just €30, while staying true to her values.
“It’s only in the last year or two I’ve realised some simple things that you can choose to change. As a consumer, you can make changes through what you buy and don’t buy.”
“I used to panic and think it was massively expensive to shop sustainably,
and gluten-free.”
“But it’s all about returning to simplicity. Buying lots of vegetables instead of those “fancy” gluten-free processed items.”
“In the last two years, I’ve spent way less money than I used to.”
“When I was diagnosed, no-one knew about living gluten-free, so I was buying my food from Health Food stores or the pharmacy.”
“When I read the ingredients in everything, I could see so many things we don’t need.”
“I went back to just the raw materials. Vegetables. Lentils. Things like that. It’s so cheap.”
For Finn’s full story, recorded live as we walked this spectacular Donegal walking trail the, listen to the full episode below:
For spectacular sights, invigorating sensations and unforgettable experiences, make your next short break a walking break on the Wild Atlantic Way. Walking makes your Break.
For more information or to plan your next walking break on the Wild Atlantic Way, visit the Tales and Trails hub here. 
