Meet Our Tour Director: Tom Quinn

I am pleased to introduce you, D-Day travelers, to our EF Tour Director, Tom Quinn. Tom will be accompanying us through all of our travels and sharing with us his knowledge and expertise on the history of Europe!

Tom contacted me via email today, and in introducing himself, he writes:
"My name is Tom Quinn. I am Irish in Dublin, where I am married, without kids! I am rushing headlong into my middle years and after a very protean career I have been tour directing with EF since the start of this decade. I began working as a high-season tour director but since 2005 have been working full-season, from January to October. I do about 12 tours a year with high school students, college students, and adults.

Before becoming an EF td, I had a very varied background (including spells living in France and Spain) which involved lecturing at University level here in Ireland (Dublin City University and Queen's Belfast), research on a literary subject with a World War One context, and some freelance translating and interpreting, translation (French and Spanish) being my primary degree.

As for my research, in 2005 it led to the publication of a book which you can read about by following this link: http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=6410&pc=9

Teaching, research, writing, and translating have all, I am afraid, gone by the wayside as EF has taken over my life. Once I started working as a td I found I loved the work, the travel, the meeting people. I particularly like the enthusiasm of the younger travellers and their excitement as they discover new worlds.

While my work with EF is very varied (I cover Ireland of course, the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany) I have been making an effort with EF to specialise in military history tours. Last year for example I travelled 5 times to Normandy and this year I have already been twice to Normandy. I am leaving on my 3rd Normandy trip this coming Friday. You will be number 4!

Tom and I will be in communication over the next few weeks as we continue to finalize the last-minute details of our tour! During our meeting on Sunday, I'll share with you some tips he has given us for packing and currency exchange issues.

In closing, Tom writes:
I am an experienced tour director with a strong and positive record with EF and I am looking forwards to doing my best to make this tour a successful and memorable one for you and your students. I will not be happy unless everyone who comes on this tour returns home having had the most exciting and unforgettable time.

Please communicate my very best wishes and regards to all of your students and those adults who will accompany you on tour. I am looking forwards to getting to meet and to know everyone.

We look forward to meeting you, too, Tom!