Ellen Keane: 'Uncharted with Ray Goggins' was the most outrageous trip I’ve ever done
Ellen Keane with Ashling Thompson in Bolivia
Since retiring from elite swimming, gold medal-winning Paralympian Ellen Keane has swapped early training sessions for storytelling, coaching, and a little more spontaneity.
Now working with RTÉ as one of the coaches on Keane reflects on her love of the hop-on-hop-off bus, discovering a spiritual side in Bali, and one very unexpected hotel upgrade in Beijing.
We would have spent literally every summer, in Kilkee, Clare. So it was more of a staycation vibe. We had a family friend who had a house in Kilkee, so we were always there. I spent my summers in the sea doing surf camp and I was always in the water, always swimming. Still to this day, I just love Clare. To me, Clare is one of the most magical places in Ireland; I just love the wilderness of it.
Obviously, I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world with swimming, but I usually just saw the pool, hotel, and airport. So the cool places I went to, I often don’t have many cool stories from. But I [took part in] and we went to Bolivia, and honestly, that was the most outrageous trip I’ve ever done. Afterwards, me and Ashling (All-Ireland Camogie star Ashling Thompson) flew with the crew to Colombia.
We decided to stay a few days, just the two of us, and we had so much fun in Colombia — eating in so many lovely places and going on tours. We went on a Pablo Escobar tour. I think it was just that we started out not really knowing each other, and we came away so close. In Bolivia, we were camping. and we are not campers. We’d be in our tent like two giddy schoolgirls, whispering until we heard Ray snoring in the next tent. Then we knew we could talk!
Japan. When we went to Tokyo for the Games, we were in lockdown — no socialising, stuck in bubbles, not allowed to leave the Olympic Village. But even with that, the people were so, so nice. If you had any issues, they’d help right away. They wanted to show up for their country. It was almost shameful for them not to help you — they were so proud. They decorated everything with origami, going to every effort to make it special, even though it was during lockdown. I’m such a messy person and they’d come in to clean — they must’ve been like, “get her out of here!”
But honestly, they were the nicest people I’ve ever met.
In November, I went to Bali to do a yoga teacher training course. I went on my own, and I’d always felt this pull to go. I’d say I’m spiritual — not religious — and in Bali, the spirituality and respect really hit me. I was in Ubud, and it’s so lush and green — full of forests, waterfalls, beautiful nature. It wasn’t touristy where I was, so I got to experience the real culture. The rituals and spiritual cleanses weren’t just tourist traps; the locals were genuinely practising them. It was so beautiful, and everyone was just so kind.
I’ll give you two! My favourite hotel in Ireland is The Europe in Killarney. Killarney is one of the most beautiful places in Ireland, and The Europe looks out over the mountains — it’s all so green. I love getting out of Dublin, and feeling connected to nature.
Outside Ireland, the most outrageous hotel I ever stayed in was The Loong Palace Hotel in Beijing, during the 2008 Games. China wasn’t the most accessible at the time, so they had no choice but to put us in a five-star hotel — because it was the only one with accessible rooms. I was 13. There was a lady whose whole job was just to put a dragon stencil in the ashtray! It had a bowling alley, a games room, even a nightclub. The bougiest place I’ve ever stayed in!
I didn’t know what to expect from the food in Bali, especially as a lot of people there are vegan, but the food was so good. The quality and freshness; it was all so affordable. There were these gorgeous restaurants with such random things on the menu, and they just worked. I’d go back just for the food!
I’d say culture, but I do the most uncultured thing ever in every city. I love a hop-on, hop-off bus. It’s always the first thing I do. You’re tired from travelling, so you get on, stay on for the full two hours, and then you know exactly what you want to do next. It helps you get your bearings. I’ve done them all over Europe. One of my favourite cities recently was Lisbon — the food there is insane. So underrated.
Bali was the bucket list one — so I’ve done that!
I don’t really get the travel bug anymore, probably because I’ve seen so much of the world. But I’d love to go back and experience the places I’ve competed in, like Japan and Rio, and not just see the pool.
One of my best friends lives in Australia (above), so that’s probably my next trip. I’m a bit of a creature of habit. I don’t feel the pull to go somewhere totally new — more to the places I’ve got a connection with.
