David Walsh is a Dublin solicitor, where he lives in Ranelagh with his wife Sheila. He has four children: Justin, Daire, Sarah and Orla. He was always a keen climber, with a wide general interest in outdoor pursuits, particularly birding, river canoeing, and some scuba diving. On a sailing and climbing trip to Spitzbergen in 1990, he saw four sea kayaks glide between icebergs in a remote frozen fiord. He knew he just had to have a piece of the action, and the activity has consumed his life since then. David began exploring and documenting Irelands islands in 1991 and has personally visited almost 300 of those in the text. He is a founder member of the Irish Sea Kayaking Association and held the position of Chairman from 1995 to 2003.