By Business & Finance 
Seán Greif, founder, Moontour
In our Ones to Watch section, we highlight some of the top movers and shakers in Ireland. This week we feature Moontour.
What is it?
Moontour is an innovative Irish language adventure centre based in Dún Laoghaire running Irish language school tours and summer course offerings for students. With over 1,000 customers to date, Moontour offers a unique, enjoyable, engaging and effective learning experience. Students participate in activities like yoga and paddleboarding in an Adventure Learning framework, which is the most effective learning methodology available today.
When measured, students show a 70% improvement in academic performance following one 40-minute peer-led activity. This represents 5.5 times higher performance when compared to traditional teaching styles.
Who’s behind it?
Having spent over 20 years learning Irish, Seán Greif then lived with a tribe in the remote Brazilian Amazon, and in six months had managed to learn Portuguese to more or less the same standard.
During five months spent as a glacier and mountain guide in Argentine Patagonia, he learnt Spanish.
Upon returning to Ireland, he began to wonder what the difference between the two learning experiences was.
Following this, he created the Adventure Learning framework, designed to create a more engaging and active learning experience.
How is it funded?
Moontour was initially fully funded through a personal investment Greif made in the company. As a participant in Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers programme, Moontour has started receiving its first external financial support.
Winning the recent county level National Enterprise Awards hosted by the Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire has provided an additional prize fund to allow for further investment in Moontour’s growth.
Future plans?
Moontour’s expansion plan is to develop the student offering to add an online learning experience complementary to that of the course for a variety of languages.
The company’s goal is to serve all students who want to learn a language, but were previously unable to join courses due to location, physical disability or cost. Greif would also like to share the model with other indigenous and minority languages that face the same challenges the Irish language.
Business & Finance, Ones to Watch
Business & Finance, in association with Comtrade Digital Services, recognises Ireland’s most dynamic emerging businesses in ‘Ones to Watch’.
Ireland is alive with a vibrant start-up scene and the entrepreneurs featured are shaping the country’s economic landscape.
