1916 Rebellion Walking Tour
Description
The 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour was founded in 1996 by Lorcan Collins, author, historian and Dubliner. This two hour walking tour meets daily at The International Bar where participants receive a copy of the 1916 Proclamation and some explanatory literature. After a brief introduction to the build up to the Easter Rising of 1916 the tour then visits the sites of the revolutionary period including the GPO, City Hall and Dublin Castle. The tour also covers the War of Independence when Michael Collins battled for Irish freedom from 1919-21 and also includes a discussion on the Irish Civil War, 1922-23. The tour is highly educational but also great fun and very interactive. Prior knowledge of events is not required.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This is our starting point, the famous International Bar where Lorcan Collins has been running the 1916 Tour since 1996. You are welcome to come earlier and enjoy a drink and a read of the introductory literature supplied by your guide. The tour begins with a short introduction to the build up to the revolutionary period, starting with the Great Hunger / Irish Famine of the 1840's and culminating with the 1916 Rising. This gives all participants an understanding of the events leading up to the revolution and also gives everyone a chance to ask questions and get to know the guide. We will let you know what route we are going to take, below are some of the examples of places that we typically visit but we vary the route so that the tour does not become stale but you will be happy with the various places that you get to see.
City Hall was occupied during the 1916 Rising by the Irish Citizen Army so we will stop here and talk about that aspect of Easter Week 1916.
We will visit Dublin Castle where the British administration controlled Ireland from. We will discuss it's role in the 1916 Rising and War of Independence. You might recall Dublin Castle from the Michael Collins movie.
The Four Courts was occupied by the revolutionaries in 1916 and again in the build up to the Irish Civil War in 1922. Rather than go all the way up to the building it is best seen from a bridge over the River Liffey. Here there will be a discussion on the Four Courts role in 1916 and 1922 and the intricacies of the Civil War will be explained.
There are lots of little stops along the walk but we will also stop at Daniel O'Connell's Memorial to look at the bullet holes from the Rising and explain the positions occupied by the British and the Irish in 1916.
Big Jim Larkin the Union Man from Liverpool was a great comrade of James Connolly and a true friend to the Dublin working class. We'll stop at his statue and explain his contribution to the revolutionary period.
The GPO was the HQ for the Revolutionaries in Dublin and is one of our most important stops where an explanation of the events of Easter 1916 will unfold. This is the place where PH Pearse read the Proclamation and is an integral part of the Irish national psyche - the most important and historic building in Dublin.
Depending on time we often go to Moore Street to see where the GPO Garrison made their last stand in Easter Week.
This is more colloquially known as the Old Parliament and depending on the route taken by the guide we may examine the building and it's role in Irish history and it's neighbour Trinity College. Again, we stress that we vary the route of the walking tour so it just depends on the day!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(1,712)
Tom was such a great tour guide, he knew his onions to say the least! Very entertaining and informative tour, really enjoyed it. Would book again next time I visit.
Wonderful experience. Our tour guide Tom was very knowledgeable and very personable. The structure of the tour was great. Three hours went by very quickly. It was entertaining and educational. Our two young children had a great time and were very engaged throughout. If you have any interest in the Rising or the revolutionary period in Ireland, this is well worth your time and a great value for the money.
I can’t say enough thanks to the tour operator. Due to my poor memory, I showed up 10 minutes late to the original tour thinking I was 5 minutes early. Tour started at 11:30am not 11:45am. Ugh!!! My wife encouraged me to contact the tour operator to see if they would let us join another time/day without paying to sign up for a new tour, and they listened. Thank you. We thoroughly appreciated the history behind the 1916 Easter Uprising especially with Tom being an excellent guide telling us what transpired. It was very inspiring to hear the stories about the fearless and selfless leaders of the Rebellion. Thank you and keep up the great work.
Donal was a superb guide and his depth of knowledge on the subject was outstanding. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lorcan might be the best tour guide I’ve ever met. The guy is chock full of knowledge, quick as a whip, and very funny. My spouse and I really enjoyed the perspective he brings to the tour, and his editorializing was what made the experience a resounding 5-stars. Another element to his secret sauce: he actually asks things about the tour group members, and references those things on the tour. This meant that we had touch points for connecting with each other, which made it feels less like we were a gaggle of strangers, and more like “Lorcan’s crew.” I’ll be recommending this tour for anyone who ever mentions a trip to Dublin from here till he retires. Thanks Lorcan!
Guide Lorcan Collins has been running this tour for a long time, and his ability to craft an engaging story from events that took place over a century ago while at the same time drawing interesting connections to more recent times is truly first-rate. This tour is a wonderful history lesson and great way to spend a couple of hours walking around beautiful central Dublin.
We enjoyed the passionate explanations of our great guide Felhim. We also adored the singing! We were not so familiar with the history and learned a lot during the tour. Yvan & Nadine
Firstly... this review is going to sound like im paid by them. Im not lol. Just a Derry man... whos was really impressed. Absolutely brilliant tour! Came down from Derry for one night and me and my wife booked this tour after hearing Davy Holden recommended it as (his favourite tour in all of Ireland). Thats says alot given Davy Holdens knowledge. I have to say...... it was well worth every single penny. We were taken round all the 1916 landmarks by Tom. Tom immediately made you feel really welcome. Great lad and really really knowledgeable. If I was him I'd be doing an audio book or something. Really articulate lad and a great speaker. Kept a group of roughly 30 people completely engaged for near 2 hrs. Not easy done! Meeting place was a brilliant pub. Friendly staff and the guy behind the counter was funny and broke the ice really well. Think it was called the international. Tom started the tour downstairs in a basement pub. Plenty of lock'ins down there through the years im sure. Cannot recommend this tour enough! Next time im down im doing it again for 2 reasons... 1. Got a few questions I've since thought of 2. To tip (hopefully Tom) cause I had no cash on me at the end of the tour and was fuming I couldn't tip him. Will def be on it again!
Lorcan is incredibly knowledgeable (you can buy books he’s written on the subject at the end of the tour), a fantastic storyteller, warm and funny. This may be the best walking tour I’ve ever taken. A MUST.
if you have an interest in Irish history you will love this tour! Our guide was knowledgeable and seemed to truly care about the subject. The tour is easy to manage and gives you a good feels for central Dublin.
