Nerd Out With Historical Walking Tours of Dublin

I’ve never taken a walking tour of Dublin — until today.

Finally on my sixth trip I am starting to experience more of Dublin as a tourist.

Now in my defense — because I have a friend in Dublin — I see Dublin more as a local.

We go to local cafes, run errands and now pick up her kids at school.

But I needed to see Dublin from a different perspective.

So I booked a tour with Historical Walking Tours of Dublin because I wanted to know more about the history of Dublin and the Irish.

And the verdict on the tour?

Fabulous.

But probably not for everyone.

 

The tour

The tours begin at Trinity College at the main gate which is just at the end of the busy, touristy Grafton Street. So it’s easy to find and get to.

And this is where things kick off — at Trinity College — where my guide, Slyvie, talked about how Trinity College was a place for the stirrings of the rebellions.

As you walk to places like the Bank of Ireland (the Old Irish Parliament building), the Temple Bar area, City Hall and Dublin Castle, you learn about the influences of both the American Revolution and the French Revolution on the Irish which brought about the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

You hear about the Potato Famine from a different perspective and you learn about the 1916 Rebellion and ultimate independence.

Stories of the leaders of these rebellions and what life was like for the different classes of people who lived in Ireland throughout history are entwined with the historical facts.

The conflict with Northern Ireland and how the 2 developed differently is also discussed as are all the invaders to the island as well as a bit about the beginnings of Christianity.

There’s so much information in this 2+ hour tour that it might make your head spin.

Seriously. It’s like a walking university lecture.

If you go in knowing a little bit of Irish history, it will help.

And that’s why I say it may not be for everyone.

I love history and have read some historical fiction on Ireland.

So for me, this tour filled out my Irish history lessons a bit more.

But if history is not your jam, then this is not the tour for you.

 

The guide

Tommy Graham founded Historical Walking Tours of Dublin back in 1986.

He and all of his guides are graduates of history with many holding post graduate degrees.

So these folks know what the’re talking about.

My guide, Sylvie Kleinman, is a plethora of information.

She is animated and is wonderful at making the history come alive.

My only complaint is that I don’t know that we got to all the places we were supposed to.

But that’s okay as I thoroughly enjoyed the stories of people like Daniel O’Connell and James Connolly.

Sylvie definitely highlighted some of the historical female figures of Irish history which I also appreciated.

Her enthusiasm is contagious.

She was able to get our group inside Dublin City Hall which isn’t always possible.

And I’m glad she did. It’s a beautiful building!

 

The logistics for Historical Walking Tours of Dublin

The best way to book a tour is to go to the Historical Walking Tours of Dublin website and follow the prompts to book.

It’s only €12 for the tour so it’s a bargain!

Tours run daily at 11am and 3pm from May to September.

In April and October tours run daily but just at 11am.

And in winter — November through March — tours are at 11am but only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

As I mentioned before the tours begin at the Main Gate of Trinity College.

You can also book private tours or tours for your group.

These tours dig into a specific part of history such as Medieval times in Dublin or the time of the Irish revolution in the early 1900’s.

 

Final verdict

If you love learning about the history of the city and country you are visiting then Historical Walking Tours of Dublin is perfect for you.

Bored in history class?

Then this tour is not your jam.

Me?

I thought it was awesome.

I got my history nerd on and learned more about a country and people that I love.

 

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Historical Walking Tours of Dublin so my tour fee was waived. However all opinions are my own.