1916 Rebellion Walking Tour: Historical Journey Through Revolutionary Dublin

Experience a historical journey through revolutionary Dublin on the 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour. Uncover the sites of the Easter Rising, War of Independence, and Irish Civil War. Educational, interactive, and no prior knowledge required.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour - 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 - 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.
  • Dublin Castle - 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.
  • Four Courts - 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.
  • O’Connell Monument - 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.
  • Jim Larkin Statue - 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.
  • An Post General Post Office - 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.
  • Moore Street - Depending on time we often go to Moore Street to see where the GPO Garrison made their last stand in Easter Week.
  • Bank of Ireland - 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!
What's Included
  • Expert tour guide included.
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Additional Information

Lorcan Collins, a distinguished author, historian and native of Dublin, brought the 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour into existence in 1996. The engaging two-hour walk commences every day at The International Bar where attendees are gifted a 1916 Proclamation replica and informative printed materials. The itinerary commences with a succinct summary of the events leading up to the dramatic 1916 Easter Rising, later guiding participants to landmarks from the revolutionary age including the General Post Office, City Hall and Dublin Castle. A reflection on the War of Independence, the period between 1919-21 when Michael Collins fought for Irish sovereignty, and the Irish Civil War (1922-23) is also part of the main itinerary. This tour, designed both for its educational value and interactive fun, doesn’t necessitate any previous understanding of the happenings it details.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
23 Wicklow St
Wicklow Street
The International Bar is our starting point. It's a very small Bar so you will easily spot your guide and if not, ask at the Bar.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(1298 Ratings)
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Ianapoli58
Sep 1, 2024
19196 Rebellion walking tour - learned a lot - Tour included about 20 people. Although we were in noisy places sometimes, the guide did an excellent job of projecting his voice. My husband has hearing problems but he had no problem. Distances wee fine but we did walk at a good pace. Information was interesting. We really enjoyed this tour.
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Shawn_m
Aug 31, 2024
A Dublin gem tour - This was the most in dept, history tour I've taken!! The guide mixed historical facts with him singing some of the old rebel songs, really worth the money
Review provided by Viator
Micheleap7985yl
Aug 31, 2024
If you do nothing else in Dublin, do this. - Lorcan is knowledgeable, engaging, charming and passionate about his subject. This tour was moving and inspiring as well as educational and just downright interesting. If you go, wear sturdy shoes (and maybe rain gear - it IS Ireland), and pay attention. Even the most scholarly and knowledgeable will learn something. MOST HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED.
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Mikew_132
Aug 31, 2024
A Must Do! - Lorcan clearly has a deep knowledge of Irish history, which he has well researched. It is a fascinating topic and the way he conveys it makes it all the more interesting. This tour is an ideal opportunity to learn a little bit about Ireland’s past while, at the same time, seeing some of Dublin’s historic landmarks. I highly recommend this tour as a “must do” when in Dublin.
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Martin
Aug 30, 2024
Great tour! - Great tour and Locran managed to inject some humour into a very difficult time in Irish history. I would definitely recommend this tour.
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James
Aug 30, 2024
Would highly recommend - Amazing experience and such a lovely guy. He was so knowledgable, managed to answer all our questions and taught us so much. Incredibly fun tour and would highly recommend.
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Helenconnea
Aug 29, 2024
Excellent Tour! - I did this tour with three friends in August 2024. Lorcan is an excellent tour guide delivering information with knowledge and sometimes humour. We learned a lot over the two hours and really enjoyed it. It was interesting and informative. If ever back in Dublin I would do the tour again as I imagine every tour is different. Thank you Lorcan for entertaining us for two hours!
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O8212tdambero
Aug 28, 2024
Highly recommend! - Fantastic tour! I learned so much about important history of Ireland and Dublin. It gave me a greater appreciation for the city I was visiting.
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424jonahb
Aug 28, 2024
Spectacular. - The highlight of my Dublin trip, and I did an awful lot here. I was already won over when catching sight of Lorcan outside the pub with his tufty sideburns and three-piece suit. His enthusiasm and eccentricity is contagious. Lorcan possesses what I can only describe as a debilitating amount of knowledge on Irish history. But never did I feel subject to information dumping - his ability to read, include and captivate the crowd is really quite impressive. It helps that he is a rare kind of funny. My knowledge of Irish history, as most Englishmen’s, was patchy upon arrival. But, for only a 2-hour tour, I walked away today with considerable knowledge and understanding. And all that learning will stick with me. If only I could replicate the same with my studies. Lorcan is the man you wish was a regular at your local pub, or your godfather. Though maybe not your father, because I doubt his racing mind ever switches off. 10/10.
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Ralph_s
Aug 27, 2024
Richly deep in Irish history! - The vivid storytelling and the patched bullet holes really brought this to life for me. The walk in the same locations as the patriots of the struggle was awesome.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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