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(1,701)
Hubby booked this for me and my dad, wow what a tour. Tom was brilliant, so much knowledge brought to us in an interesting way. Met at the international pub which is a great boozer and lovely staff. Would recommend to anyone in Dublin, thanks for having us Tom!
Phelim was our guide. He was so good! The singing & recitations of Yeats went well beyond what I was expecting. Very Informative & witty. Really enjoyed it!
This tour took us on a. pleasant walk around the city examining historic places associated with the Easter rising. Our guide Elaina was a phenomenal teacher whose passion and subject knowledge shone. Well spent time, highly recommended.
It was a brilliant tour Tom was so informative and helpful. He explained things in an understandable way and was full of facts to evidence the stories he told. It was a really valuable experience that gave us some insight into Irish history and the development of Dublin City. Really great pace and good company, everyone was fascinated, there were some great questions asked too. Would highly recommend this tour.
A huge thanks to Tom who brought the 1916 rebellion tour alive for me today. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about his subject that I felt I was walking the streets of Dublin with Pearse and O'Connell. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and wit with us today.
Tom the guide has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the events of the Easter Rising and brought it to life with humour, empathy and energetic drive. We were taken to the key locations of the planning, execution and aftermath of this very short historical event, a key drama to the later full blown revolution. Bravo Tom you did us proud. Easily the best walking tour we’ve both done.
Knowledgeable, eloquent, passionate guide truly brought the events of 1916 to life (19 June 2026). Tour is just the right length too, you learn a good deal about the context, the issues, and the personalities involved - all on the very spots where these things happened - without it feeling like it goes on too long. I'm English and if you don't know much about the history of Ireland you really should take the time to learn a bit.
This was a great couple of hours. I booked last minute online and so glad I did as Phelim was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging and able to add some well received humour, when appropriate. I only had limited knowledge of the Rising and how it unfolded but I now have a desire to learn more. Thanks for a great tour!
Excellent tour for anyone interested in Irish history of the 1916 Rising! Masterful storytelling even with moving ballads!
Highly, highly recommend this walking tour. Collin is an extraordinary story teller, historian and singer. Each step of the tour was like walking through the past as Ireland fought for Independence. He held the groups’ attention the entire tour as we walked through Dublin back through time.
