Book of Kells. Dublin Castle exterior. 5* History & Heritage Tour
Description
-Smaller group -Exclusive Tour for the more discerning traveller -All Experienced/Official Qualified Guides -All entry fees covered -Skip the line & fast access -Fully wireless audio earpieces(if requested) -FAMILY groups welcome -Visit Molly Malone statue Ireland offers a unique experience. Dublin's bustling hub with centuries of rich history seamlessly merging with contemporary life. Medieval streets adorned with classical architecture, the city tells the story of a nation’s evolution from conquest to rebellion. This tour has something for everyone. History & Heritage. Trinity College & library, Book of Kells, visit Dublin Castle exterior-walk and hear many darker stories (we don’t enter the castle or grounds as it’s presently closed) Join our award winning guides on our specialist cultural journey in the heart of Dublin—a city that invites exploration, celebrates its past, and embraces its future, all while offering the charm of a welcoming, walkable metropolis.
Tour Options
Itinerary
With our experienced and licensed tour guide we start with a brief introductory talk about Trinity College and its history from 1592 onwards....then head into the University campus.
At Trinity College we visit The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript Gospel book that originated in the ninth century. It is considered one of Ireland's greatest cultural treasures and is widely regarded as an example of Insular art. The book is a masterpiece of medieval bookmaking and contains intricate designs, elaborate lettering, and colorful illustrations. It is composed of four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and is written in Latin. The Book of Kells is housed at Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland, where it is seen by millions of visitors each year.
We stand outside and pass the Bank of Ireland on College Green for an earlier and perhaps more noble example of repurposing in the city building. Standing on the traffic island on College Green and looking up, it’s difficult not to be impressed. Surely this is the grandest bank you’ve ever seen. There’s a royal coat of arms. Statues of Hibernia (the Latin name for Ireland), Fidelity and Commerce. And at ground level, a couple of cannons. Oh, and a sentry box. They’re all clues to this building’s former role because, for the first 61 years of its life, it was home to the Irish Houses of Parliament. In 1800, however, the Irish parliament voted itself out of existence, and its former premises became the Bank of Ireland’s flagship branch in 1803. It had an amazing history during those times of colonization and rebellion. The building was the first purpose-built bicameral houses of parliament in Europe (‘bicameral’ meaning it had two ‘chambers’: a House of Commons and a House of Lords.)
A final history talk of Dublin - 'Through The Ages' to The Molly Malone statue is located a short distance from where you started at College Green and Trinity College. Molly Malone was a semi historical, semi-legendary figure who was commemorated in the song 'Cockles and Mussels', a Dublin anthem. A great opportunity for photos of your visit.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Strictly Not Suitable for wheelchair users or walkers and those with limited mobility issues.
Reviews(120)
Our guide was so knowledgeable and fun. It was like walking around with a friend you’d known for years. Loved everything about it. Thank you for the experience.
Our guide Noel was outstanding. His knowledge of Ireland (facts and lore) made this tour even better than we could have expected. We highly recommend!!
Seamus was an excellent tour guide. Very knowlegeable and friendly with the 12 of us on the tour. Book of Kells and all the history of the other spots we visited was fascinating. It was our first day in Dublin (we had just arrived that morning). Highly recommend the tour and the guide. Be prepared for a lot of walking
We had truly the best tour guide in the city!! Noel was not only funny but extremely informative with his history and information and engaged the whole tour group! Well worth every penny of the tour and well worth the time!!
Book of Kells experience was wonderful with Alan. He gave us all the insights and stories about Dublin's past. Only thing was they should give you more time at Trinity College and cut out that Castle part because there's no entrance to the castle grounds. Otherwise great experience.
Gentleman Alex keane did a phenomenal job in explaining the history thoroughly throughout the entire tour. He was wonderful, would recommend this tour to everyone.
My daughter and I took the History and Heritage Tour led by Seamus. Seamus had a wealth of knowledge and went totally over and above to give us a great tour. He provided excellent background and context to Dublin’s origins and religious and political history. I would highly recommend taking this tour to anyone and I can only hope they get Seamus as their guide. A great time.
Michael ( Mick) was a fantastic guide. Exceptional knowledge and extremely personable. He loves history and this town, and it shows. We took Book of Kells tour an dDublin Castle. Dublin Castle is closed to the public for an extended period. You might want to check before booking the tour. Instead, Mick invited us to St. James, which is a must-visit. No regrets about Dublin Castle, plenty of other things to see, and great recommendations from Mick.
Met with Mick out lot tour guide who was very knowledgeable about the history of Ireland and the Book of Kells. The book itself is very impressive in how precise the writing and the graphics appeared after all these years. It almost looks AI generated how clean and precise each line of script appears on the page. Mind-blowing if you think that they were only had writing with quills. The Long Hall library will be closing in 2027 for a 4-year restoration while they digitize the indexing of the millions of books that are on the shelves which were almost empty when we got there. Lucky not to have to wait 5 years to see it. Overall a wonderful experience and Mick was great tour guide! Thank you Mick!
Sites were incredible, but Noel the tour guide made it even more so. His knowledge of history combined with a fantastic sense of humor was the perfect welcome to Ireland. Highly recommend.
