A History of Terror - Belfast City Centre Walking Tour
Description
Over 2 hours and 30 minutes, our local expert guides will take you on a journey back in time through the city centre of Belfast. You will discover how 'the Troubles' started, visit the locations where some of the most important events occurred, and learn about the path to reconciliation and eventually peace (and the challenges the future may hold). You will discover the realities of growing up and living your life during the conflict, and how it touched everyone. The tour is factual and historically accurate to ensure it is unbiased, the guides are conflict historians, who also weave their own stories into their tours to bring history to life, transporting you back to the Belfast of the 1970s and giving you a unique understanding of the recent past. The tour starts each day at 10.30am.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the grounds of Belfast City Hall your guide will introduce you to the tour and also give an introduction to the history of the Troubles. The introduction sets the scene for the rest of the tour, explaining the centuries old relationships between the British and the Irish and how and why the Troubles started in the late 1960s.
Today Belfast's main shopping street may look like any other British or Irish city, but it hides a troubled past. Your guide will explain the story behind a bomb attack on a nightclub here in 1971, the tragic events which followed and the introduction of what became known as the 'Ring Of Steel'.
Our next stop is in the heart of the pedestrian precinct. In what is now a bustling shopping street you will discover the realities of our lives at the height of the troubles, and the details of an event which still lives prominently in our minds to this day.
The Spirit of Belfast is an artwork which is intended to evoke the resilience of the people of Belfast, but we just know it as 'the Onion Rings'. As we stand in its shadow your guide will introduce you to a series of events which started in a bar nearby in 1971. These were to prove the catalyst in propelling Northern Ireland into a rapidly escalating spiral of violence.
As you walk through the newly regenerated Cathedral Quarter, at the heart of our cultural and nightlife district, your guide will introduce you to the stories of more significant events while also discussing the beginnings of the path to peace. Today the streets and alleys of the Cathedral Quarter are home to fantastic examples of street art and some of our best bars and nightspots, but through the powerful story-telling of the guide you will be transported back in time and realise how far we have come since the dark days of the 1970s.
Whilst standing beside the largest police station in Belfast you will discover how Northern Ireland was policed during the troubles, how it has changed since the peace agreement and the potential impact of Brexit on our borders!
We end the tour by the Waterfront on the banks of the river Lagan and the Beacon of Hope, our favourite piece of public art which champions our resilience and regeneration. Here we will compare Belfast today with one of the darkest days in our history, explain how we achieved our fragile peace and discuss what the future may hold.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A moderate amount of walking is involved (1.5 miles)
- Minimum age is 12 years
- The tour will take place regardless of the weather. Please check the forecast and dress accordingly
- A waterproof jacket is recommended just in case of showers, as is warm clothing during the winter months
- Belfast City Center is completely flat, so no hills or steps are involved. However, comfortable footwear is advised
Reviews(3,144)
Mylie was FANTASTIC She clearly is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Belfast/Ireland. But it was her passion for not just the subject matter but for this city, that was so very impressive.
A very impartial and unbiased tour of Belfast and the Troubles. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and presented the history with real passion, while giving a balanced account of such a complicated and sensitive period. The information was incredibly well delivered and gave us a much better understanding of Belfast’s history and the different perspectives surrounding the Troubles. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour from start to finish. We would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Belfast — it was one of the highlights of our time here.
Jim from DC Tours was great. I appreciated that he had lived experiences being a Belfast native. His knowledge of the “Troubles” was great. I appreciated the level setting he did at the start of the tour to provide us context. The pace was good and the sites visited were appropriate. I also like the picture book DC Tours used to show us the human side of the experience.
Excellent! We learned so much and James was a fabulous guide full of information and a deep knowledge of Belfast history. I’d highly recommend!
The tour was very good, especially all the historical background and its nuanced presentation contributed greatly to developing a deeper understanding of the conflicts in Northern Ireland and their brutality. It is hard to believe how recently all of this happened.
Jim was an amazing guide, and made it very easy to learn about the city of Belfast and it's history. It was a pleasure talking to him and helped me with directions following the tour.
I know some troubles history but first time in Belfast. Excellent tour where I learnt more history! Mylie an excellent guide.
Mylie really drew us into the history of Ireland and told the story in a very compelling way. She is a gifted tour guide.
Eugene did a wonderful job on this tour. A highlight of our trip.
We booked a private ‘A History of Terror' Tour for August, 6th. On DC Tours (Mark Wylie): very responsive and service minded. We weren’t sure on our hour of arrival, especially because we weren’t aware it was the Fleadh-festival - thanks for pointing that out! Mark/DC Tours were very flexible and understood our concerns. He gave us all the necessary information and tips. This gave us a lot of confidence in booking the tour with them! On Eugene - our guide. We had a blast! Eugene is a very calm and charming man. He took his time (also because we had to translate his explanations to our kids) to tell us everything and answer all our questions. The tour should have lasted for 2 to 2h30, but we ended up to 3h. He had no urge to finish in time: he wanted - and we as well - to be as complete as possible :-) We had a very good time with him walking through the city. We learned a lot about Belfasts’ history and present situation. All the info came in a neutral way and no question remained unanswered. It was top notch and we enjoyed our stay. We definitely advise to pay a visit to Belfast! And when you do so you absolutely need to book a walk with DC Tours (and ask for Eugene).
