Oscar Wilde Dublin Walking Tour with Expert Local Guide

Excellent. Adam was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Dublin and about Oscar Wilde’s life and experiences. Would highly recommend.

+4

My husband, dear friends and I had an excellent tour this morning with Adam Ladd - an historian and tour guide - who took us on an historical and literary journey through Oscar Wilde’s Dublin walking through alleys and parks… seeing the houses where Oscar Wilde was born and lived with his family… exploring Trinity College where he studied… and viewing the various Oscar Wilde memorials though-out this area of the city. Adam is a great story teller and was able to convey the interconnections between Wilde and other literary figures… and the amazing contributions of his mother Lady Jane Francesca Elgee Wilde (“Speranza”). Adam also wove the intricate story of Wilde’s trial and imprisonment and the various players that brought about his downfall. It was an excellent way to understand Wilde and to explore areas of the city one might not have seen otherwise. For anyone interested in Wilde… for anyone curious about Dublin… is a must-have experience.

Even if you take the Oscar Wilde aspect out of the picture, it was a wonderful walk around an historic Dublin neighborhood. Our tour guide Adam kept us safe as we crossed streets with cameras out and our attention focused on the beautiful sights around us. Adam's route was thoughtful and had many highlights as he told the story of Wilde's life and of the significant players in his story. The walk through St. Stephen's Green would be a highlight for anyone, whether or not they have any interest in Wilde. But for those with an abiding interest in Wilde's life and work, this tour will be a revelation. Adam's knowledge of Wilde is comprehensive and he ties the significant facts to each landmark in a logical progression that builds naturally. I do not have any vast knowledge of Wilde's work beyond the many quotes that show up on calendars and greeting cards, and have only seen screen adaptations of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "An Ideal Husband". I had some awareness of his importance to the LGBT community as an example of how society would persecute even those who's work enjoyed great success over this issue. But learning about his parents and siblings, his education and the development of his artistic sensibilities, his contemporaries, his wife and children, and the numerous personal tragedies he and his family endured - all before delving into the trials that would eventually lead to his imprisonment - made learning about the cruelty and injustice of those trials all the more poignant. Adam didn't overwhelm us with facts, but made sure to include as much detail and context as needed to appreciate Wilde as both a human being and as an artist. The tour includes numerous sites that are significant for lovers of Irish literature, including Sweny's Pharmacy, which was a delightful stop made more delightful by hospitality and a song from PJ. He told us that Adam was the finest tour guide in all of Dublin, and far be it from me to disagree. We all enjoyed the tour immensely and could not recommend it more highly. Bravo to Adam - we were absolutely thrilled to have been your inaugural Oscar Wilde tour!!

+12

Excellent walking tour. Adam really knows the life and times of Oscar Wilde and weaves together an entire narrative that by the end of the tour I learned so much about Wilde, his family, the history of the times he lived and the people who played an important role in his life. Adam is a natural storyteller with vast knowledge which he delivers in an entertaining manner. We also stopped at a book store, Sweny’s , and met the delightful proprietor P.J. , a great storyteller too. The weather couldn’t have been better and the time spent with Adam and Oscar Wilde were the highlight of our trip

Adam Ladd was terrific, knowledgeable, and fun! We learned many things that we had no knowledge of…and Adam seemed to really enjoy himself also! Wehad a stellar day weather wise…