The Road to Independence: Private Walking Tour of Dublin

About This Tour

Explore some of the most important sites of the Easter Uprising of 1916 in the beautiful city of Dublin, independent Ireland’s capital city. See the scenes of fierce fighting, the statues of rebel leaders on O’Connell street and the rebels’ HQ at the General Post Office – end at the moving Gardens of Remembrance.

You will explore the most significant sites, while learning all about the history of the Emerald Isle and its turbulent, often violent relationship with Britain. Hear about the events that led to the Easter Uprising, its defeat and the fallout from it.

Visit the General Post Office—the headquarters where the rebels declared Ireland a republic and raised the flag—to the City Hall, where fierce fighting took place.

After walking up O’Connell Street, lined with the statues of those who made significant contributions to the fight for Independence, you will end the tour at the Garden of Remembrance, where the lives of all the Irishmen who fought for freedom are commemorated.

What’s Included

• A friendly, professional English-Speaking tour guide for your own private group
• Plenty of time to take photos of your favourite places

What’s Not Included

• Food and drink, although your guide will be happy to recommend local favourites along the way
• Hotel pickup/drop-off services
• Gratuities (optional)
• Transportation throughout experience

Itinerary

1. Learn about Ireland’s long road to independence from Britain, and the many significant figures who played key roles in fighting for it, from Victorian politicians, doctors and priests, to the leaders of the Easter Uprising in 1916. Learn about the Uprising that took place in the middle of the First World war, and how it was brutally and swiftly crushed by British soldiers. (60 min)
2. See the General Post Office, where Patrick Pearse read aloud the Proclamation of Irish Independence in 1916 – effectively kickstarting the Easter Rising. It became the rebel headquarters, the scene of a bloody five-day siege, and the site of their final surrender. (15 min)
3. Walk up O’Connell Street, lined with statues of the men who outspokenly called and fought for Irish independence, starting with Daniel O’Connell (1775 – 1847) who organised many hundreds of non-violent protests and demanded civil rights for Irish Catholics in the British Parliament. Notice how many of the pedestals of these Irish heroes of independence are pockmarked with bullet holes, from the violence of the 1916 rebellion. (30 min)
4. Finish your tour at the Gardens of Remembrance, where the lives of all the Irishmen who died in the struggle for independence are commemorated. (15 min)
5. See the Shelbourne Hotel, where the Irish Constitution was drafted in 1922. (15 min)

Meeting point: Your guide will meet you at the Yeats Memorial in St Stephens Green, Saint Peter’s South-East Inner City, Dublin, Ireland.

Good to Know

• Wheelchair accessible
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

This is a private tour. Available in: en.