As the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, now is the time to visit. However, be wary of the larger crowds that will inevitably be drawn by the planned calendar of events.
A National Icon
There are few greater symbols of the dramatic history of Irish Republicanism than Dublin’s General Post Office. Inaugurated on the 1st of June 1818, the magnificently fronted building was famously the headquarters of the Easter Rising in 1916. Also known as the Easter Rebellion, the movement was a bold attempt to end Britain’s rule of Ireland while the majority of its military forces were engaged in the First World War.
Though the rebellion was crushed within a week by vastly superior numbers and firepower, and its ringleaders executed, the event was instrumental in reinvigorating Irish republicanism and is considered a landmark event in bringing about the end of British rule. Walking around the GPO today, you cannot help but be drawn into the history of the place as you examine the bullet and shrapnel holes that pepper the outer walls. The year 2016 marks the centenary of the rising, and a variety of events and exhibitions have been planned across the city to commemorate it.
Stone and Fire
Even without its impact on the course of Irish history, the GPO would still easily merit a visit. One of the capital’s great Georgian buildings, its 67-metre wide granite façade immediately catches the eye as you stroll down O’Connell street, the city’s main thoroughfare. A beautiful Ionic portico consisting of six fluted columns serves as the building’s centerpiece, summited by statues of Mercury, Fidelity and Hibernia on the pediment. Though a large part of the building was destroyed by fire following the heavy shelling of 1916, the grandeur and national pride contained within this old post office remains untarnished.
Discover the culture and vibrancy of Ireland between the rolling landscapes and foggy skyline and see the best of Dublin and its historical highlights on this half-day tour with your knowledgeable tour guide and Dubliner.
On your private tour, you will:
Dublin has a rich 2,000-year-old history, spanning from the Celts to the modern-day; this curated walking tour will bring that history alive. On your tour, you will explore the castle’s 800-year history. Near old Christ Church Cathedral, you will learn about the area's history as a Viking settlement, and view the site of the world’s first performance of Handel’s Messiah.
Continue your turn about the city with a dive into some of Dublin's most famous architectural buildings, including the Neoclassical 18th-century former House of Parliament and the Georgian-style City Hall. You will also visit the famous Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural and entertainment quarter and one of the liveliest nightlife areas that preserve its medieval street pattern, with many narrow, cobbled streets.
Visit the famed O’Connell Street, where you will see The Spire, Daniel O'Connell and James Joyce statues and the General Post Office. This is the very spot where the crowds gathered for the Declaration of Irish Independence and which became the inspiration for poetry and literature of the era. You will hear all about the many writers and rebels from your knowledgeable local guide.
Stepping on the Ha’penny Bridge, a beautiful pedestrian bridge that once charged the eponymous half penny to cross, we will cross the River Liffey to learn all about the famed Trinity College, Ireland’s first and most acclaimed university.
You will hear about the college’s numerous treasures and tales of renowned past students, including Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker as well as visit its campus and see the famous Book of Kells, the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts.
Your tour will leave you not only full of the local history of the capital city but also with a great foundation to explore the city at your leisure.
Please note: external guides are not allowed in Trinity College so you will be parting ways with your guide at the entrance where you will join a small guided tour the visit to the Trinity College Campus, Old Library and the Book of Kells.
All books from the Long Room have been removed as part of the historic Old Library Redevelopment Project, except the first four bays as you enter the space. In the meantime your visitor experience will include a digital journey through the Old Library’s precious collections.
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.
On your private tour, you will:
While the fight for Irish independence or ‘Home rule’ had long been fought for, the Easter uprising of 1916 was a definitive moment in the history of Ireland and its long road to independence from the British. The rebellion took place in the middle of the First World War and was brutally suppressed by the British army. It paved the way for the election of Arthur Griffith as the president of a new nation six years later.
In this 2.5-hour private walking tour, you will explore the most significant sites of the Easter Uprising in Dublin, 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. You will learn about the failed rebel attempt to capture Dublin Castle at the start of the conflict.
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.
The memorial was placed on the site where rebel leaders of the Uprising were held before their execution. Above you’ll see the Irish flag, with the green colour representing Catholics, orange for protestants and white: a symbol of hope, that both can live together in peace. In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II visited the site, the first by a British monarch in 100 years. She laid a wreath of Remembrance and bowed her head. A deeply moving and healing moment for both countries.
Explore the highlights of central Dublin on this fascinating private welcome tour of Ireland's vibrant capital city. Situated on the Liffey River and the Irish Sea, surrounded by mountainous countryside, Dublin has a history spanning over a thousand years. The city has so much to offer from its beautiful architecture and famous literary heritage to historic tales of the Vikings and Normans, the long fight for independence from the British, and its modern contemporary culture with picturesque cobbled streets, cafes, pubs, and general 'good craic!'
On your private walking tour, you will:
Enjoy this welcome to Dublin private tour with an expert local guide, the perfect way to get your bearings and to get to know the historic heart of Ireland's vibrant capital city. You'll visit all the highlights of the city including the General Post Office on O'Connell's Street, the lively Temple Bar, Parliament Street, City Hall, historic Dublin Castle and Trinity College, and St Stephen's Green.
You'll learn all about daily life in modern-day Dublin, as well as its long history dating back over 1000 years, as you walk along its quaint cobbled streets, passing beautiful, grand Georgian buildings, crossing the Liffey River into the fun, artsy and bohemian district of Temple Bar.
At Dublin Castle, the historic heart of the city and still a working governmental complex today, you'll hear about the Vikings, and Normans, and the country's long struggle for independence from the English. One of the most important buildings in Irish history, you'll be able to admire its 13th-century tower and surviving medieval structures.
Dublin has witnessed everything from the Great Famine to the fight for Irish Freedom; today it's a leading country in the European Union, a thriving modern city with the annual St Patrick's Day Parade that attracts millions of revellers to the city to enjoy Irish folk songs, pints of Guinness and traditional Cèilidh dancing!
On this tour, you'll also visit the prestigious Trinity College - and hear about the academic excellence, and poetic and literary appeal of the city - which was the home of many luminaries like James Joyce, W.B. Yeats, and Oscar Wilde.
After a pretty stroll through St Stephen's Park, a popular green space in the city centre - with lots of history where you can ask your local guide anything about the city.
Slàinte!
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