Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
- Dublin Castle
- Trinity College
- General Post Office
Photos & Highlights
- Experience an insider's view of Ireland's history and culture
- Led by a historian
Select a date
Tour Description
The Easter Rising in 1916—when Irish republicans launched an armed insurrection to end English rule—was the crucible from which the modern Irish state emerged and looms large in the collective memory of the nation. In this 3-hour Easter Rising Tour with a local historian, you'll dive into this moment and visit several key sites in Dublin that are related to it, including Dublin Castle, the former Houses of Parliament, and the Dublin General Post Office.
Experts
You'll begin our Easter Rising Tour at the former Houses of Parliament with an introduction to the complex history of the 1916 Easter Rising—the main actors, the context, and the key events. As you move through the space, you'll pay particular attention to the Act of Union in 1800, which abolished the Irish Parliament and created the opposing concepts of ‘Unionism’ and ‘Nationalism’ that defined Irish politics for the next 100 years. Our guide, a trained historian and lecturer, will take us through the period in a dynamic, conversational way, answering our questions and helping us establish the right framework for understanding the last 200 years of political history in Dublin.
You will then move to Dublin Castle and dive into our discussion about the events of the Rising, specifically. In 1916, the Castle operated as a place of recuperation for soldiers injured in the Great War. It was also the place where the Rebellion’s first casualties lost their lives. We'll talk about divisions in the city of Dublin, but also within families. As you explore the grounds of the Castle, our guide will take us back 100 years as you discuss daily life during the period of the Rising, the loss of lives among men, women, and children, as well as the social unrest that touched every aspect of people's lives.
From here, we'll move up to Grattan Bridge and Millennium Bridge, which are key vantage points to understand how the war unfolded in the city from a military standpoint. As you admire the River Liffey, we'll discuss the location of the various garrisons along the river and the military engagements that took place along the quayside.
Finally, you will alight to the Dublin General Post Office, which served as headquarters for the uprising's leaders. Although the interior has been destroyed, the facade remains. Here we'll talk a bit about the Rising's leadership and how the net tightened on the rebels through Easter week during the British artillery bombardment of the city. We'll pay particular attention to Oliver Sheppard’s bronze casting of the mythological hero Cu Chulainn, and also how W.B. Yeats’ poem ‘The Statues’ tells the story of how this building became a shrine to Irish nationalism.
- Dublin Castle
- Trinity College
- General Post Office
Where do we start? Where does it end? We meet near Trinity College and end near the Dublin General Post Office. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point.
Do we go inside the venues? We go inside the former Houses of Parliament and the Dublin General Post Office. We'll walk through the grounds of Dublin Castle and see it from the exterior.
Do we go inside the venues? We go inside the former Houses of Parliament and the Dublin General Post Office. We'll walk through the grounds of Dublin Castle and see it from the exterior.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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102 Reviews
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Kevin was super knowledgeable and we learned so much!! We were lucky to have him two days in a row for literature as well!
Renske
Reviewed on:
Nov 30, 2025
My brother and I signed up for the 1916 Easter Rising Tour on our trip across Ireland. Having a working knowledge of Irish history, politics and the Resistance, we were so excited to dive further into this specific uprising- the spark that lit the match for Ireland’s War of Independence. We were not disappointed. Adam is a deep well of knowledge. His ability to understand the interconnected nature of global issues, people and time is one of the many things that made this tour so remarkable. He has seemingly devoted his life to Irish history and therefore, to Ireland itself and it left us buzzing. The stops on the tour were thoughtful and poignant, leaving me with a tear(s) in my eye on more than one occasion. His consideration for ALL of the people that played their part in the Resistance really stood out to me. Adam took the time to discuss their full humanity and how their identity markers made their sacrifice all the more inspiring, often being left out of history books entirely, due to things like sexuality and/or gender.
I cannot recommend this tour enough! The price point can be on the higher end AND it’s worth it if you can swing it. The fact that it was only the 3 of us allowed for us to instantly get to know one another and create a rapport, and I can’t think of a better way to expand our understanding of this moment in time.
Our tour guide became our friend over the course of our three hour walk together and we used the time to ask questions: personal, political, challenging and I am grateful. I am filled to the brim with gratitude and I look forward to next year when my brother and I get to meet up with our friend Adam again and talk Irish Resistance, a United 32 and the global struggle over a Beamish and beef stew. Tiocfaidah ár lá!
Erica
Reviewed on:
Nov 30, 2025
Another Context winner for us! We had an exceptional tour by our Guide who was extremely knowledgeable and fun. We very much enjoyed our time with her.
Bev
Reviewed on:
Oct 25, 2025
