The impact of The Easter Rising in April 1916 would eventually transform Ireland, the UK and British Empire forever. The General Post Office in Dublin still holds the scars of the brutal bombardment from British forces who lay siege to the focal point of the uprising in Irelands capital. As a visitor to Dublin a number of times over the last 25 years, the GPO is always on my list of places to stop off and visit.
With a little more time on my hands for a recent visit to the fair city, I was able to immerse myself in more of the stories from the Easter Rising as well as the turbulent history that brought Ireland to that pivotal moment over 100 years ago. I booked on to the 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour after I caught the details of the tour through social media.
So, on a beautifully warm Saturday morning my oldest brother and I zigzagged through the streets of Dublin heading from Dublin Castle, through Trinity college across the Liffey and on to the Post Office on O'Connell Street. The stroll across the city was a perfect pace for the busy streets of the capital, especially on a Saturday when the NCAA College Football match was in town from the USA.
The tour starts at the International Bar on Wicklow Street, not far from the shopping precinct of Grafton Street. The guide Liam welcomed the 25+ people on the tour sharing a hand out detailing the main players in the rebellion and the important organisations and factors that led to the event. If you’ve built up a thirst getting to the meeting point there is plenty of time to grab a pint of Guinness (or another refreshment), as the guide sets the scene for the events of Easter week 1916.
Our guide Liam was passionate as he recited the details of the people and places who would shape Irelands future. The downstairs bar is gallery dedicated to the men and women of the rebellion as well as the aftermath of the bombing assault in and around O’Connell Street. After the introduction was finished, we made our way around some of the important sites of the uprising, getting to know more about the social and political factors as well as the impact of the organised trade unions on the city at this time.
Advertised as the 1916 Rebellion tour, it explain so much more about Irish history than the events of that fateful week. From the seeds of the French revolution and the Society of the United Irishmen to the Home Rule quest, 1916, Bloody Sunday and civil war.
The tour was an engaging and enlightening way to see and hear some of the hidden stories of a critical moment in history that has shaped Ireland and beyond.
Website - 1916 Walking tour website
Twitter - Twitter 1916WalkingTour
