1916 Rebellion Walking Tour - Dublin

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

Spanish Civil War Tour - Barcelona

As a proud Glaswegian I have always had a keen interest in the historic links to the cities Red Clydesiders and the social change that they tried so hard to achieve.  From the events of Black Friday 1919 in George Square to the Poll Tax and Gulf War demonstrations, Glasgow has never hidden from its right to protest or challenge oppression here in the UK or abroad.   There are a number of reminders around our great city that keep those passions burning brightly, including the Visions of the City display at the Peoples Palace, the controversially renamed  Nelson Mandela place and the monuments to the volunteers of the International Brigades who left the city to fight for democracy in the Spanish Civil War.

 

Those stories of the International Brigaders who travelled to Barcelona to help the fledgling rainbow government of Spain in their time of need has always resonated with me.   In 2014 I made the journey to Madrid for the annual commemoration of the battle of Jarama, touring the battle sites of the protracted war for control the Spanish capital.   I had to wait another 3 years before making my pilgrimage to the Catalan capital to walk amongst the echoes of the struggle that scar the cities architecture.

 

I joined a Spanish Civil War tour of the city during a summer break to Barcelona.   The tour is led by writer and military historian Nick Lloyd.   Starting from the Placa Catalunya a multicultural group hailing from America, Germany, Sweden & Scotland congregated for an early morning reminder of the origins of the struggle for Spain.  Amongst the traffic noise and hum of a confident modern megacity I began to recognise the iconic landmarks of the many pictures captured during the battle, perhaps most famously the image of Marina Ginesta standing with rifle strapped to her back overlooking the fragile city.

 

The tour takes you on a wander around the old streets and lanes which straddle the magnificent La Rambla.  Moving from the busy thoroughfare to the beautiful hidden cobbled lanes the wounds from the close quarter clashes can be seen on buildings and churches.   We are reminded of the propaganda so heavily used during the conflict & the power that these images and stories still hold today.

 

Exploring the area surrounding La Rambla taking in many of the sites critical to the Civil War in Barcelona, Nick provides a deep insight into the complicated and deadly make up of the different factions of the Republican movement, which although at war with the nationalist fascist forces, could still find time to inflict greater damage on their allies in the struggle.

 

The excursion comes to an end at Bar La Llibertària, which displays posters & pictures of the war.   There is plenty of time to chat over a beer or a coffee and to gain a better understanding of the power of the female influence on the conflict as well as the ultimate fall of the new government in Spain.

 

It is easy to visit Barcelona and enjoy the shopping, architecture, cafes and of course the Camp Nou, but the Civil War tour offers a different view on a wonderful city and a clear understanding of the continued desire for an alternative future for Catalonia.