Travellers who care more about the story of a place than simply photographing it.
cultural IrelandMe tour notes
1916 Rebellion Walking Tour
Walk Dublin's 1916 sites with historian Lorcan Collins - two hours from The International Bar to the GPO, Proclamation copy included.
From €23 starting price · live price may vary
Check dates & prices ↗ Free cancellation on most dates · Booked securely with Viator
Duration2 hours
PriceFrom €23
Rating4.9 from 1,613 reviews
BookingSecurely via Viator
The IrelandMe take
Best dedicated 1916 tour
Our practical read of the published itinerary, traveller feedback and local context—not the operator’s sales description.
Historian and author Lorcan Collins has run the walk since 1996. Two hours, a focused revolutionary route and a copy of the Proclamation make the €23 ticket unusually strong value.
It is a scheduled group experience centred on the Rising. Choose private if you need a flexible pace, have specialist questions or want a wider Dublin overview.
One practical detail
Compare this with the other options in our 1916 walking tour Dublin guide → Get there five or ten minutes early. The International Bar is small, and Lorcan starts handing out the Proclamation and introductory reading before the tour formally begins. That reading genuinely helps you follow the early part of the walk, and you'll feel more at ease if you've had a chance to read it over a coffee or a pint rather than on the move.
How the experience works
Lorcan Collins has been running this tour since 1996, and it's still one of the most absorbing two hours you can spend in Dublin. He's a Dublin author and historian, and his knowledge of the revolutionary period is the kind you can only build over decades of genuine interest. You meet daily at The International Bar, where he hands you your own copy of the 1916 Proclamation and some introductory reading to get you in the right headspace before you head out.
The walk takes in the sites that shaped the country you're standing in: the GPO, City Hall, Dublin Castle and more. Lorcan starts by taking you back to the Great Hunger of the 1840s and tracing the thread that leads to Easter 1916, then walks you through the Rising itself, the War of Independence from 1919 to 1921, and the Civil War of 1922 to 1923. It's properly educational, but it's also good fun and genuinely interactive - you don't need to know any of the history going in, and most people find they can't stop asking questions by the end.
What the price covers
- Professional guide
- Alcoholic drinks (available to buy)
The published itinerary
Use this to judge the pace and where your time actually goes. Operators can adjust stop order for traffic, weather or opening times.
Lorcan varies the route from day to day so the tour stays fresh, so think of these as the kinds of places you'll typically visit rather than a fixed list.
- The International Bar (15 min) - your starting point, and a good place to arrive a few minutes early if you want a drink and a read of the material your guide hands out. Lorcan has been running the tour here since 1996. He opens with an introduction to the build-up to the revolutionary period, tracing the story from the Great Hunger of the 1840s through to the 1916 Rising. It's a chance to settle in, ask questions, and get to know him before you set off.
- City Hall (15 min) - occupied by the Irish Citizen Army during the Rising. You stop here to talk through that part of Easter Week and what was happening inside those walls.
- Dublin Castle (15 min) - the seat of British administration in Ireland for centuries, and central to the story of both the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence. You might recognise it from the Michael Collins film.
- The Four Courts (15 min) - occupied by the revolutionaries in 1916 and again in the run-up to the Civil War in 1922. Lorcan usually views it from a bridge over the Liffey, and he explains its role in both 1916 and the events that followed.
- Daniel O'Connell's Memorial (15 min) - look closely and you'll see the bullet holes from the Rising. Lorcan explains where the British and Irish forces were positioned during Easter Week.
- Jim Larkin's statue (15 min) - Big Jim Larkin, the union man from Liverpool, was a close comrade of James Connolly and a genuine champion of Dublin's working class. Lorcan covers his role in the revolutionary period and why he matters to the story.
- The GPO (30 min) - the headquarters of the revolutionaries during the Rising, and the single most important stop on the walk. This is where PH Pearse read the Proclamation from the steps. Lorcan takes you through the events of Easter 1916 in full here.
- Moore Street (15 min) - time permitting, you'll often head here to see where the GPO Garrison made their last stand during Easter Week.
- The Old Parliament (15 min) - depending on the day's route, you may also take in this building and its neighbour, Trinity College, along with its role in Irish history.
Meeting point: The International Bar is the starting point. It's a small bar, so you'll easily spot your guide. If not, just ask at the bar.
Local tips that make the day better
Don't worry if you know nothing about Irish history. People who've never heard of the Easter Rising consistently get as much from this as history buffs do - more, arguably, because everything comes as a surprise. Lorcan pitches it perfectly for newcomers without dumbing it down for people who already know the basics.
The GPO is still a working post office. You can go inside after the tour and see the museum within, including the original 1916 Proclamation on display. It's free and well worth fifteen minutes if you want to sit with what you've just heard.
Dress for the weather, not the walk. The route itself is manageable for most fitness levels and on flat city-centre ground, but Dublin in any season can turn on you. A light waterproof layer in your bag means you're not squinting through drizzle at the Four Courts when Lorcan's in full flow.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle. Two hours on foot is nothing dramatic, but you'll enjoy it more if you're not thinking about your feet by the time you reach the GPO.
Good to know before booking
The tour runs daily and takes about two hours, with a maximum group size of 30. It's wheelchair accessible and there's public transport nearby. The tour runs in English.
It's not recommended for travellers who are pregnant, have spinal injuries, or have poor cardiovascular health.
Make more of the area
- Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery Tour - where many of the 1916 leaders are buried, with informative guided tours of the grounds
- Kilmainham Gaol Tour - the jail where the leaders of the Rising were executed in 1916, now one of Dublin's most visited historic sites
- Literary Pub Crawl Dublin - a different side of the city's cultural history, following the footsteps of Joyce, Beckett and Behan through the same streets
Questions before you book
How long is 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour?
The published duration is 2 hours. Allow extra time to reach the meeting point and for your onward plans.
How much does 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour cost?
The listed starting price is From €23. Live prices can change by date, group size and availability.
What should I know before booking?
It is a scheduled group experience centred on the Rising. Choose private if you need a flexible pace, have specialist questions or want a wider Dublin overview.
Ready to decide?
Check the live times before building the rest of your day.
From €23 · 2 hours Check dates & prices ↗
