Modern Irish History Tour: The 1916 Easter Rising

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.

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.

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.

Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.