A Dublin Docklands Tour: From Famine Ships to Ireland‘s Silicone Harbour

Since their construction in the late 1700s, Dublin‘s Docklands have remained central to the Irish economy and the nation‘s ever-changing fortunes. On this walking tour, you‘ll trace the story of the city’s industry, following the ebbs and flows that shaped the renowned Irish diaspora, spreading its influence far and wide.

As you journey from the Custom House where our tour begins to the Grand Canal Dock, I‘ll guide you through some of the chapters of the city‘s past and present. We‘ll pass George‘s Dock, a former working dock that was filled in 1927. You‘ll learn about how this area was created as we walk alongside the River Liffey, taking in various monuments including the Triumphal Arch, and the Famine Memorial. You‘ll meet some of the first Dubliners and some of the most beloved figures in Irish history. You‘ll see the evolution of this area, epitomized by the headquarters of multinational tech companies based in 18th-century warehouses, and bustling venues like the BrewDog Outpost Dublin brewery and Grand Canal Square, where our tour ends.

Along the way, you‘ll have a chance to:

• Trace the glories of the “Golden Age of Dublin” through the magnificent buildings created when this was the second city of the British Empire
• Discover the Diving Bell and how it was used for dock maintenance until the 1950s
• Follow in the footsteps of the Great Irish Potato Famine refugees and discover why so many had to flee the country
• Cross the Liffey using the Seán O‘Casey Bridge and get a glimpse of the Samuel Beckett Bridge, named after one of Ireland‘s most famous literary sons
• Gaze at the glittering heights of the new, modern Irish economy, including the innovative Custom House Quay and the iconic Convention Centre Dublin, and find out how and why it became one of the most dynamic centres in the world
• Discover a few of the city‘s quirks, see U2‘s recording studio, meet a Latin American hero, and get up close to the tallest buildings in Dublin
• See a replica of The Jeanie Johnston, and find out about the original ship’s incredible luck, with not a single fatality recorded on her voyages to America during the Great Famine
• Take in the Irish Life Assurance building, one of the city‘s biggest and most ambitious commercial developments when it was constructed
• Meet the Irish revolutionaries who lived and fought on these very streets starting with James Connolly, whose memorial you’ll pass
• Stroll along the River Liffey and see how Ireland has turned some of its tragic history into a 21st-century success story

By the end of this 60-minute Dublin tour, you‘ll have a greater understanding of this fair city, its rich heritage, and an appreciation for its lesser-known stories.