Dublin’s Breweries and Back Alleys: A Guide to The Liberties

The Liberties has been home to some of the most important people and events in Irish history, yet the centuries-old neighbourhood often gets overlooked by visitors. On this walking tour, I’ll show you the city’s medieval heart and share stories about its tight-knit community.

The tour starts in front of the Lord Edward, a historical pub opposite Christ Church Cathedral, in Temple Bar. From there, you’ll wind your way through the Liberties’ back alleys and side streets to see lovingly maintained monuments, churches and red-bricked terraced homes.

This area has seen upheaval, revolutions and more than its fair share of disasters. But it’s also home to some of the city’s vibrant heroes and underdogs, from author Jonathan Swift (who was also Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral) to boxer Dan Donnelly. You’ll hear about some of Dublin’s more famous breweries, like Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Roe & Co Distillery, and Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery, and the weight they carry today.

As you make your way to the Obelisk Fountain where the tour ends, you’ll have a chance to:

• Get close to some of the best-preserved medieval ruins in Dublin
• Explore the Coombe, a street where Huguenot weavers settled
• See where famous Irish rebels met their end
• Meet some of the colourful characters that have roamed the Liberties’ cobbled streets, like Patrick Joseph Marlow – aka Johnny 40 Coats – who was often mistaken for a homeless man because of his attire
• Take in Peace Park, the public garden created over a medieval graveyard
• Find out where whiskey came from and learn about how it nearly destroyed Dublin!
• Hear about the 9,000-year lease Arthur Guinness took out on his St James’ Gate Brewery
• Pass by the first public library in Ireland, Marsh’s Library, which houses a collection of over 25,000 books and 300 manuscripts, as well as reading cages to protect the books from thieves

By the end of this hour-long Dublin walking tour, you’ll have a better understanding of one of the city’s most underappreciated neighbourhoods, home to rebels, underdogs and a few famous faces.