Tour Details
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
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- Trinity College
- Sweny's
Photos & Highlights
- Follow in the footsteps of Dublin's most illustrious writers
- Led by a local historian
Select a date
Tour Description
Strolling through Dublin's idyllic streets, it can be easy to question whether you're walking through an actual city or a fantastic, novelistic of it, as so many great books have been written and set here. During this 3-hour Dublin Literary Tour we'll look at the city's most illustrious writers, including James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, W. B. Yeats, and Oscar Wilde, visit some key sites where they either worked or depicted, and explore how they shaped Dublin, and vice versa.
Our tour begins in Merrion Square, once home to Oscar Wilde and a cornerstone of Dublin’s cultural life. Here, we’ll explore the religious and social dynamics of 19th- and early 20th-century Dublin and their influence on literary greats like Wilde, James Joyce, and W.B. Yeats. Moving on to the National Library and Trinity College, we’ll delve into the academic and cultural institutions that shaped Dublin’s literary scene, visiting locations frequented by these authors and their contemporaries. Along the way, we’ll immerse ourselves in the cityscapes that inspired their works, uncovering the personal and professional circles that defined their lives.
Our journey will center on James Joyce, whose deep connection to Dublin resonates throughout his works, particularly Ulysses. Together, we’ll explore locations tied to his life and fiction, including the hotel where he met Nora Barnacle and a historic shop lovingly maintained by Joycean scholars. We’ll bring the novel to life by reading an excerpt in its original setting, followed by a discussion over drinks at a nearby pub. By the tour’s end, we’ll have woven together Dublin’s literary heritage and the enduring legacy of its remarkable authors.
- Is the interior visit of Book of Kells included? No, we do not visit the Book of Kells interiorly, but you can still add the tickets at checkout and visit it on your own at the end of the tour.
- Is this tour accessible if I have mobility concerns? While we don't cover a large distance on the tour, nor do we take a fast pace, we will be walking the entire tour which includes cobblestoned streets. There are occasional opportunities to sit. If you have mobility concerns, please feel free to contact us before booking; we can help you decide if our group walk or a private walk, with a modified route, will be best.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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64 Reviews
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Our guide, Jack Barry, gave a superb “literary tour” of Dublin. He’s well-informed but is also a trained actor who delivered readings from Joyce’s Ulysses, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, O’Casey and Yeats’ Easter 1916, to great effect. His insights into The city, Ireland and Irish culture were each one a gem!
Peggy
May 29, 2025
Catherine was one of the best tour guides and teachers we have ever had. Her extensive knowledge of Irish writers and Irish art was incredible. Not only did she provide us with an in-depth overview each of Oscar Wilde, William Yeats and James Joyce, but also made connections with the both history and art allowing for more complete context and understanding. Catherine's reading aloud of several poems brought tears to my eyes on several occasions - I only wish I had had her as a professor in my college years. She has piqued our interest and desire to learn more about Irish literature and unexpectedly, Irish artists.
Gregory
May 19, 2025
Kevin was an exceptional guide. He started with a painting in the National Gallery of Art that framed the history of Ireland. We enjoyed his poetic readings from Yeats and Joyce. His knowledge of the works of Wilde, Yeats and Joyce, and Beckett provided us with an understanding of their contributions to both Irish and world literature. We even discussed George Bernard Shaw’s work as well. Of course Kevin pointed out many of the places of Joyce’s Ulysses and made the novel come to life
Allen
May 6, 2025
