Upcoming Tours July and August 2026:
Explore the Hidden Histories and Architectural Treasures of Dun Laoghaire, with two unique different tours in late July…
Then in early- August, explore the rich bounty of architecture and expected history around central Dublin’s northern and north-western edges, as we explore the Gardiner estate and the Broadstone- Grangegorman areas, in two remarkable separate tours.
Finally, in late August, discover Merrion Square, as you’ve never seen it before, including a very special visit.
Wednesday 29th July:
Arran’s Ultimate Dun Laoghaire Walk One (Route 1)
from Dun Laoghaire (Mallin) Station, then looking at, around and behind the beautiful, Lombard-Romanesque style Town Hall, then doubling back along the seafront, discussing architecture and monuments there, including at Moran Park, Haigh Terrace and the People’s Park. Architecture, revolutionary history, social history & more!
Walk One: Meets at/ Starts: outside Hartley’s Restaurant, Harbour Road, Dun Laoghaire.
Walk One: Ends: At the lower Fountain, inside the People’s Park.
Duration: 1 hr 30 mins- 1 Hr 45 minutes, approx. (please allow for some possible slight extra time)
Tickets for my Walk One (Route One) tour of Dun Laoghaire, can be found here.
Thursday 30th of July –
Arran’s Ultimate Dun Laoghaire Walk Two (Route 2)
This second route starts from the People’s Park, then all along George’s Street, both Upper and Lower, including multiple forays in to side-streets and squares, such as Clarinda Park, Library Road & more. Along the way we will view and discuss old, 19th century ecclesiastical, residential, retail and bank architecture, plus a former Victorian schoolhouse; 19th century decorative ironwork and terracotta; Modernist and brutalist architecture & more!
Walk Two – Thursday 30th July (Meet by 10.55AM, for a 11AM start! )
Walk Starts/Meets:, At lower Fountain, in People’s Park. Dun Laoghaire.
Ends: Near old Carnegie Library, Library Road/ George’s St corner.
Duration: from 1 hr 30 mins to 1 Hr 45 minutes, approx.
Tickets for my Walk Two (Route Two) tour of Dun Laoghaire, can be found here.
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Three unique, public tours in August 2026…
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Thursday 6th August, an historical and architectural walking tour of the historic Gardiner Estate.
Meet 10.50AM outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel (Upper O’Connell St.)
Tour starts 11AM sharp.
From O’Connell St, to Mountjoy Square, via Parnell Sq, Black Church, Blessington Basin, the old Mater Hospital and St George’s Church, concluding at Mountjoy Square.
Discover the world created by the two Luke Gardiners, Luke the elder and the younger.
The tour contains great detail on social and political history, as well as, of course, a host of outstanding architecture, described, interpreted and placed into context.
Practicalities: Tour starts from outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel (Upper O’Connell St.) Meet 10.50AM, Tour starts 11AM sharp. Tour ends at Mountjoy Square. 12.45PM approx. Tickets should be bought in advance. Your ticket includes the use of a small portable sound kit, to hear the live commentary from your guide with perfect sound, while you walk at your own pace. Tickets for this tour are here.
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Wednesday 12th August, North by North-west: our famous tour of the Broadstone-Grangegorman district of Dublin.
Meet 10.50AM, outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel (Upper O’Connell St.) (tour starts 11AM sharp)
from Upper O’Connell Street via Parnell Square, then the enigmatic Black Church; the splendours of Broadstone from the early modernism of the Hendron’s building to the Egyptian influenced, high 19th century neo-classicism of the former Broadstone railway terminus.
The great architectural historian Maurice Craig described the Broadstone railway building as “the last Dublin building to partake of the sublime”.
We conclude this remarkable tour by reaching and exploring and discussing the incredible, little-known yet vast complex of former workhouses and asylums dotted around the Grangegorman area, One of these institutions was once so big, it minted its own currency! Our walk finishes at one of these institutions, the former Saint Brendan’s Mental Hospital, now the new TUD campus.
If you have not done this route with us before, this is an unmissable and highly revealing tour.
Please note: this is not a loop walk: we end at the Grangegorman TUD Campus. Numerous local buses back to city centre and beyond are available nearby, via either Stoneybatter, or the local North Circular Road.
Meet: by 11AM outside Guud day café Upper O’Connell Street (by the Holiday Inn express hotel) Walks starts 11.15AM sharp.
Walk concludes at the Grangegorman TUD Campus between 12.45Pm to 1PM approx..
Practicalities: Tour starts from outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel (Upper O’Connell St.) Meet 10.50AM, Tour starts 11AM sharp. Tour ends at the TUD campus, Grangegorman, 12.45PM approx.
Tickets should be bought in advance please. Your ticket includes the use of a small portable sound kit, to hear the live commentary from your guide, with perfect sound, while you walk at your own pace. Tickets for this tour may be found here.
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Thursday 27th August, Merrion Square, the park,
the Pepper Canister church and a visit to the IAA.
Meet 10.45 at the front gate of the Museum of Natural history, Merrion Sq West. Tour starts 11am sharp.
Tour concludes 12.45PM at the IAA, Merrion Square East.
In this exploration of Merrion Square, both its garden-park, and its superb Georgian townhouses, we’ll discuss the planning and evolution of Merrion Square, and its early, wealthy tenants, architects and craftsman, and the houses they helped create. We will discover a world of MPs and artisans, famous doctors, legendary writers, scientists and statesmen.
We’ll also pay a visit to nearby Mount St and briefly view the exterior of the superb, Greek revival St Stephens, better known to Dubliners as the Pepper Canister Church. We will see how this late-Georgian exterior is a clever combination of three different, ancient Athenian buildings.
We finish our tour of Merrion Sq with a special visit to the Irish Architectural Archive (IAA) This is, firstly, a wonderful opportunity to visit the interiors of one of the biggest houses on the square, with some of the most intact and authentic interiors. But the IAA this year is also celebrating its 50 year birthday, and both the two exhibition spaces here are currently hosting fascinating exhibitions. Downstairs is a 50th anniversary show, showcasing some of the archive’s superb holdings of architectural plans and drawings. Upstairs is a wonderful exhibition of very beautiful, large-format photographs of old, often vanished Dublin, by Paddy Healy. We are particularly fortunate that the IAA CEO, Colum O’Riordan has kindly agreed to give us an overview of the IAA, its building, and its current exhibitions.
Please note that our Meet Point for this walk is directly OUTSIDE the GATE, of the Natural History Museum at Merrion St Upper, Dublin 2. The Eircode if required, is D02 F627. The Natural History Museum is currently closed, we are just using the front gate as a meeting point.
I hope you will join me for this very special occasion. Tickets are here.
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Also remember that Private Tours – meaning tour for your own group, on dates of your own choosing – are always available, year around. Prices from €250 for your entire group (or from €300 weekends) Just use the green Book Now button on our website, without any obligation, to explore tour options, see our availability, see available tours, plus all your date and price options. Then come and enjoy your own, private version, of the best walking tours in Dublin.
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images below: an old Travel poster, painted c1920 by Norman Wilkinson of “Kingston (Dun Laoghaire)” (Image Courtesy of the Irish Art Travel Poster firm). Arran speaking at the National Gallery of Ireland; the Huband Bridge, on the Grand Canal, part of our recent Grand Canal II Tour, in a painting by artist Gerard Byrne; A map of Arran’s “How to Cross Dublin Without Passing a Pub” tour, available in June only each year (around Bloom’s Day).
