join one of our two unique, public tours for September 2026…
our Portobello tour returns! One date only: Friday 11th September.
Plus our unique tour – West of Capel Street, Markets, Monasteries and Prisons on Wednesday, 23rd September.
See below for details.
Portobello tour, Friday 11th September, meet by 11AM sharp.
Enjoy hidden details from the rich layered history of Portobello, revealed by local historian and resident Arran Henderson, of Dublin Decoded tours. All along our route, we will consider the many artists, writers and others who have called the area home, and ponder issues like infrastructure and philanthropic housing, as well as Portobello’s fascinating Jewish history, as Ireland’s “little Jerusalem” and its fascinating political, social, artistic and architectural history.
We’ll explore the now-hidden history of Portobello, including vanished 18th century walled estates, reservoir basin, canal harbours, its former ornamental lakes and old pleasure gardens.
Other features discussed include fascinating links to 1940s Hollywood, to L.A’s Chinatown and the Beatles’ John Lennon, to Irish revolutionaries and their local Irish Jewish allies.
Tickets for the Portobello walk can be found here.
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West of Capel Street, Markets, Monasteries and Prisons on Wednesday, 23rd September.
Capel Street and its adjoining area once lay within the orbit of two mighty, but now vanished medieval monasteries, the Dominican priory of Saint Saviour, and the powerful, wealthy Cistercians at St Mary’s Abbey.
Each religious foundation has almost entirely disappeared from the modern view, obliterated by the Reformation and by later development.
Yet each has left many subtle traces on the urban landscape of today, if we know how to look.
The area was then largely rebuilt in the late 17th century by Humphrey Jervis, who built what we now call Capel Street bridge (some would say it was constructed out of monastery stones)
and laid out Capel Street itself, Dublin’s first great board avenue,
predicting the great Georgian streets of the 18th century by almost 50 years.
By the late 1600s the same area also included Ormonde Markets, which -in the late 1800s – would be replaced in turn by the spectacular, Victorian Fruit, Fish and Veg markets, with their amazing terracotta decoration.
Meanwhile, just north of the markets, lay an enormous prison with gallows on the outside, to facilitate public hangings.
Just beyond that, two buildings stood, and still stand today: a second Prison, namely a “Sponging House” or Debtors’ prison. and an 18th century courthouse, which hosted some of the most notorious trials in Irish History.
This is our first time doing this wonderful walk and exploring this remarkable area, for well over a year.
To join me, on Wednesday please purchase your ticket here.
As always, both our two public tours include 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.
Please note that our Capel St Monasteries and Markets tour is part of a series of walks with a medieval focus that we are running through September and October.
The other dates are:
Medieval Walls on Thursday 15th October,
and a brand new walk of the Kevin Street, Peter Street, Bishop Street area,
called Monastic Enclosure, on Thursday 22 October.
This is just a “save-the-dates” note.
Tickets for those other two walks will appear here before October, as well as in our October email newsletter.
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Private Tours
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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Header image: top of page image; detail from a mind 1800s map of Dublin. Images below: 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).
