The great majority of Dublin Decoded tours (all, unless otherwise stated) are led by founder and owner Arran Henderson.
Arran is from Dublin. He graduated in Art and Architectural History from Oxford Brooks in 1991. After a brief stint working on a musical theater production in the Edinburgh Fringe, he lived in Barcelona several years, then in Rome, through the early to mid-1990s, studying (and often drawing) ancient, renaissance and baroque buildings, sculptures and paintings.
After 8 1/2 years abroad, Arran returned to Dublin in late 1996 to complete a second BA Hons degree, this time in Fine Art at Ireland’s National College of At and Design, graduating 2000.
Arran subsequently worked as an artist, exhibiting in group shows at the Royal Hibernian Academy and in the film and TV industry, mostly in production design.
Around the same period he also variously also worked as an Art Critic, teacher, Art History tutor, and occasional newspaper columnist, writing on buildings, art, history and heritage issues (for example in the prestigious Irish Arts Review, and other publications).
This latter activity is what led him toward researching and leading tours, and to founding Dublin Decoded. The most notable writing from this period are probably Arran’s monthly column Hidden Dublin. which appeared in “Totally Dublin” magazine early to mid- 2000s.
Since Arran founded Dublin Decoded tours from around 2012, he has featured on radio and in many newspapers, both nationally within Ireland, and internationally, including the Journal (Dublin); the Dublin Inquirer; the Wall Street Journal (link here); the Financial Times the Irish Independent, and on many occasions in the Irish Times for example (here) and for example in March 2024.
Arran has also consulted on historic films and appeared as a guest on radio (Liveline on RTE radio) and on PBS television in the United States (on the travel series Ireland with Michael on PBS) and on Irish television, where Arran is an occasional contributor to RTE’s Nationwide programme.
Arran has designed and led the Dublin city walking tours for the Irish Georgian Society since 2016 and the Little Museum of Dublin since 2022.
In addition, Arran has designed and created walks on behalf of many key cultural and education bodies, such as the Royal Hibernian Academy, Trinity College’s School of Medicine; the Liverpool School of Architecture, Oxford Brooks’ School of the Built Environment, the University of Bath, Furman University of South Carolina, and many other institutions.
Under the badge of his private tour firm, Dublin Decoded Arran creates many private and often bespoke, corporate tour events for major firms, especially in Law, Tech and of course, because of our focus on built heritage- for various Surveying, Architecture firms and Engineering practices. (Walks for surveying, architecture firms are of course, eligible for CPD points)
Arran as Guest Speaker
Arran is also available as a public speaker and frequently gives illustrated slide talks on various aspects of heritage, local history and in particular on art and architectural history.
He has done so most recently for (iner alia) the Irish Georgian Society; for the Upper Leeson Street Area Residents Association (ULSARA) for the South Georgian Core Residents (Association) and for the annual conference of the Association of Greek, Latin and Classics Teachers in Ireland.
Our Annual, Winter Art Talks.
Since 2019, Arran has given a series of online winter art talks January and February each year. these usually focus on the great traditions of European Art, from the 1200s to the 1700s. There is a particular focus on Italian art of that period, from all corners of Italy. Details of any upcoming courses will appear on the menu of our website.
Our Overseas Art Trips.
From October 2025 onward, Arran began to lead small groups tours on art excursions to Italy, where he used to live, to France, and elsewhere. Arran collaborates with tour agencies in Ireland, and with local guides in Italy and elsewhere, to curate first-class, expert itineraries of Italy’s great art cities, large and small. Group sizes are small and convivial, typically no more than 9- 12 guests in total.
The inaugural autumn 2025 tour to Venice, in collaboration with Adams and Butler, was confirmed in May 2025 and sold-out. It was judged a terrific success.
Likewise, our second trip, this time to Rouen and Normandy in France (in May of 2026) was also a hugely enriching and enjoyable experience for all concerned.
Our third overseas trip – also run in partnership with Adams and Butler – takes place in April 2027 and will visit the Eternal City of Rome, from the 11th to 16th of April, 2027. There were just three last places remaining, at the time of writing. Details of this trip are available on the menu of the website.
It is anticipated that future tours over the next 5-8 years will include Florence, Verona, Vicenza, Padua and Mantua, in Italy, as well as Ghent, Bruges, Brussels and Antwerp, in Belgium. In time we will also visit Rome again and Venice again.
Please join the Dublin Decoded newsletter, if you are not already subscribed, to to catch further news on our art talks, and overseas art trips, as well as our events in Dublin like historical and architectural walking tours and art museum visits. You will find the sign-up form in the menu of the website.
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