Dark Dublin Guided Walking Tour: Unearthing Gruesome Stories and the Brutal Past

Unearth Dublin’s gruesome stories of murder, torture, cannibalism, and more on this 2-hour guided walking tour. Explore the city’s dark past and discover the secrets hidden behind its beautiful architecture.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Dublin Castle - Our guides will spend some time in the Lower Courtyard of Dublin Castle exploring the tortures of the past.

next, the Tour Guide will venture to the Upper Courtyard of the Castle and talk about the Devil’s Half Acre

*Tour does not enter Dublin Castle

  • The 40 Steps - The Tour Guide will explore stories of cannibalism.

  • Saint Patrick’s Cathedral - The guide will take you into the grounds of St Patrick’s Cathedral and uncover the history of Jonathan Swift.

*Tour does not enter St Patrick’s Church

  • Christ Church Cathedral - The guide will cover the stories of the hidden history behind the extraordinary church.

*Tour does not enter Christ Church

  • St. Audoen’s Church - The Tour Guide will unearth the dark past of grave robbings and the attacks from The Black Pig

*Tour does not enter St Audoen’s Church

  • St. Michan’s Church - The Tour Guide will dive into the brutal history of Billy in the Bowl and more recent dark events

*Tour does not enter St Michan’s Church

  • Smithfield Square - Our guide will finish in Smithfield Square with an incredible finishing story of a local murderer.

*End point is a Public Square

What's Included
  • Eco-friendly tour practices ensure sustainability.
  • Enjoy the intimacy of small group experiences.
  • Benefit from the knowledge of an in-person guide.
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
  • Dinner
Additional Information

Join us as we unearth Dublin’s terrifying tales of homicide, extreme punishment, man-eating, grave pilfering, houses of ill-repute, suggestions of child consumption, mysterious rituals, and much more! Our adventure begins at Dublin Castle where we will delve into its savage history, discuss ecclesiastical persecutors and reveal why the main courtyard was ironically dubbed the Devil’s Half Acre. Despite its stunning architectural facade, the castle has a barbarous history. We’ll then meander down the alleyways to discover tales of flesh-eating and shocking proposals of infant feasting. As we venture deeper into Dublin’s sinister history, we enter a region once ominously called Hell, where stories of brothels, sorceresses, and the notorious Hellfire Club lie in wait. As we stroll past the ancient city fortifications, we’ll come across tales of grave theft, the ominous Black Pig and conclude with the peculiar case of a legless asphyxiator and murderer. Embark on this 2-hour walking expedition through city roads and hidden lanes as we unravel the dark underbelly of Dublin.

Location
Barnardo Square
Barnardo Square is the small square next to Dublin City Hall on DAME STREET DUBLIN 2.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1761 Ratings)
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Jill_s
Jul 26, 2024
Fantastic tour for those that love the macabre - Our guide was wonderful and knowledgeable and had a fantastic personality and really helpful advice about places around Dublin!
Review provided by Viator
397adeler
Jul 26, 2024
A brilliant alternative tour of Dublin - Cillian delivers a fantastic Dark Tour of Dublin. It was enjoyable, informative, very interesting and delivered with good humour. He kept us all engaged and was very knowledgeable and personable. Loved it and learnt lots!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Promethean99
Jul 24, 2024
Fantastic Tour! - Fantastic Tour! Killian was very informative and super entertaining as he regaled us with stories of murders, torture and execution. Who'd have thought these tales could be so funny and so gruesome at the same time?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ronogull
Jul 24, 2024
A very good experience - This was a very good tour. Our guide, Cillian was fantastic. A good storyteller and funny. There were good stories. In fact so good that one in our group fainted😀Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyndsey_p
Jul 24, 2024
Insightful and dark! - Utterly fantastic host (Cillian) with lots of knowledge and humour. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone as dark as us!
Review provided by Viator
Kayoorg
Jul 24, 2024
Outstanding tour and learned much! - Seamus was an outstanding guide and the tour was informative and interesting. I learned much about the history of Dublin. Highly recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_f
Jul 23, 2024
Shamus is awesome - My husband and I went for our honeymoon and this was such a fun tour to do before heading to dinner. Shamus was so funny and the forklore/history was so great. You get to hear some of Dublin’s history and get a good laugh!
Review provided by Viator
Ian_b
Jul 23, 2024
Fantastic way to learn more about Dublin - Killian was an amazing tour guide with lots of knowledge and was a terrific story teller! I would highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for something different and memorable!
Review provided by Viator
997ameliaaaa
Jul 23, 2024
10/10 - Great time, the guide was so interesting and funny, thanks stephen. Would definitely recommend, thank you for teaching us the dark side of dublin!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana_e
Jul 21, 2024
Great fun - This tour was fun, entertaining and interesting. We learned about the history of Dublin and Ireland and saw some interesting places in the city. Ciaran was funny and eager to answer any questions. He spoke loud enough so everyone in the quite big group could hear. I think this is totally worth it.
Review provided by Viator
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September 2024
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