We’re delighted to invite you on a rare Sunday edition and a very special version, of our favourite walk, the Medieval Walls tour. It’s a tour, it’s a treasure hunt of sorts, and it’s a window into another world. It includes access into a least one site you’d perhaps never normally see. And it… Read More Sunday 17th May: a very special Dublin walking tour.
Selling off the family Silver. Another failure: another breech of trust. Many enlightened and generous philanthropists have gifted precious property, artworks and other priceless assets to Ireland. Such gifts include works by Manet, Degas and other Impressionists from Sir Hugh Lane; endless beautiful works in the National Gallery of Ireland purchased with funds left by… Read More J’accuse: Rubens & other old masters to be sold off & lost forever.
Looking at Art | the Art of Looking. Our tour at the National Gallery of Ireland is “How to Read a Painting”. That title, and our approach is prompted by a concern that less of us today retain the inclination, patience or perhaps the confidence to consider or interpret old master paintings. If that’s… Read More How to Read a Painting, evening tour, Nat Gal Ireland, 6pm 14th April.
The Irish in the First World War, World War I in Ireland Incident and pain, commemoration and controversy. – Dublin in World War I. Every year from 2014-2018 is a First World War centenary year. But times are changing. Now after 100 years we in Ireland, perhaps for the first time properly remember and… Read More The Irish in the First World War, the World War I in Ireland
Strange to be back in Dublin, after 10 days in Italy, 4 of them in Rome. I used to live there, 19 years ago. I don’t know about you, but I tend not to go back to places I lived (and loved) in in my 20s. It’s too nostalgic, too sad somehow, amid the footsteps,… Read More Postcards from Rome. Maps of Rome.
Portrait heads, in plaster, terracotta and bronze, of playwright Brian Friel, publican, patron and writer John Ryan, writer Anthony Cronin, artist Charlie Cullen, and, below, the actor and great Becket interrupter Barry McGovern. Just some of the terrific works by artist and sculptor Tom Haran, now on show in the lovely Octagon Room, at the… Read More Sculptures of Friends: Irish & Dublin Greats.
A special one-off tour from Dublin Decoded. A sociable and fascinating 2.2 hour walking tour, revealing some of the extraordinary 18th century heritage of Dublin’s North Georgian Quarter. From 2pm – 4.10pm pm approx. On Sunday 22 March. This tour will also link (as an optional extra) with a super concert (starting 4.30) in an… Read More North Georgian Dublin: Historic Walking Tour, 2pm Sunday 22 March.
As you see on the below map by that Huguenot genius John Roque, Parnell (Rutland) Square in 1756 was hardly laid out with any buildings. The famous Lying In Hospital (Rotunda) had been founded by Dr Bartholomew Moss was there (built by Richard Cassels) was there, and Cavendish Row/Street itself. and not much else. To… Read More A Grand Tour tour, Rutland Square to Sail ships & across the River.
in the coloured 1798 map above, the tiny, modern-day lane-way known now as Balfe St, very near the busy central shopping thoroughfare of Grafton St. was previously “Pitt St”. Can you see it above? If you follow Anne St right to left across Grafton St you’ll spot it. The name Pitt comes of course… Read More changed utterly: Dublin’s Streets and Mrs Peg Leeson.
Photo credit Declan Hackett Could there be anything nicer to do on a Sunday afternoon than a History walking tour, followed by wonderful concert of ultra- high quality music, performance, poetry, with a sociable glass of wine after? Well, what about if the concerts took place in some of the most beautiful historic… Read More History walking tours, followed by music, poetry and wine.
Arran Q Henderson 