1. What is your favourite thing about the city?
Being so heavily involved in the tourism industry, our favorite thing has to be its rich History and heritage. We simply never get bored of exploring or hearing stories from the locals we meet on our tours. There are just so many hidden attractions and gems out there that people don’t know about, and buildings and attractions that have been left to decay making for lots of fun walks. We also love how close Dublin is located to the mountains, making it easy to escape and immerse yourself at any time.
2. What is your favourite site to visit, and why?
Personally, my favorite site to visit is Poolbeg Lighthouse. The lighthouse there is located on the Great South Wall (South Bull Wall), at the Port of Dublin, which extends from Ringsend nearly four miles out into Dublin Bay. I love to walk out here where views of Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Howth, and extensive views of the sea cliffs can be enjoyed. After this, we enjoy going for Lunch or a few drinks in the Church Bar on Mary street – where Arthur Guinness himself was married, and of course, the starting point for our evening Northside Ghost Walk.
3. How was Hidden Dublin Walks started?
Hidden Dublin was started 4 years ago on returning from a trip to Scotland. We were fascinated with the Dark history and underground chambers of Mary Kings Close, and so began researching and exploring the Haunted side of our own city. Our love and passion for this grew and grew, the result now being the full time operation of 4 of Dublin’s most loved evening tours – Haunted History Walk (A Focus on the southside), Northside Ghost Walk, The Black Tale, and The Gravedigger Bus Tour – www.thegravedigger.ie We also are planning a new edition to the fleet coming this April…
4. Which tour is your favourite? Why?
Our Favorite tour is undoubtedly the Hellfire Club – http://www.hiddendublinwalks.com/ghost-tour-dublin.php. The Hell Fire Club, situated at 1275 feet, near the summit of Mount Pelier overlooks Dublin city from the south west. The site was originally a passage tomb. Richard Parsons, the first Earl of Rosse, established the Hell-Fire Club in Dublin in 1735. The Clubs became associated with excessive drinking. Scaltheen, a drink made from whiskey and butter was served in abundance during meetings of the Hell Fire Club. Current urban lore tells us that it was, and still is, a site commonly used for the practice of Satanism and other occult activities, and that the Devil himself made brief appearances at some unspecified times in the past. Whilst we encourage all punters on this walk to keep an open mind, we do GUARANTEE the best view in Dublin on this tour, and a fun evening walk that is defiantly something different. The atmosphere up here is spectacular, and it also gives us a chance to personally interact with people on a much deeper level on the walk up the mountain. Dark history and great fun deep in the Dublin Mountains, away from the city – that’s why its our favourite.
5. Tell us one thing most people don’t know about the city.
How Dublin got its name – from dubh-linn, which means black pool in the traditional Irish language, because in the times of Viking settlement there, there was a big black coloured water pool on the site and it took its name from it then.
6. Which is your most popular tour, and why?
Our most popular tour at present is our Gravedigger Ghost Bus (http://www.hiddendublinwalks.com/ghost-tour-dublin-bus-gravedigger.php) We promise this is no ORDINARY bus and was the result of over 6 full time staff working on customising an old Dublin Bus Double Decker for almost a year. The tour departs outside Extreme Ireland College Green Tourist office. The stories begin with Trinity College where your guide will transport you back some 600 years ago to when the old Augustinian Priory and of course the plague house were there. The latter of which the guide is all too familiar with…
Many believed that the plague was the end of days, but the history of Dublin and its horrors continued. This is also Ireland’s ONLY 4D bus. By 4D we mean that there are numerous surprised packed on board – the seats blast air at you, the bus gets filled with smoke, the sound and lighting is professionally choreographed, and our actors..well lets just say don’t stand too close!
7. What’s the best time year to visit? Why?
Operating mostly evening tours, we have to say that the best time to visit is the darker evenings. We just love them. Its also a totally different side of Dublin that people don’t expect!
8. What’s the best question you’ve ever been asked on a walk?
Our favourite has to be “Can you guarantee me that I will see a ghost?” Yes, people do actually ring us up and ask this, and you would be surprised at how often it happens. Well, we cant guarantee this of course, but we have lots of stories and experiences where we simply cant explain what people allegedly have seen on our tours, or why some simply faint. On our Haunted History tour, inside the gates of St Audeons which we open for people, what amazes us is that people from all around the world, who have never met, claim to see the same thing…
9. If you could only take one souvenir from the city, what would it be?
Personally, it would be great to take the Spike From O’Connel street home with you. We’d say you might even be able to fit it in your hand luggage and you would simply save Dublin corporation a fortune by not having to clean the thing… For more Great hints and tips like this, please visit www.hiddendublinwalks.com. With Hidden Dublin Walks, reveal the true dark mysteries and histories across a variety of historical periods and unique sightseeing locations frequented only by us. We focus on the characters, that’s why we are different!