This was by far my favorite activity in the week we spent in Dublin! It really gave a sense of continuity between the Dublin featured in the novels and memoirs of the city's literary giants -- of which there are many -- and the Dublin of modern day. I realized that in Dublin, history isn't something you go places to see; you're swimming in it, everywhere you look. Our fearless leaders were brilliant -- gave power and poise and poignancy to the scenes they enacted (some of which were hysterically funny), and still managed to socialize with the group, and even engage us in a historical quiz at the end with prizes! (Seriously obscure questions, with interesting answers, too.) Plus, all the wonderful pubs, with the history that unfolded there... Pacing was great. We had supper at the Duke, which does a mean Irish stew, then broke up our walk with tipples at the various featured establishments, ending at possibly my favorite pub, Davy Byrne's. Glorious Art Deco, featured prominently in Ulysses, and showcasing an original first printing of the book itself! read more

We had a conference in town and planned a private group pub tour as a fun thing for some of our conference attendees. Working together with the group in the months before was easy and the tour guys were very accommodating. This was a terrific way to spend a first night in Dublin. We all loved the short acts and history lessons. Highly recommended. As an added bonus, one of the actors was playing after the tour at Temple Bar so a group went there to watch. Epic night! read more

If you plan one doing just one Pub Crawl, do this Literary one. This was an excellent pub crawl, it was entertaining and fun, we enjoyed the skits done by our tour guides, and the information on the authors and stories they wrote. We loved the interesting facts about their lives, along with the history of the pubs we also visited. It was fun playing along with answering questions to win prizes. read more

We enjoyed this tour so much. Frank and Finbar were exceptional entertainers with a zest for history which brought the lives of the literary genius to life! O'Neils Pub was tremendously crowded and we only went in briefly, just overloaded so we waited outside. The whole tour was a lot of fun and actually was quite a bit longer than we expected. At the end of the evening our guides gave us a great recommendation for. Tapas Bar which was the perfect end to the night. I want to add that our tour started off very strangely. Colin, the manager checked us in at the start and informed us that our tour which we booked on Expedia was "cancelled" I assured him we hadn't cancelled and that I had my paid receipt. We continued to tell me how he got a notice that this reservation was cancelled. I insisted kindly we didn't cancel and I'm not sure how or why he got this notice. He seemed quite put out and asked me if I knew that Expedia bought the Viatour company and did I know they got 24percemt of the booking. I politely told him that I was unaware of any of this and I had simply booked the tour via Expedia when it came up as a recommendation. I felt uncomfortable as did our friends, I wasn't really sure what he wanted me to do. He then told me that they have their own website and have run the tour for 36 years and don't want people booking through a third party. After a little more venting about the issue he directed us to take our seats. I'm still quite confused about what he was expecting me to do. He set a very odd tone to the start of the evening. Having said this, do yourself a favor and book directly from their website. read more

We enjoyed the first pub very much. Unfortunately, after having a bathroom break the tour continued on without us. There was a line in the ladies restroom, with other members of the tour group there...but somehow we were ditched. We tried to call the tour to catch up, as did the staff at The Duke, but it was not to be. Alas, we will never know what happened with our friend the tour guide, and his epic ability to quote Ulysses and other literary pub things. read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - The dude's book. - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

Do the Tour! We started out on a beautiful Friday night at "The Duke" . Three pubs and a few beers later we learned about the history of authors, the pubs and historical sites. Our Guides Frank and Finn were awesome! They are also local actors who have done this for years. You can hear the passion they have for the history of Dublin as you are mesmerized into the stories they tell. The tour was not only informative but Frank and Finn made it fun with stories, acting, and a quiz at the end of the tour read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - Literary Pub Crawl - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

If you have any interest in Irish literature, this tour is a must. The performers are as entertaining as they are knowledgeable. Also a very good way to experience the Temple Bar area. And even more, the company proved both honest and responsible as they responded quickly to a mixup with the online ticketing and gave me a refund a week later even though I was back in the States. read more

This pub crawl was fantastic, and you don't even need to be familiar with Irish literature to enjoy it. While I have sadly not read Beckett, Joyce, Wilde, etc., after attending this crawl, I may need to. Your guides are also actors, and besides being super knowledgeable about the authors, their works, and the pubs they frequented, they will act out scenes from said books. They also sing. My guides were Kevin and Derek, and they were great. It's a really interesting crawl, and I didn't even drink that much on it, so it's not the Guinness talking. It probably lasts ~3 hours or so, which was perfect. If you are looking for something a bit quirky and unique to do in Dublin, this is it, and it was one of my favorite things I did while in Ireland. read more

If you're fortunate enough to spend a little time in Dublin, I highly recommend the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. It's presented by local actors who will enthrall, educate, and entertain you. Lots of interesting history, stories, humor, songs (does everyone in Ireland have a great singing voice?), some walking, and of course the pubs where you can get a pint of Guinness or a wee bit of whiskey. The fun also includes a literary quiz at the end of the evening, and the answers are found by paying attention to the stories or at the various pubs you visit or sometimes getting lucky with a good guess. The winner is awarded an official Dublin Literary Pub Crawl T-shirt. (Guess who won in our group.) read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

Raconteurs​ Extraordinaire! In Dublin pubs, pints, and poets definitely,​ may mingle. This very reasonably priced tour (around $17.0 0 per person) will be a highlight of your Dublin experience as you'll be entertained by knowledgeable actors who are experts in all three "p's". You'll visit iconic pubs while learning about the literary giants that called Ireland home. If you love literature, architecture, walking, and performing arts, this is THE tour. Actors will especially embrace this tour. Having performed Samuel Beckett's play, En Attendant Godot (Waiting for Godot) in French while going to the University of Bordeaux, I was mesmerized to watch the performers launch the tour with excerpts from this captivating masterpiece. A musician performs Irish music and songs at various stops, you'll walk through Temple Bar, Trinity College grounds, and the back streets of Dublin all the while listening to little-known​ facts about James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and many more. Although you'll visit several pubs and have some time to order a pint, this is NOT a tour for anyone who just wants to get drunk. This is an entertaining and exciting escape into the past of the Irish literary superstars who sometimes did their best work at pubs! The actors are accomplished raconteurs with colorful accounts of the legends. High fives! A definite must do! Make reservations in advance as you don't want to miss this Emerald Isle edu-tainment. Bring your water, a jacket and gloves as the evenings may get chilly. read more

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This tour was recommended to me by the concierge at my hotel. I was visiting Dublin alone and wanted to get out for an evening. I had such a good time (I even won a t-shirt!). This crawl attracts lots of young people (we had some backpackers from Australia, a group of lawyers from Ireland, US students, European students, etc). Everyone becomes fast friends as the tour goes on. At each stop, you learn a bit about the location and the writers from the area...there are also beverages to be had. It's very casual and fun and I would highly recommend it. After our tour, a group of us stayed together and hung out later in the evening before a very nice group of locals (who were on the tour) made sure that we all made it back safely to our respective hotels. I'm sure this is also fun if you go with a group, but as a person traveling alone, it was the perfect activity to get out and experience the city. read more

It's great having people from abroad visiting me as I get to do the 'touristy things'. This is brilliant! I have never enjoyed myself more, the actors were fantastic, completely professional and charming, switching from reciting Beckett to Behan. The tickets are only 12 euro and you meet upstairs in the Duke pub. You basically do a literary pub crawl through the city which is great because you get to really learn the lives that these writers led in the city. It's very lighthearted too. It was so enjoyable and there was a quiz at the end, so pay attention! read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

This tour is a must-do if you have an interest in literature, history, & theater. It was so very interesting & a lot of fun. The performers/ hosts/ tour guides were very entertaining & very well-informed. I would highly recommend it, and possibly even do it again. I got the impression the bars may vary time to time as well. They had all the reservations filled in advance, but several of us who were wait-listed got in at the end. I was very happy about it because it was the last of my 2 nights in Dublin & I really wanted to go! Seriously, I was so disappointed when I thought it might not happen. But, happen it did & I even won the quiz and am now the proud owner of a XXL Dublin Literary Pub Crawl t-shirt. :) Be in the know: --It's about 2-1/2 hours long --The tour starts at 7:30 with people checking in or buying tickets beore hand, so you probably want to eat before. There won't really be enough time to eat at any o the pubs you visit. --There are stops at bars, but also at some sites out doors, like Trinity College. It's Dublin, so bring a jacket & umbrella. --The tour is very popular & sells out quickly. The flyer we had ddn't show that you can buy in advance, but you can and SHOULD. --If you're a slow drinker (or if you use a stop for a bathroom break, thus cutting into your drinking time), you may want to order half pints or share as we did since my hubby didn't want to order a lady-sized beer, LOL. read more

I would highly recommend this tour, whether you're a drinker or not. It's an interesting and memorable mix of history, culture....oh yeah, and drinking. Two thespians/tour guides provide great context for the literary heritage of Dublin, all while you're quenching your thirst. On our tour, we visited 4 bars spending about 30 minutes at each. During each stop, the tour guides provide some historical background about the significance of the watering hole (was it featured in a James Joyce work?.....did Brendan Behan tie one on here?). I must give these guys/gals a ton of credit. They're full of facts and dates, but they've also committed to memory some of these famous works. At our meeting point (The Duke), the two guides started off with a re-enactment of Beckett's "Waiting for Godot". About half way through, there is a quick stop at Trinity College (also known as a non-drinking stop). Pro tip - if you haven't had dinner yet and are worried about four pints in a reasonably short period of time, grab a glass (1/2 pint instead). I started with pints, but quickly switched to a glass to keep it all together (it's a marathon not a sprint). Or, grab a snack nearby before joining the tour. The tour cost 12 euros and you buy your own beer. The 12 euros is totally worth the unique format of the tour. If you have a spare evening in Dublin, do yourself a favor and sign up for the tour. read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - A great tour! - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

Dukes-5 stars for Peter, the young funny and engaging waiter; helpful and kind he steered me to the absolutely delightful Guinness beef stew my husband had the lamb and the brown bread was divine. We did the Dublin literary writer's tour. Starting with Colin and Frank, with Frank finishing the evening. Frank has great comic delivery and knows how to tell a tale. The walking in the cold helps you from getting too stumbley. Highly recommend this engaging tour, so glad we did it! read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

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I recommend this 100%. It is so much fun and lots of laughs. The actors are great and you get a small tour of Dublin. It is not much walking at all. You really learn the history behind the pubs. Who knew pubs would have so much history to them. I highly recommend this tour. The tour does not include any beer. read more

Tourist- what should we do in Dublin Mary S- Literacy pub crawl !!! Tourist- Why? Mary S- because I hold the key to understanding the origins of life not Mercury Tourist- (whispers) Texans are weird Mary S- I heard that History, Singing, amusing entertaining and literature run by two Irish based actors accompanied by a pint or two or three is my cup of tea! I am proud to say I sat at the same bar where Behan, Joyce, shaw, Beckett, Yeats, and Wilde, ........only some of Irelands well World's greatest writers! The tour starts out with a wonderful Irish folk song, and witty humor and history....If my 11th grade History Teacher taught it like these folks I would of never attended summer school. A quick jaunt over to Trinity College (great for photo opps) and after more entertaining you make your way to some more pubs! My group was filled with Brown students so I had no chance of winning the T-shirt or Irish whisky....yes they do a fun trivia quiz at the last stop. I did offer to buy the Ivy league students a round of shots at one of the stops but nobody would partake in my wild ways! Oh well Widle (who attended Trinity) would of been proud of me! "Every woman is a rebel." Oscar Wilde Would I do this pub crawl again, of course I would and yes I am in June! And for the record if my Husband loses his mind and trades me in for a younger model I am moving to Dublin to chase Colm Quilligan around! Yes he's my pub crush! Thank you Lisa J of Dublin Yelp for sending me the link to this pub crawl! Best time spent in Dublin...Oh and make sure you buy the book, good reading material and you can check out some of the pubs that were not on the walking tour! Mary S. Dallas (Strongest Liver Yelper) read more

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If you go to Ireland, you have to get drunk. It's the law. And if you want to actually learn something as you're getting drunk, then I highly suggest this pub crawl. This crawl tours famous Dublin bars and talks about the famous writers that frequented them, such as Joyce, Beckett, Meehan, and my personal favorite: Wilde. The tour is approximately 2 hours and you visit about 12 pubs (though you don't actually go into ALL of them). Before each pub, one of the speakers tells a story or gives readings from Irish writers. Then you have 20 minutes to drink as much as you can before moving onto the next pub. The speakers were well-informed, charming and funny. You'll definitely learn a lot of new things. I only remember a few of the pubs...the more you drink, the harder it is to remember what's going on. A few that we visited on the tour were The Duke, McDaid's, The Palace Bar and Davy Byrnes. There wasn't a single one that I didn't like! If you visit London, you need to take this tour! It's a great way to be a part of the Dublin nightlife while picking up a bit of history, too. Well worth the 12 pounds it costs. read more

This was a lot of fun to go on with some visiting friends. The actors were great and really entertaining, and had a lot of interesting information to impart, that is different than what you'd get if you did the sightseeing bus tours and things like that. My one complaint is that it isn't really as "boozy" as the advertisements give. They get you into three pubs, but only for like 10-15 minutes in each, which makes sense to keep the tour going, but can create a bit of a rushed environment when trying to sip a pint. I could also see where someone might be disappointed if they are looking to go on an actual "pub crawl." However, the actors are great fun, and really entertaining. Definitely a one-time thing though! I don't think it's something I'd do over and over again. read more

I don't think I've laughed this hard in a long, long time, and it's not because I was on a pub crawl and was drinking at each pub, or because the jokes were literature-related, but because the actors leading us on our journey were incredibly hilarious. The Dublin Literary Pub Crawl is a must-do when in Dublin. One does not fully know the history of Dublin (or Ireland, for that matter) without knowing literature's relation to it. The pub crawl began at the Duke, a famous pub south of the Liffey, and southeast of the Temple Bar area (closer to Trinity College and the library). The guides are actors and begin with the crowd in a room upstairs, starting by acting out a hysterical scene from Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." From here, the crawl commences. The tour goes to four pubs (and stops at other landmarks in the city) and lasts about two and a half hours. The actors ask "quiz questions" throughout the crawl, and at the end, the crowd is gathered together and is quizzed. The winner gets a t-shirt; I won! The entire experience was incredible. Not only do you get to enjoy drinks at each of the renowned and historic bars, you learn about the city's rich literary background, and laugh along the way. read more

One of the best tours in Dublin. Highly recommended for visitors. 2 actors take you on a trip back in time as you literally go on a literary pub crawl through the city center. At each pub, the actors give a short 10 minute performance from the literary works of an author who frequented that pub. This is followed by 20 minutes of drinking time:) There are also short stops at Trinity College and St Andrews Church (the former). If you're not a fast drinker, I suggest drinking glasses of beer instead of pints....also a good idea if you do the tour midweek and you have to work the next day! Cost is 12 euro, and beer is of course extra:) read more

We had a great time quenching our thirst for knowledge and...well...for a few drinks. The tour starts upstairs at The Duke and lasts for about 2.5 hours. The actors take you to four pubs, with a couple of additional stops to describe some of Dublin's rich literary history or present scenes from major works. Each pub has its own literary connection, and the 20-25 minute stops are just enough time for a round and taking in the atmosphere. The pubs we visited were quite different from each other, which made the evening all the more interesting and enjoyable. During the peak season, I suggest booking in advance - although you can buy tickets at the door and there were at least some spaces left on the day. In either case, this is a really fun way to spend a touristy evening in Dublin. read more

As much as I love a good party, New Years Eve is not one of them. As the Arctic Monkeys so deftly put it, "Anticipation has the habit of setting you up for disappointment." So, when a group of us decided to participate in the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl for New Year's Eve last year, I was quietly pessimistic. How wrong I was. I don't think I've had a better New Year's Eve in many years. We did the tour with a whole mixture of nationalities, ages and persuasions. One thing we all had in common was being up for the craic. So much so that a shot of whiskey was added to the mix at each different location. (Although that's another story for another day!) Whether or not you have an interest in literature, this tour is fantastic. The actors are witty and talented, the tour takes you to many of the oldest and most historical pubs / places in Dublin, and you might even walk away with some education thrown in for good measure. Having said that, if you ARE a literary buff - this tour mightn't be so much for you. I did find that it is more geared for those who want bite-sized pieces. And nothing wrong with that! Having been born and raised in the area, I thoroughly enjoyed getting back in touch with Mr Wild, Joyce and co. As some of the reviews before this have pointed out, this does book out quite quickly, so it is defintely worth BOOKing ahead (c'mon I had to do it!). read more

I saw the boys perform when a friend visited last weekend - its fun, its different, it was cold, but people, its Dublin, wrap up and bring a hat or brolly! With regard to having half pints, hello? ... what part of crawl don't we understand yelpeeps? :P ... knock it back, warm up yer insides - its a great start to a night - make it one of your things to do when visiting the pale. Like any of these things, remember you are in the presence of some seriously knowledgeable people who deeply know and love their subject - befriend them, ask questions, and buy them a pint of plain :) read more

Eh. I wasn't nearly as impressed with the Literary Pub Crawl as other Yelpers seem to have been. As others have established, the tour starts in Duke's and moves through four different pubs. You stop at each pub for twenty minutes, and have other stops outdoors -- in the Trinity quad (do people call it that? you know what I mean), by the tourism center, etc. At each stop the actors will recite some literature and have some banter. Now, I went on a rather grim day, and there was wayyyy too much waiting outside, shivering and clutching an umbrella, as the guides prattled on. They were mildly clever, I suppose, but not funny enough to make the weather bearable for me. To be fair, I haven't read much of the material they were quoting; if you're a true Irish literature connoisseur, I expect that you would enjoy the tour much more than I did. And I enjoyed parts of it: it's definitely a self-selecting group of people who choose to go on a literary pub crawl, and it was fun chatting with a group of fun people from around the world. Oh, and one last gripe: now, I realize that this is true for every single organized pub crawl, but I hate being rushed to finish a drink. Especially because we only had 20 minutes in each pub, and it takes 5 minutes to order a drink -- then you're down to 15, and I can't finish a pint that quickly! (I'm a lady, after all. But I also don't like to order a glass because whenever I do that craggy old Irish men at the bar make fun of me. Dilemmas, dilemmas.) So I maybe had an attitude problem because of that too. I dunno. Just not my thing. read more

We did the tour mid-day, which was a nice choice, as it gave us an excuse to begin sipping slightly before noon. Through the tour, I remember thinking that our actor (Colm Quinlan) was basically a walking encyclopedia of Dublin's litterary history. We stopped at various historical pubs, including the favorites of James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. Colm had pages of knowledge about each stop. He let us know at the beginning of the tour that a quiz would take place at the end, which my traveling partner won, of course. Free t-shirt souvenir! We stopped by Trinity College, Ste. Athony's church, Ste. Ann's as well, where Colm had as much knowledge about them as he did the pubs. I much preferred this tour to a bus tour or any other walking tour, because it involved beer, which is part of the fabric of the city. We also purchased the accompanying book, which I read after the tour and on the plane home. It has photos and facts of the historical public houses, many of which I went to but did not get a picture of. It also has biographies of Dublin's prominent and lesser-known literary figures. The tour is 12 euro, which is well worth it. Beer is extra, of course. The book was listed at 8 euro on the sign at the start of the tour, but Colm charged us 10 euro. Not sure how that worked out (tax?), but the book was well written and worth it. If I had one request for this tour, it would be that those in the daytime tours would like a little bit longer at each pub. We barley had time to finish a pint at each stop. Naturally, the one Irish person on the tour was the one exception to this. He had his beer finished promptly, and was ready to move on to the next pub for another pint. 5 stars all the way - this tour would be best for your first day in Dublin. Choose the pubs you go back to afterwards, and let it shape the rest of your visit to the Celtic Metropolis. read more

Brilliant night out! Samuel Beckett, The Beatles, Oscar Wilde, Vikings, James Larkin, Michael Collins, Brendan Behan and much more. Well worth about 2.5 hours. Two actors performed and informed in a very entertaining way! Highly recommend. read more

Desperately needing something different to do on a Saturday night, me and a group of friends decided to try out the Literary Pub Crawl. The crawl started at Duke's where the two actors/guides brilliantly performed a scene from Waiting for Godot. From there they took us on a historical journey through the city centre while filling our heads with funny stories about Irelands literary legends and their love for fine brew. It was entertaining but I have to say that I was quite disappointed with two things. First: We only visited 4 pubs. Most of the tour was outside, which might be ok on a fair-weather day, but this particular Saturday was rainy, windy and cold, which sadly took the joy out of Oscar Wilde's adventures in Denver. Maybe they add the "Pub" in the name to lure in beer-thirsty customers, but it's more like a Literary Crawl with a bathroom break at the pub. Second: Unless we wanted to down our Guinness in two sips, there was no way of finishing the glass before we had to run to the next spot. Apart from that, the tour was great fun and as an educational concept it's fantastic. If still craving a cold one after the walk you can always hit the pub afterwards and discuss Behan and Becket over a pint. read more

I'm not really a literary buff. In fact, my favorite books in high school were the notes written by "Cliff." In an effort to gain a little culture and provide a fun night for our cousins visiting Dublin, we booked this tour for a Saturday night. So glad we did! The actors were great and I learned a bit through the quiz they gave. I won the t-shirt after the tour! So if you want the quiz answers I'll accept bribes of Guinness or just use your iPhone :) Other reviews are accurate, it is NOT a get pissed pub crawl, if you want that, head over to Temple Bar. However, you do visit some nice pubs; our tour took us to The Duke (start); O'Neills, The Old Stand, & Davy Byrnes. You get some time at each pub to enjoy a drink. Since it was Saturday, yes the pubs were crowded; if you're not a fan of large crowds book a week night. You don't actually have to go into the designated pubs either. Although there is a quiz question at The Old Stand. Since we were already at O'Neills earlier that day, we took a stroll to the Stag's Head right down the street and had plenty of time to meet back with the group. A few last tips. Given all the great reviews and interesting concept, this tour fills up. I'd suggest BOOKING IN ADVANCE and not buying at the door. We booked the Saturday AM of our tour and were accommodated, despite not receiving an email confirmation. Also, if you plan to eat at the Duke prior to the tour, definitely ARRIVE EARLY, service was a little slow and our food was coming out minutes before the tour started. When I told the actor we were just finishing he was very understanding and waited for us and provided stools in the back so we could enjoy the performance. Thanks for a great night! read more

This pub crawl is not only fun in that you get to visit 4 different pubs, but you get some comedy, history, and acting as you walk through different parts of the city. I like that you get to see Trinity College at night, and learn about some of the pub history (e.g. why are they called public houses, Michael Collins hungout at this pub during his planning/meetings during Irish Revolution times). This tour is definitely worth checking out for a different night in Dublin (avoiding the Temple Bar crowds). read more

Really enjoyed this. You meet upstairs in a small area in Duke's pub on Duke street. Your hosts warm you with some recreations of famous Irish literary scenes and then off you go walking around the local area to learn about the most well known writers in Irish history along with fascinating facts about the various pubs you will visit. During the crawl, you are given many clues and facts for a quiz at the end of the night which was a lot of fun. Totally recommended for anyone visiting Dublin. read more

Dublin Literary Pub Crawl - Our pub crawl hosts - Tours Near Me - Dublin, D

This was so much fun also entertaining and educational. Loved being out and around Dublin at night. Kevin and finnbar were great Kept us going and having fun all night. Would definitely recommend this and I'd do it again read more

Colm and Finbar were awesome. Enjoyed getting the literary history of Dublin with two skilled actors and a pint (or two).

Really enjoyed this! I know just enough about Irish literature - fiction and plays - to have appreciated this, but I feel like even if you've never read anything by an Irish writer you would probably still enjoy the tour. It was a great mix of acting, drinking, and history. We did this on the very first night we arrived in Dublin, and it was a great way to get to know the pubs, and get a feel for the city. The two folks leading our tour were wonderful - great actors, lovely people. They made us feel welcome, and interpreted the work beautifully. read more

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Entertainment + information + drinking in pubs + sightseeing. A winning formula, so it was pretty much guaranteed that I was going to enjoy this. And I did! read more

It was such good fun. What can I say? You meet at The Duke, have a pint and listen to a bit of literary history. Finish your pint and go on to Trinity College. While we don't have a pint there, we get a very interesting talk on Oscar Wilde. Then off to O'Neill's. While I find that pub a bit touristy, I did enjoy the tasks that we were given in regards to Nobel Prize winning writers and Arthur Guinness (you have to take the tour to understand what I'm waffling about). Then off to The Old Stand, one of my favourite pubs in Dublin, via the Irish Tourist Office, which used to be a church. We then finished off at Davy Byrnes. Not one of my haunts, but interesting enough history. For €12 you get a fun and interesting tour of Dublin and you meet some nice people along the way. I had a great time. Not only did I learn some cool Irish historical and literary facts, but I also won the 1st prize in the quiz. If you go, pay attention to what they are telling you. And be quick. read more

I hate to give this event two stars because the two actors who performed excerpts from plays, poems, and essays by Irish writers were excellent. My main gripe is that it's hard to have an intimate experience with a group of 42. We met upstairs in the first pub and sat snugly together as we drank beer and watched a scene from Waiting for Godot. During the rest of the tour we learned interesting trivia about Joyce and other Irish writers and saw snippets of their works, but these were acted out in the street between pub stops. Between street snippets, all 42 of us were released onto three already-crowded pubs, all in close proximity. There was no opportunity to interact with each other or with locals in the pub, and frankly it felt awkward to be part of a mass invasion. I imagine when this tour started, a dozen or so convivial customers interacted with friendly and talented actors, resulting in a very special evening. Now, however, the enterprise seems to have grown into a routinized tourist mill, and didn't feel special at all. The actors were really very good, and I don't blame them at all, but for most of the evening I felt like an animal herded indifferently from watering hole to watering hole. Commercial success, I fear, has taken its toll. read more

All around awesome, informative and fun. Funny the review saying too much time in pubs when getting to see inside Irish pubs is part of seeing the sights! They're all so interesting and cool. The actors are excellent. Book tickets online in the high season. read more

Interesting tour, but too much time in pubs. Although that is what they cater to. I much more enjoyed the sights and the acting.

This was so great! Frank and Finnegan were our guides and they did a fantastic job. Pubs, stories about Dublin literary figures, and a few scenes acted out. They were so much fun! read more