Whilst most of Dublins grisly past has been left behind to history, not every character has decided to pass over into the next world.

The Emerald Isle is known as being one of the most haunted countries on the planet with many of the world's most famous supernatural characters and stories finding their roots in the tales told across the centuries by ancestors around Irish peat fires on dark, dank nights. Each wave of human culture from the Celts to the Protestant ascendancy has left a mark when it comes to the haunted history of Dublin. It is this diversity which makes Dublins other-worldly folklore so fascinating.

Walk through the eerie, cobblestoned streets, hearing tales from the underbelly of this city, such as the burning of 18th century madam Darkey "The Witch" Kelly, the tragic tale of The Green Lady of St. Audoens and how Dublin's "Hell" got its name. As tyou walk, learn of the period in which The Dolocher stalked our streets, and hear tales of the mysterious 18th century Hellfire Club and its dark origins, until we reach the Gates of Hell... and enter beware!

This unique tour covers the more macabre and gruesome aspects of Dublins history as well as tales of the supernatural which have frightened Dubliners for centuries. On this tour you also have the opportunity to use our EMF detectors and explore your own psychic sense to detect the lost souls that continue to linger amongst the living!

Tour Info

Times: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 8pm

Running Time: 1.5 to 2 hours

Tour Meeting Point: The Small Square(Next To City hall On Dame Street)

This walk chronicles the history of Dublin from her birth at the hands of the Vikings to the Norman invasion of Ireland.

Hear about the ancient settlement of "Eblana", the Pre-Viking Celtic monastic settlement that gives Dublin her modern Irish name, The coming of St Patrick and the spread of what was back then a very strange and "paganistic" brand of Christianity, the coming of the Vikings, the "Dubh linn", where their settlement was and how the Dublin Vikings lived and died, the "thigmote", the largest slave market in Europe (specialising in English slaves!) and some surprisingly gory and tortuous methods of Viking execution.

Learn about the two great Dublin cathedrals, one Viking, one Norman, the bloody expulsion of the Vikings from their own city, Brian Boru, which Pope authorised the British to invade Ireland, the Norman invasion of Ireland and why the British were actually originally invited by the Irish to invade this country!

Tour Info

Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at 4pm

Running Time: 1.5 to 2 hours

Tour Meeting Point: Top Of Grafton Street (Opposite Butler's Chocolate Cafe). Please arrive fifteen minutes prior to tour departure time

Ireland's chequered sexual history is more contradictory and at times heart wrenching than any other country in Europe.

From Celtic times to the modern day see how and why Ireland's views on sex and love have changed so drastically and what role the Church had to play in moral shifts.

See what used to be Europe's largest and most notorious red-light district known as Dublin's "Monto", and hear about what happened to the poor girls who worked in Monto when it was successfully shut down.

Learn about Magdalene laundries and the horrors that young Irish women had to face in them, sexual "crimes" such as "being too pretty", the questionable sexuality of St Patrick, the trials and executions of homosexuals and the rip roaring underground gay scene of 19th century Dublin.

Meet some of Dublin's most notorious sinners, including the member of the royal family who lost his virginity in Monto, Father Patrick Fay, the priest who would marry anyone and anything as long as the couple could produce the cash, and John Atherton a staunch campaigner to introduce the death penalty for homosexual acts who certainly got his come uppance in the end


Forget Dublin's fair city - Sexual excess, repression, hypocrisy, hilarity and tribulation are all here on Dublin's only Saints And Sinners walking tour!

Tour Info

Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at 4pm

Tour Meeting Point: Top Of Grafton Street (Opposite Butler's Chocolate Cafe). Please arrive fifteen minutes prior to tour departure time.

Come and join Hidden Dublin Walks newest walking tour The Northside Ghost Walk.

With more than a thousand years of history, Dublin is one of the most haunted cities in the world. Hidden Dublin Walks will take you through one of the oldest parts of Dublin; the area once known as Oxmantown. This former Viking enclave has a rich haunted history. You will discover the site of Saint Marys Abbey; one of the most powerful monastic settlements in Ireland in medieval times, now just a small ruin down an alleyway, passed by thousands of oblivious commuters every day.

You will hear the story of Lord Norbury, the infamous and sadistic Hanging Judge who presided over the trial of Robert Emmet. Hated in life, in death he returned to continue his reign of terror. Emmet himself might make an appearance, for it is said he can still be found peering out of the window at The Brazen Head, looking to see if those who approach are friend or foe.

You will learn the legend of Scaldbrother, the infamous medieval thief whose buried treasure may still lie in a labyrinth of tunnels under Smithfield. Not to mention Billy the Bowl, the 18th century murderer, born without legs, who once terrorized Stoneybatter and Grangegorman.

If you are feeling brave enough, go down Hendrick Street, once the site of two of the most haunted houses in Dublin. Between them, nos. 7 & 8 Hendrick Street were home to no fewer than six different ghosts. Demolished in the 1960s, the houses are long gone, but the ghosts...?

And what of the haunted hospital? Ghostly nurses have been seen all the way down the block. Could they be the reason for office chairs spinning by themselves in an adjacent building? Or electronic toys turning on and off by themselves?

You might want to steel your nerves before venturing to Croppies Acre. This long-abandoned site was used as a football pitch in the 20th century. Shocking when you consider that it is a mass grave the final resting place of hundreds of rebels executed after the 1798 rebellion. If you are of a sensitive disposition, you may well come away feeling disturbed. Sometimes, the spirits here attempt communication!

You will also hear tell of the mummies of Saint Michans Church, surely the most macabre tourist attraction in Ireland, and a major inspiration to the young Bram Stoker, native of Clontarf and author of Dracula.

As if thats not enough to whet your appetite, you will also visit the site of a 21st century apparition of the Virgin Mary. Thousands of passers-by claim to have seen the image on the wall. Can you?

And do be careful who you step on as you pass through the deconsecrated graveyard. The gravestones may have moved, but the bodies havent...

Tour Info

Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at 8pm

Tour Meeting Point: In front of McDonald's on Mary Street - Opposite "The Church Bar". Please arrive 20 minutes prior to tour departure time

Dublin's history from the middle ages and early modern period is as gruesome and fascinating as they come.

See all the remaining sites of interest in the old town as well as hearing about Black Monday, the bubonic plague, how it affected Dublin and first hand accounts of what Dubliners thought of it, as well as finding the surprising location of one of Dublin's plague pits.

Bloody and public executions were Dublin's main entertainment of the day, see where they were committed and find out the peculiar medieval story of how "misery hill" got its name.

Red Hugh's epic escape is one of Dublin's most famous stories, hear this amazing tale and see where it happened.

Hidden Dublin strives to give an understanding of the medieval Dubliners' mentalities using as many primary sources as possible. With bull baiting, leprosy and a bit of witchcraft and witch trials thrown in to the mix, this is one of Dublin's most fascinating periods of history.

Tour Info

Times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at 8pm

Tour Meeting Point: Top Of Grafton Street (Opposite Butler's Chocolate Cafe). Please arrive fifteen minutes prior to tour departure time.

GUIDED BUS TRIP TO DUBLINS INFAMOUS HELLFIRE CLUB IN THE DUBLIN MOUNTAINS

Board the Hellfire Express to hear some of the haunted legends that abound further afield than Dublin City Centre at such famous landmarks as St Patrick's Cathedral, Rathfarnham Castle and Kilakee House as the tour wends its way along the path towards the lonely dark Dublin Mountains range.

Arrive at Hellfire Club disembark the bus and walk up to one of Irelands most lonely and infamous places. The burnt out shell of this haunted hunting lodge dating from 1725 is known for its association with Satanism, the supernatural and the occult. Be warned! Although this desolate place is miles from civilisation it has witnessed activities that should not be seen by anyone on this earthly plain. It is not unusual for visitors to experience head and chest tightness as their subconscious picks up on the horrors that this lonely hill has witnessed, it is not a place for the faint hearted!

Your storyteller will recount the history of this place, including the destruction of the ancient megalithic monuments, the exhumation of the demonic statue and dwarf skeleton to the evil rituals and events that took place here such as the black masses, human and animal sacrifices, and the infamous card game with the cloven-hoofed visitor.

Learn about and watch footage from the paranormal investigations carried out by PSI Ireland (Paranormal Study And Investigation Ireland).

The historical "Haunted Hellfire" excurison will last approximately 2.5 hours (inclusive of travel time to and from the Dublin Mountains)

Torches will be provided on the night (1 between 2) but feel free to bring your own. We will be insisting however that all mobile phones and torches be turned off at certain points on the tour... for your safety!

Finish back at the Brazen Head, where you can avail of special drinks promotions and dance the night away to live music.

Disclaimer: The Hellfire special tour is taken at tourists own risks. HiddenDublinWalks Ltd accepts no responsibility for personal injury, theft or harm of any nature, ON ANY PART OF THE TOUR AND AT THE HELLFIRE CLUB, and reserves the right at all times to refuse admission, or cancel a tour.

By attending the Hellfire special tour, you confirm that you are of suitable mental and physical health for a tour of this nature.

Strictly Adults only - THIS IS NOT A FUNNY TOUR, BUT A SERIOUS EXPLORATION INTO THE MYTHS AND LEDGENDS OF THE HELLFIRE CLUB, UNIQUE TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF IRELAND.

The tour involves a brisk 20 minute uphill walk, not suitable for those with breathing diffuiculties. By booking you confirm that you are physically fit to do this. All sales are final. Please check back to this page for any updates in times or schedule as you get closer to the event.

Tour Info

Times: Thursday , Friday and Sunday at 7pm

Running Time: 1.5 to 2 hours

Tour Meeting Point: The Brazen Head, Ireland's Oldest Pub, 20 Lower Bridge St, Dublin. Please arrive 20 minutes prior to tour departure time

Within the reaches of living memory, Dublin's docklands were a bustling hub of commerce and trade, but rather different to the thriving, high-tech and cosmopolitan centre the district has become today, encompassing the Irish Financial Services Centre and providing a home for Google's European headquarters.

With coal-ships bringing in their daily cargoes, the waterfront was dominated by the gasworks, foundries, mills, factories, coal sheds and cattle yards.

The streets and quaysides were a hectic flurry of carthorses and donkeys, trucks, trams, wagons and bicyles, all swerving throughout the throng of dockers, coalmen, gangers, merchants, sailors, stevedores and journeymen plying their trades.

Peer into the underworld of prostitutes, fisherwomen, shawlies, tramps, alcoholics, drudges and barefoot children who lived at the edges of this great maritime entrept. Plumes of smoke, coal fumes and smog wisped the sturdy stone Georgian warehouses and merchants offices still visible between the shiny, streamlined contemporary buildings of glass and concrete which now slice the skyline.

This unique guided stroll through the capital's dockland's area evokes and explains its varying fortunes and declines through the ages: from the construction of what was once the world's largest docks at Grand Canal Basin, through Dublin's eighteenth century heyday as second city of the British Empire, its role in the war of Independence, twentieth century decline and recent rejuvenation and redevelopment as an economic hub and powerhouse of the Celtic Tiger era.

Peering deep into the waters of history, find out how the very ground Irelands capital port was built upon is land reclaimed from the tidal slobs and marshlands of the Liffey estuary, itself once a vast waterway when the first Viking vessels nosed their way upstream some 1,200 years ago to found Europe's largest slave market.

You'll learn about the pioneering characters who made Dublin's docks a going concern, and whose names still grace the quays and streets of the locality, including tales of Binden Blood Stoney, Sir John Rogerson and many others. Explore a pivotal time in Irish history as you find out how the Boland's flour mill and bakery were at the heart of the 1916 Easter Rising.

You'll learn of local links to literary luminaries such as writer Sean O'Casey and playwright Samuel Beckett whose names now grace two of Dublin's newest and most impressive bridges. Find out about the steady flow of human misery through Dublin port during the Great Hunger, catch a glimpse of a working replica famine ship moored on the Liffey, the Jeannie Johnson, and hear of her sinking and subsequent rebuilding. Other notable vessels include the Cill Airne, now a floating restaurant, the old Aran Islands ferry St Enda, an early 20th century lifeboat, and a range of other exciting heritage vessels that regularly visit Dublins city quays.

You'll also have the chance to toast a Guinness barge, hear of U2's ongoing relationship with the Docks, and see some of the splendid modern architecture of the contemporary docklands, utterly transformed from dereliction and disuse to a world-class cosmopolitan centre and exemplar of urban renewal.

And dont forget about the "smugglers" and "pirates" !

Tour Info

Times: Wednesdays at 3pm and Thursdays at 4pm

Tour Meeting Point: Departs opposite the Custom House, Custom House Quay.

Please arrive fifteen minutes prior to tour departure time.

It is said by many that Dublin experienced a golden age during the 19th century, or "the Georgian Period" as many like to put it.

Great splendour and wealth abounded, the arts thrived and Dublin produced some of its greatest people such as well known authors James Joyce and Oscar Wilde.

Furthermore, Dublin's most beautiful visible architecture comes from this period. However, if we scratch the thin layer of extreme wealth and cultural sophistication we come across a darker side of the Georgian period, the desperation of the poor during a time in which slums, child labour, famine, soup-kitchens and workhouses existed for the majority of the Irish.

Hidden Dublin Walks has dredged up from the pages of history the most fascinating of characters and events, people who could only existed and gotten away with their cheekiness in Ireland : such as the "prince of pickpockets" notorious in London and Dublin for his thieving ways, but on stepping ashore after transportation to Australia was made chief of police, or Mad Fightin' Fitz, so wealthy that his only past time was shooting at people on Dublin's streets with his pistol trying to incite them to duel with him, or even "the walking gallows", judge jury and executioner all in one need we say more?

Besides this we will see the remaining highlights of Georgian architecture and the stories of fabulous events which took place there, such as how the disastrous 19th century fire at Custom's House ended up becoming Dublin's largest ever alcohol fuelled street party.

Tour Info

Times: Friday and Sunday at 11am

Running Time: 1.5 to 2 hours

Tour Meeting Point: Top Of Grafton Street (Opposite Butler's Chocolate Cafe). Please arrive fifteen minutes prior to tour departure time

Learn all about Dublin's rich literary heritage on this literary pub crawl through Dublin City.

Enjoy a few pints as you embark on an animated and entertaining journey through the sights and sounds that inspired great Irish writers including James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Brendan Behan, Sean O'Casey, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde and W.B. Yeats, not forgetting modern scribes like Seamus Heaney, Eavan Boland, Paula Meehan and Brendan Kennelly.

This walking tour is a wonderful introduction to Dublin's literary past and exciting pub culture. Starting off at the Duke Pub on Duke Street, this literary pub crawl will take you to famous pubs and haunts while actors recite verses from the best Irish literature. You can enjoy an Irish pint while learning about the lives of great Irish writers.

This tour will take you to Public House such as The Duke just off Grafton Street (starting point - where your guide will be waiting for you), then onto O'Neills on Suffolk Street, The Old Stand and ending at Davy Byrnes.

This tour included the entertainment provided by professional actors. This tour does not include alcoholic beverages. Customers buy a drink along the way. Please note that a pint of Guinness costs approximately 5.00.

There are prizes provided for the quiz.

Departure Time: 7:30pm

Tour Info

27th Jan-31st Mar - Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun @ 7.30pm

1st Apr to 31st Oct - Daily @ 7.30pm

Running Time: 2 hrs approx

Please meet the actors UPSTAIRS in the DUKE pub no later than 7.15pm.

Door opens at 7pm

A short walk from Christchurch Cathedral and The Guinness Brewery, The Brazen Head is a must for a true Irish pub experience thanks to its historic value and reputation as one of Dublin's best Irish music venues.

Enjoy an evening of music in this great pub and sample the delights of an Irish Stew and a pint!

The Brazen Head has now established itself as one of Dublin's best live music venues. It hosts the best of Irish traditional music and well-loved ballads every night. Enjoy live music, a classical Irish Stew and a pint while you soak up the atmosphere. Dating back to 1198, The Brazen Head is Ireland's oldest pub. When you consider that licensing laws only came into effect in 1635, this pub has been serving alcohol before official licensing laws were even enacted.

Tour Info

Times: Daily