Belfast Political Tour-conflicting Stories Walking Tour

Cheryl and Paul were both amazing tour guides- some raw personal stories that were a privilege to hear. A must do if you visting Belfast.

Our first guide Paul led the tour with expertise & gave a great insight into the history of the troubles & gave us a very deep connection with Irish identity & a global connection with other revolutionary countries. Extremely erudite & without judgement, he put flesh on the bones of the historical accounts of the lives of the community he was part of, & the activism of his contemporaries. We came away feeling like we had experienced a much greater understanding of the conflict. The second guide approached the tour differently giving mainly personal accounts of her experiences from the Shankhill side of the Peace-wall. Interesting, but not as informative, & we were left with gaps of why her father had been the target of the IRA, & who the ‘knucklehead’ was who injured her mother during a grenade attack. I highly recommend this tour. It has been the highlight of our visit to Belfast.

This was by far the best tour we’ve experienced. Hearing from an Irish former political prisoner added a level of depth that was outstanding. His stories were moving, authentic, and informative.

If I could give it more than five I would. Hearing from both perspective was amazing people that were in the thick of it during the troubles. Honestly a wonderful experience

It is not very often that a tour has a deep effect on me, but this is the exception. Annmarie’s lived experience was deeply moving and her articulate narration made the time, and Storm Boelo (!) move very quickly. It is a ‘must’ for all visitors to Belfast. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Patricia was an excellent guide, extremely informative and heartfelt. I'd recommend this to everyone

This was the highlight of my weekend. Very moving and powerful and also frankly sobering. Especially having lived through the troubles in the 80s and 90s in England from the perspective of someone looking on from afar. To the guides in this tour, this is personal and so it gave it a much more real lens. Would highly recommend.

One of the best tours I have done. Well organised respectful lived accounts from both sides. I would highly recommend this tour

This guided tour lasts three hours, and not a single minute feels too long. It is a truly fascinating and thought-provoking experience, very well organised, with 1.5 hours spent on one side of the wall and 1.5 hours on the other, led by a guide from each community. Most people know something about The Troubles, the IRA, and the conflict itself, but very few understand the impact it still has on daily life in these parts of Belfast and on the people who live there. It is a real eye-opener. Seeing the Falls and Shankill Road is both moving and unsettling, as they feel almost like vast memorials to those who lost their lives during The Troubles. The guides have experienced these events firsthand, and they speak openly, vividly, and without sugar-coating about what it was like, and what it is still like, to live in a divided society. It is an extraordinary experience, one that you should feel very grateful to have the opportunity to take part in, while also approaching it with great respect. No one who lives in an undivided society can truly understand what that reality must be like.

Very interesting experience. Great to be able to hear contrasting views of the Troubles, to walk the streets of the Falls and the Shankhill, and to understand a small part of what both communities have been through.

Excellent tour giving a viewpoint from both sides of the political spectrum. I particularly appreciated the second half concentrating on the Protestant experience which was completely without bias and with an open minded vision for the future. Incredible considering the guide had experienced personal trauma.

This was a standout experience. It was great to get firsthand accounts from people who lived through the events in Belfast. I did find that our guide on the Catholic side (Paul, who was fantastic) offered a lot more history and context during the walks, while our guide on the Protestant side didn't really speak to us until we reached each destination. I would have liked to get just as much information from him as we got from Paul! But overall an incredibly educational and worthwhile experience.

Amazing experience to hear both sides and personal ones of the troubles. Our guides AnnMarie and Cheryl were fantastic.

A great tour to see and hear a balanced experienced from both sides. Our guides had grown up from children into adults during the Troubles and shared their raw emotion from their formative years to present day.

Very interesting personal stories from both guides. Certainly filled in gaps in my knowledge about the history of the troubles. Well worth doing.

Not exactly a historical tour, this is better considered a tour just as the title states: it's two opposing perspectives of the same 30+ year conflict sprinkled with a lot of personal narrative based on specific events (mostly tragic) that happened along the two roads (Falls and Shanklin) that continue to stay divided to this day. It's a three hour walk, 90 minutes with each guide, who hand the group off very politely but clearly are not involved -- and their tour companies are actually also different. So really a treat to be able to do both at the same time. I left with many more questions than answers, but I found the whole thing to be very fascinating and really not what I was expecting at all (which was more akin to a history lesson).

I chose this particular tour because it offered talks from representatives of each side so that I could have a balanced narrative of the the conflicts between the protestants and catholics community. The walking tour was excellent and very informative about the very difficult times of the two communities experienced and the many losses. Both representatives also used some of their personal and family experience of the conflicts which further deepened my understanding of this particular turbulent period of Northern Ireland.

It's a long walk but it is really worth it. Knowledge of the history is really beneficial to get the most out of it.

I will confess that this tour was not what I expected and I was disappointed. Yes you get 2 perspectives, one from each side, with personal experiences of growing up in West Belfast during the height of the troubles. It tells of the atrocities carried out by both sides. However it did not give very much information on the history, the reason for the troubles or the peace process and I came away feeling like it was a tour that glorified the dead on each side and left me very pessimistic about the future.

Our first guide, Patricia, was outstanding! If you want stories of firsthand, lived experiences this is your tour! Unfortunately the 2nd guide didn’t show up. Ian filled in and did a great job as well!

My experience with Patricia our guide on the Falls road was excellent. She was born before the troubles started and her personal experiences were very moving. She is extremely knowledgeable. I was disappointed with the murals on the Shankill Road as I remember them being more striking when I was last there in 2000.

Paul our tour guide for the first half of the tour spoke with obvious passion about his own personal experience of the troubles but also with great knowledge of its history. Yes, his views were quite obvious but they did not come across as dictatorial & he did not shirk questions, answering with refreshing honesty. So moving on to part two of the tour we were hoping for an equally impassioned counter argument or some kind of reasoning/justification of what we had heard from Paul but let’s just say …. we didn’t get that!! Probably best to say nothing more other than that with many oversea visitors, with possibly no prior awareness of the conflict, on this tour on Saturday morning, it is very unlikely that they will be going home with any great impression of the UK & it’s actions during that time …. whether that’s right or wrong will probably always be contentious but it would have been good to have had a fair debate on which a person can form their own opinion & thoughts. Was still a really good tour & a great concept but could have been so much better ….

This was an amazing tour, but the time from 11 to 2 pm means you need to eat a hearty breakfast and pack some protein snacks with you as there's not a stop for lunch

Great guides. Well-informed, engaged. Passionate

Amazing experience walking through Belfast and hearing the guides personal stories. The suffering of the people and the troubles that have shaped generations was so clear and moving.

Being shown both sides of the story was excellent. We talked about what we’d learned as a family for the rest of the day. Hearing about the violence from guides who’d lived through it was very moving. Anne-Marie was exceptional, her details of events were incredible. Overall a must-do for anyone visiting Belfast

10/09/2026 – Conflicting Stories Tour The tour certainly lives up to its title, “Conflicting Stories.” It offered two very different perspectives on Belfast’s past and present, although, for me, the experience became increasingly bitter as the tour progressed towards its conclusion on a particularly rainy day in Belfast. Seemed ironic. The female tour guide representing the Catholic nationalist perspective had a warm, welcoming demeanour and made everyone feel included, despite Belfast’s best efforts with the weather. What stood out most was the way she combined facts and figures with personal and lived experience. Her stories gave a genuine glimpse into what life during the Troubles was like, while also offering insight into how those experiences continue to shape people and communities today. Importantly, I never felt that she was trying to persuade us to choose one side over another. Despite sharing experiences of personal loss and trauma from the Troubles, she remained calm and professional when discussing the unionist and Protestant community. Her closing message about the importance of working together and living in harmony was particularly touching. It was clear that she wants Belfast’s younger generations to have a different experience of the city and to grow up without the divisions and trauma that shaped her own life. The male guide representing the unionist and Protestant perspective felt very different to me. From the outset, I felt there was a stronger sense of an agenda, despite his stated desire for harmony. Some of his comments came across as digs at Catholics and nationalists, and there were moments when nationalist culture appeared to be belittled rather than explained or explored. I respect his lived experience shaped this. Without living it, who am I say to it’s wrong despite appearing bitter. There were glimpses of humour and some lighter moments, but these were ultimately overshadowed for me by the tone of the commentary, including the comparison between nationalists and Hamas. At times, plaques and memorials were pointed out without much context or explanation, which left me feeling that there was an opportunity to provide greater insight into the unionist experience that wasn’t fully taken. Overall, I would still recommend the tour. Hearing both perspectives is valuable, particularly because Northern Ireland’s history is complex and deeply personal. However, I do think the male guide could reflect on the context and delivery of some of his comments. If the aim is to help others understand your lived experience, I believe that creating space for empathy and understanding is far more effective than making the other side feel attacked. I left the tour with a lot to reflect on. It made me wonder whether lasting peace in Northern Ireland is truly within reach, or whether it may take several more generations.

I’ve never been on a tour which told both sides of the story so authentically. We learned about The Troubles from a former member of the IRA who identified as Irish and a resident of the loyalist side who viewed themselves as not Irish but as “Ulster Scott”. It was so thoughtfully presented and gives the audience a chance to think through the conflict for days and years afterwords, wrestling with the challenging conflict in our own minds. We could ask questions and have a dialogue along the way. I would do this tour over and over again. Thank you so much.

The emphasis is too much on who did what to whom. The tourguides (both) wallop in their hurt and anger, and only feed the anger. The guides honestly wonder why the wall and gates are still there, but if you feed your anger like the guides also do, then it doesn't contribute to bonding and bridging. But, reconciliation is not easy. If that is the lesson, than the lesson is well taught.

As a solo traveller interested in learning more about the history of Northern Ireland it was much too costly for me alone to book a black taxi. I was delighted when I discovered this gem of a walking tour which was not only three hours but unlike any other tour featured personal stories and history lessons from a Nationalist and Unionist. The wealth of information was overwhelming and left me wanting only to learn more more more. It is an excellent segue into learning more about the history of the Troubles and the people on either side.

The first half Of the tour, with the Nationalist Irish woman guide, was very good and would rate a five on your scale. The British male guide was terrible and would rate a one. He spent the first half hour standing in one spot expounding on his beliefs and denigrating the woman who did the first half of the tour. She had talked about how both sides need to come together as one and he spent the entire tour putting her and the Republicans down. No less than 5 times he commented that she had not come through the gates to greet him when the tour switched sides. He made comments that were negative about everything to do with the Republican/Nationalists but did not bother to tell us about the Loyalists. He spent 2 hours expounding on his beliefs and she spent her allotted 1.5 hours teaching history without expounding.on her beliefs. He referred to Palestine as Hamas and she spoke of the troubles being experienced there without expressing her own beliefs. She shared facts throughout and he just denigrated the Irish/Republican side.

There are earpieces provided so that you can hear the presenters over the traffic. Both presenters are personable and engaging. There is also a short break between the two presenters where you can get refreshments and/or use the bathroom. The tour was very interesting and I highly recommend it.

My grandson and I enjoyed the 2 perspectives of the political troubles. We spent the evening after the tour still talking about the events that took palace. This guides were fabulous - so much passion

This was a fascinating tour given that we were old enough to remember the conflict and it helped to put everything into context. Our first guide along the Nationalist Falls Road, Patricia, was excellent. She was informative, warm and humorous, using personal stories alongside historical accounts. Ultimately she was positive and optimistic about the future. In complete contrast, our second guide along the Unionist Shankhill Road, Mark, an army veteran, relayed his side of the story with anger and bitterness and a complete lack of belief in the peace process and any kind of meaningful integration in the future. He was very repetitive and difficult to understand at times which was challenging for us as English speakers but would be extremely difficult for anyone with English as a second language. This wasn’t helped by the fact that his microphone gave up halfway through the tour. We left the tour feeling rather despondent. We are pleased that we did this tour but it is unfortunate that we had a guide whose views were so extreme. We can only hope that we are right in thinking that his pessimism does not reflect the majority of the population’s outlook.

Both guides were informative and shared personal experiences. Some acknowledgement of the other' side's position might have been good, but the overall positivity and determination to work to improve the future, was great.

Absolutely loved our guide Barbara, who did an amazing job of providing context, explaining historical events and providing her own personal perspective and sharing firsthand experiences. I appreciate everything she shared about her family. All the stops on the walking tour were really well chosen, a great blend of historical buildings, murals and community spaces. I also really appreciated the binder of photos she showed us. The ear pieces to hear her clearly were also really helpful. I recommend this for anyone who wants additional context from locals about Belfast history!

Meeting place on Falls Road. Finished on Shankhill Road crossing the Peace wall. Some of our group spotted the First Minister of Northern Ireland as she went into the sinn fein headquarters en route. The two presenters put across their respective arguments in different ways. There are 2 sides to every story of course . The Republican presenter offered a more empathetic hope for the future . The loyalist guy killed any good will he had built with an unnecessary biased personal rant about Socialism that undid any credibility he had tried to build for the Loyalist cause and their past actions and future prospects

Was really interesting. First guide in Falls Road was very good, second in Shankhill was okay, repeated himself a lot and hard to make out. Didn’t think the argument made by Shankhill guy was very convincing to be honest. Interesting that first part in Falls the argument was political and the Shankhill one was very focused on religion. The obsession to be British was rather sad as well and boiled down to we fought for Britain in wars so you owe us. Heads in the sand re the fact unification is inevitable based on demographics. Also got chance to see street in Shankhill where my granny lived!

Brilliant tour with the contrast of the two tour guides. Can two totally different religious, cultural and political points of view both be right? This is a must do. I’m so glad I chose this your over it’s more publicised rivals Crazy value for money.

I found the whole experience illuminating, having thought that the Good Friday Agreement had brought some reconciliation in Northern Ireland . The guide along the Falls Road took us through a, sometimes challenging, personal and local history of the Troubles from her childhood, through the Peace process and looking to the future with optimism based on realistic small changes. In contrast, our guide along the Shankill Road saw us as an audience for the reliving of his bitterness with no glimmers of hope for a peaceful coexistence. This tour is a must to understand the future of the island.

I know Belfast pretty well. Or I thought I did. But this dual tradition tour with 2 separate guides going from Nationalist Falls Road to Loyalist Shankill Road was an education to say the least. Leave your preconceptions at the door, we outsiders know nothing. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough, it’s a tour that will make you reflect as it ties into the very personal experiences of the guides. Thank you Paul and Cheryl. Noel from Wicklow

5 stars for Patricia on the Falls. She was brilliant. Excellent background to her many stories and best of all -her optimism for the future. In contrast the guide for the Loyalist side , an ex-soldier, who was bitter and pessimistic, dissing the Peace Agreement. Very disturbing. I’m not sure he should be a guide and I hope for the sake of the future that he is not typical.

Having a political tour from both sides is really interesting. We were a little surprised by the second part, we found that the guy spoke too much about Hamas instead of the troubles.

A great insight into the troubles.

Very interesting and informative. Both tour guides very knowledgeable. Cafe visit half way round for brew and loo.

Excellent information and insight into both sides of the conflict. Lots of walking to view murals on both sides, but well worth it. The guides should go on one another’s tours. There is not as much conflicting information as they suppose—just information about different events and incidents.

A great tour, which gave a fantastic insight into how the conflict impacted both communities. Having grown up in the Republic during the 'troubles' I was familiar with the Nationalist perspective so I was particularly interested in the perspective of the loyalist ex-prisoner. Both tour guides brought to history to life with their personal stories and their honest retelling of how they became involved in the conflict. I would highly recommend this tour.

Extremely informative presentation about the Troubles by activists on both sides. Walked through the neighborhoods where the battles took place. The dramatic and huge amount of visual displays from each side show that there still exists strong emotions and separation of the 2 sides.

So educational. So interesting to hear both sides of the conflict. Left us with a lot to absorb. Really great tour guides!