You will visit places not offered by other tour operators with access to Private Museums and Collections.You will travel to the Falls Road where your guide will tell you all about the longest conflict in Modern European History began. Your local qualified guide will deliver a tour from the Irish Republican perspective and how the conflict evolved for Republicans up to the present day and the current peace process as well as a current political analysis. Since the onset of the Conflict/Troubles in 1969, Nationalist and Loyalist communities throughout Northern Ireland have been divided by Peace Walls, the largest cut through the divided city of Belfast. Here you will learn how the conflict began as well as visiting the world famous politically charged murals painted by ex-prisoners (POWS).
The peace lines or peace walls are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate predominantly Republican and Nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods from predominantly Loyalist and Unionist Protestant neighbourhoods. You will visit both sides of the Peace Wall where you will learn why the wall was built as well as signing your name and writing a message of peace! You will see first hand how the two communities are still divided to this very day.
We will visit the Loyalist Shankill Road which is the heartland of Ulster Loyalism and which is still controlled by the various Loyalist paramilitaries the UDA/UFF and UVF. Here you can take pictures of the murals of these organisations of masked men wielding weapons and learn how Loyalism developed and evolved and the part that they played during the conflict.
Address: Bombay Street, Clonard. Commemorating: Fallen Volunteers of "C" Company, 2nd Battalion, Belfast Brigade, Oglaigh na hEireann. Civilian casualties from the Greater Clonard area. Deceased Republican prisoners from the Greater Clonard area 1916-1970. Commissioned by: Greater Clonard Ex-Prisoners' Association. Date unveiled: 20 August 2000 Notes: Plaques in memory of all Republican prisoners from the area who have died since 1916 were unveiled on 11 March 2001. Annual commemorative march held around 11th March.The first of the peace walls were built in 1969 after a series of sectarian riots rocked Belfast, whole streets in Nationalist areas where burnt out by Loyalists, Bombay street in particular suffered the most. You will visit the Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden Black iron gates with black and red rising iron phoenix, "Out the Ashes Arose The Provisionals". This is around the time of the inception of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Signs at the main entrance, one on each side of the gate, reading: “Clonard Martyrs Memorial Garden” and “Gairdin Cuimneacain Mairtiris Cluain Ard”. Garden divided into three separate yards. Central yard – black and white Celtic cross in the middle, with the inscription “Clonard Martyrs i gcuimhme na mairbh dilis”. On the wall behind it – granite plaque featuring a male and a female Volunteer with bowed heads on each side; on top runs the inscription: “i measc laocra na ngaedeal go rab siad go ndeana dia trocaire ar a n-anamaca”; two panels are enframed within a Celtic design with the shields of the four provinces of Ireland, one at each corner; left panel – “Clonard Martyrs C Coy 2nd Battalion Belfast Brigade Oglaigh na hEireann Roll of Honour (list stating name and date of death follows). We also remember all the civilians from the Clonard area who were killed by Crown forces and loyalist murder gangs”. Right panel – “Civilians murdered by loyalists and British forces during the course of the conflict (list stating name, date and age of death follows)”. Right yard – on the boundary walls there are a series of plaques running from left to right as follows: 1)”1921-1922 (list of names follows)”. 2)”In loving memory of the deceased Republican prisoners from the Greater Clonard area 1916 (list of names follows) 1920′s (list of names follows)”. 3)” 1930′s/40′s (list of names follows)”. 4)”1956-62 (list of names follows) 1970 (list of names follows)”. Along the walls there are a series of benches, each one accompanied by a small golden plaque “Dedicated to the memory of” – clockwise – Seamus (Shay) Sullivan, Frank Moyna, Lily, Sam and Tony Lewis; next to the gate small golden plaque reads: “This gate was donated by the Roddy McCorley Club”. Stone pavement depicting a Celtic cross. Left yard – plaque on the wall reads: “This plaque is dedicated to the people of the Greater Clonard who have resisted and still resist the occupation of our country by Britain. We acknowledge with pride the sacrifices they made throughout every decade. Their names would be too numerous to mention, and their deeds of bravery and resistance are un-equalled in the history of our struggle. We, the Republican ex-prisoners of the Greater Clonard, salute you, and your reward will only be a united Ireland.”; shields of the four provinces of Ireland, one at each corner. Along the walls there are a series of benches, each one accompanied by a small golden plaque “Dedicated to the memory of” – counter-clockwise – Renee & Marie Rosbotham, Alex Comerford, Helena Kelly. Next to the gate – small golden plaque “This gate was donated by the Michael Dwyers G.A.C. (1798)” and small golden plaque “Dedicated to the memory of Maura Meehan”. Stone pavement depicting a Celtic cross. The walls, established as a temporary measure, were a very simple solution to the problem of keeping Republicans and Loyalists apart. However, due to their effectiveness, they never came down. Indeed, as time went on, the walls got longer and more numerous. While most of the walls were constructed during the early years of the Troubles, around one-third have popped up since 1994 when the IRA declared an effective ceasefire. One of the most famous peace walls sits between the Loyalist Shankill Road and the Irish Republican Falls Road. Tensions between the two streets have existed since the 1800s, and the Troubles saw a rise in violence in this already violent area. As a solution, the peace wall separating the two popped up. This wall stretches for 800 metres (2,624.6 feet), an imposing multi-level concrete structure.
We will visit the Republican Plot in Milltown Cemetery where all of the Republican Patriot dead are buried. The most notable is Robert (Bobby) Gerard Sands was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze after being sentenced for firearms possession. He was the leader of the 1981 hunger strike in which Irish republican prisoners protested against the removal of Special Category Status. He was an elected MP at the time of his death on hunger strike after 66 days. Graves The vast majority of work done by the National Graves Association, Belfast, is carried out in Milltown Cemetery. These graves, under the direct care of the association, include the three main republican plots and the graves of IRA volunteers who were killed during the 1920s and the Northern Campaign in the 1940s. The graves are marked with the Red Hand. The New Republican Plot contains the remains of 77 IRA Volunteers including Óglach Mairéad Farrell.
Visit the Republican Heart-land and Learn how the Irish Republican Army fought a 30 year Guerilla War against the British. A visit to the 2nd Battalion IRA Garden of Remembrance otherwise known as D Company aka "The Dogs". You will learn of the "Battle of the Falls" which took place in 1970 and the Falls Road Massacre 1920. Other Sights include 12 of the 22 Hunger Strikers Including their Photographs.
Learn about the struggle Against British Occupation and Resistance of the last 800 years in Ireland. Your Guide is an Irish History Specialist. Meet Ex-Prisoners of War who will share their experiences of the Conflict. Museum Only Opens 10-2 Tuesday -Saturday. If Closed we will show you around Ballymurphy.
Visit and photograph the iconic mural of IRA Volunteer and Republican Hunger Striker Bobby Sands. Learn about the Blanket and Dirty Protests which ultimately led to the Hunger Strikes of 1981.
Clonard Monastery and The Troubles Clonard has been on the front-line of the troubles which erupted in Belfast in 1969. The monastery is located at an Interface area between the mainly Catholic Falls Road district and the mainly Protestant Shankill Road district. At the rear of the monastery was located Bombay Street and Cupar Street which led on to the Shankill Road. On 14 August 1969, loyalist mobs from the Shankill Road launched a series of attacks on the houses owned by Catholics in those streets. The residents were forced to flee and many of the houses were burnt to the ground including the whole of Bombay Street. The priests from Clonard were actively involved from the outset in attempting to safeguard the local residents. Two of Northern Ireland's most significant clergy who worked for peace Frs. Alec Reid and Gerry Reynolds lived here. Clonard Monastery is a Catholic church and monastery, located off the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, home to a community of the Redemptorists religious order.
D Company 2nd Battalion Belfast Brigade I.R.A. Garden of Remembrance The Belfast Brigade of the Provisional IRA was the largest of the organisation's command areas, based in the city of Belfast. Founded in 1969, along with the formation of the Provisional IRA, it was historically organised into three battalions: the First Battalion based in the Andersonstown/Lenadoon/Twinbrook area of Southwest Belfast; the Second Battalion based in the Falls Road/Clonard/Ballymurphy district of West Belfast; and the Third Battalion organised in nationalist enclaves in the north (Ardoyne, New Lodge, Ligoniel), south (the Markets, Lower Ormeau) and east (Short Strand) of the city.
The Famous Divis Tower overlooking The Falls Republican Stronghold where the British Army had a Snipers Nest and Spy Post up until 2005. See the Names and Murals of the First Two Victims of the Troubles.
See the Murals to An Gorta Mor, drive through the Streets of Republican Ballymurphy including the Amazing Murals to the Local Volunteers including Jim Bryson and his "Big Louie" Machine Gun that he used to Terrify the British Army.
See the Welcome Wall and the Heartland of the Irish Republican Army.
Drive by and See the Biggest Peace Wall in Belfast
For students of history, this tour is the next best thing to having witnessed the events. It fills in the gaps news reports do not cover. It captures the thinking -- clear and flawed -- behind the events by those pursuing the last stage of Irish independence. It gives insights into the varied thinking among those pursuing Irish independence
This was a really great tour. Barry had so much info to provide us and really knows his stuff. Anything we wanted to know about he could provide an answer. We learned a lot! We had it timed right so we got to go to the museum. It was very interesting to see all the items in their collection. After the tour Barry provided some movies and books for us to check out. I would recommend this tour and would go on it again.
very informative, great museum with lots of items, displays and articles
One of the best tours I've ever done, extremely thorough, eye-opening, and I learned a ton. My guide Barry was excellent. Couldn't recommend this tour enough!
I thought I had some knowledge of The Troubles but this experience opened my eyes and educated me more than I could I ever have contemplated. My wife and I have been undertaking day tours on our travels for many years and this is by far, the most compelling, informative and emotional experience we have yet encountered. The tour was made even more brilliant by Joe (our guide) whose personal lived experiences of a lifetime in Belfast and having grown up and borne witness to the The Troubles in a very personal way, made it so incredibly authentic and real. May nothing but good fortune, good health and good times be what the future holds for Joe. If you only ever choose to do one tour on a holiday, then this should be the one you choose. Our stay in Belfast was too short for a city that has a story to tell on every corner and every doorstep.
Excellent tour around Belfast where we got to see some historical murals and sites. Barry knows lots about Irish history and we’re lucky to have gotten to spend some time with him. Money well spent and you won’t regret taking this tour. TIOCFAIDH ÁR LÁ 🇮🇪
Very educational and super informative. Barry was fantastic! He covered everything we asked for and more.
This is simply can’t miss. Paula provided such an exceptional view of the Troubles and greater Belfast. The tour covers a remarkable amount of information in just three hours. Really really great!
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Barry yesterday. I booked this tour because I wanted to get a republican viewpoint of the history of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland as much of the media coverage I grew up with had a more loyalist view. Barry was awesome and related first-hand accounts of growing up in Belfast. He took us to both sides of the Peace Wall, multiple remembrance gardens, and the Irish Republican History Museum. Barry is an excellent historian and my family and I appreciated his candor. He even followed up with a list of books, movies, and websites to check out for more information. Overall a fantastic tour!
Joe shared personal experiences with us which provided a better understanding of this time in Irish history. He was great!
This tour was easily the most educational, entertaining and rewarding in recent memory and likely ever. Barry demonstrated a broad and deep knowledge of ancient to postmodern history of Ireland. He made the content relatable and he adjusted our destinations on the fly multiple times depending on the direction our conversation took us. I cannot recommend this experience enough, it's worth every penny. I would travel to Belfast again just so my family and friends could experience this tour
A fantastic few hours spent with our tour guide Barry McCann, i have knowledge of the history and troubles but still learnt a lot during the trip, unlike some other tours we got to listen to the history from the early centuries, see all the famous landmarks including the Falls Road, Shankill, Milltown Cemetery, museum, Bobby Sands memorial and so much more, and at the end of the tour kindly dropped us at Kelly's Cellar bar which we spent the late afternoon drinking Guinness and listening to music... a great day and a great tour guide and tour... Thank you
Highlight of our trip. If you are not your average tourist and would like to delve deep into the IRA troubles conflict for a deeper understanding - then this tour is for you. It goes beyond the typical black taxi tour and gives a much richer political understanding of both sides of the conflict. It brings empathy to the issues that impact their communities still today. We had many moments of shock and awe as the story unfolded through Paula's perspective and gave us a renewed interest in the many parallels still happening in our world today (Israel and Palistine). Strongly recommend.
This was an amazing experience. Paula is a fantastic guide. She shared her insights, personal experiences and explained so much information that gave us a perspective we hadn't heard before. Thank you so much.
Barry was so fabulous. He covered so much history leading up to the conflict as well as the last 40 years. I learned so much more than I knew before. I cannot recommend him enough. Thank you for such an amazing experience.
This was one of the most fascinating and well organized tours I’ve ever been on. Paula is a fantastic guide. Not only does she know her history but is full of personal stories that really bring the places you see alive. Highly recommend!
Our tour guide Barry was incredibly knowledgeable and fun to be with for the 3 hours of our tour. He tailored the trip to what we most wanted to see..The impact of his first-hand experiences can’t be understated. And he offered us tons of books, movies etc to check out after the tour. We saw areas that you wouldn’t see on any other tours.
Barry does an amazing job teaching about the not just The Troubles of Northern Ireland but also the background history of what lead to this period. He is exceedingly knowledgeable and frank about the topics that he touches upon. Barry is a good at personalizing the tour which makes learning about The Troubles to be a very emotionally moving experience. I would highly recommend this tour for those interested in an accurate learning experience regarding The Troubles and the scars left on the community that experienced it.
Certainly this tour will give you a very one-sided view and opinion of the conflict in Belfast as Barry obviously sympathizes with the IRA. Nevertheless we missed a self-reflected point of view as well as answers to our questions (e.g. reconciliation process, ehy are the walls still up etc.). I can not agree with all the five star ratings. You pay a lot of money to hear that British soldiers killed unarmed people…… sorry, but not worth it.
What a fascinating tour - Barry is a hoot! He has a wealth of knowledge and answers all questions that we posed. The morning flew by and Barry generously extended our time as the conversation kept flowing. We thoroughly recommend this tour as a must do when in Belfast.
Where to start? I won’t rehash a list of the sites visited. I will say, the three hours absolutely flew by. Centuries before the United Kingdom was created, England’s Anglo-Norman rulers made Ireland their first colony. That began a struggle for independence and freedom that lasts to this day. Weaving such a vast, abstract history into a relatable and often harrowing narrative of a community under siege takes an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject, a talent for storytelling and above all a passion that these histories be preserved for future generations. Barry has all of this in spades and navigated me around sites familiar perhaps in name but nothing beats hearing accounts first-hand and standing where so much of the fight for rights and freedom unfolded. Thank you for helping me to understand better.
Seeing the place where so many “troubles” had taken place is something I’ll not soon forget. Hard to believe that Belfast is still very much divided. Gates still being closed every night on some roads and all the murals!
A great tour giving an outline of Irish history and the back story to all the troubles that took place in the Northern part of Ireland. The best part of the tour was the visit to the IRA museum. The only minor complaint my wife and I have (why we only gave it 4 stars) was that Barry was totally one-sided in history of Northern Ireland and didn’t mention any of the Loyalist arguments.
Great history tour with stops at the most important sites and moving visit to museum, cemetery, peace walls and murals.
This tour of Belfast with Barry was highly recommended to me and for good reason as it ended up being the absolute highlight of my trip. Having an interest in Irish History and politics, this tour really delivered exactly what I was hoping. It was intimate and detailed while somehow still being fun. I would recommend this tour to anyone who would like to understand the history of this area. 10/10 I can’t wait to come back and book a different tour with them!
Paula was extremely well informed and conveyed the history of the troubles in an engaging way. Paula has an easy going, warm and relatable personality, which added to our experience. We saw the peace walls, the murals, the cemetery and the different neighborhoods on a well paced tour. Paula also shared her family’s personal story growing up in Belfast. Paula. Thank you Paula!
What an amazing tour from the perspective of an Irish Catholic living in Belfast. Our tour guide Barry was super knowledgeable and gave first hand experiences of what it was like living through the troubles from the West Belfast perspective. We toured all of the peace wall murals, the Irish Republican Museum, Milltown Cemetery, etc. the list goes on. An amazing tour with an amazing guide. Thank you so very much for a top notch and overwhelming experience.
The information that Barry delivered was amazing We learned a lot and he put the history in perspective saw the many memorial gardens
A friend offered to explain this all to me but without coming here and seeing and hearing the stories I would have never understood. Paula was an amazing and accommodating guide. Very knowledgeable and also brought her own experiences to the experience. Gave us so much to think about
Barry was terrific all the way astound! He picked us up at our hotel early Sunday morning, right away got into the subject with engaging energy, information, insightful dialogue and discussion. He seemed to be genuinely sharing his experience and perspective, while seeking ours…. He also dropped us off a ways from our pick up spot which was our next destination 😊 and then followed up with links & more information as he promised…. Was a great experience! Thank you 🙏
This tour was one of the most moving experiences of my life. I've long been a student of Irish history and have great sympathy for the terrible suffering the people of Ireland have endured during the long English occupation. Barry is an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. We learned so much, and Barry took us to places and described events that really brought these struggles to life. If you have an interest in learning more about the truth of the "Irish Troubles" (which is a euphemism for a War of Liberation, not unlike what we fought in America during our Revolutionary War) then this tour will really open your eyes. In addition, Barry was right on time picking us up at our hotel. And, the tour is priced very fairly.
We enjoyed seeing close up and personal of the history which has cursed your fine city and people. Barry was an excellent host and his perspective was perfect
The mural that still exists looking for unification of Ireland. The peace wall, which really is to keep the Republicans and the loyalists from killing each other and the IRA museum. Barry was quite knowledgeable of the history behind the English Irish conflict.
Fully fulfilled everything the title suggested in 3 full hours courtesy of the good natured but punctual and certainly knowledgeable Ciarán, who drove me around in his rare white cab and was more than happy to take fotos. Everywhere we went people knew him or stopped their cars to say hello so you always knew you were safe and welcome - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this fella!
Brendan was highly knowledgeable with first hand experience with the Troubles in Northern Ireland and articulated it very well We enjoyed the time with Brendon and his insight Highly recommend
It was great. Joe was amazing. One of the Best tours we have ever had. We recommend it to all people visiting Belfast.
Great tour and very knowledgeable guide - full of banter. The trip took around three hours and the driver very kindly stopped at a flower shop to allow us to buy flowers to put on a family grave in the Milltown Cemetery.
Barry was our excellent and well organized tour guide. He began the tour by reviewing Irish history under English rule, The Troubles, and current affairs in Northern Ireland. He used the equivalent of PowerPoint slides (but in paper format) to help explain the history. Although Barry's viewpoint is aligned with the Republicans, his descriptions of England's treatment of Ireland matched what other nonpartisan, Irish tour guides told us. He was enthusiastic and knowledgeable; furthermore, he willingly answered some challenging questions I had about IRA tactics. He took us to all of the important sites. We visited the Republican bookstore. The bookstore is stocked with a vast number Republican-oriented books, including numerous books documenting IRA women leaders, as well as tee shirts and other gift-type items. I recommend visiting the store. I was surprised to discover that the Peace Wall is more like the Berlin Wall. The Peace Wall is 48 feet tall. Note there are other smaller peace walls in Belfast He provided us with pens to sign the wall. The memorial across from the bookstore and the Republican cemetery were highlights. My friend and I learned a lot and had a good time.
Barry my guide was very knowledgeable! He made it a great experience! Very friendly as well . Highly recommend
We searched very long for an in depth tour about the conflict in Ireland and luckily went for this one. This tour by "Irish Republican Tours" takes a stand and luckily so. Thanks to Barney this was not an abstract academic lecture about a foreign subject but an in depth look on hundreds years of history from the viewpoint of an activist who is still passionate about, active in and willing to discuss politics. The tour is definitely worth the price: For three hours Barney explained all circumstances in detail and answered all our questions. He was very flexible regarding our special interest in labour unionisms and gave lots of additional information. Never did we have the impression he is pattering a fixed script. He provided additional information via photographs he brought along and had a roomy car to drive around. We went to memorials, murals (also unionist ones), the peace wall, a little but impressive museum (Barney would tell us about the exhibitions, so its not like you are "parked" there but you can take your time if you want) and more and ended at the graveyard. He gave room for taking pictures and picked good spots. He also provided us with additional content after the tour like a list of movies for us to check out which was really great. It was an impressive and empowering experience to learn about the struggle from such a dedicated person!
Barry is amazing guide and gave a first rate education of the Republican history in Belfast. Barry took me to the important sites and gave a detailed history of each site. Excellent tour.
If you want the real deal and the whole story then this is your trip. Barry was a great guide, very passionate and great in explaining how everything started to where we are today. We went on the on off bus which was good but nothing in comparison to this tour. If you are looking for a true account then don’t miss this trip. Barry takes you in to the heart of it explaining certain events in history along the way. We finished in the Cemetery which is beautifully kept in memory of the brave men and women who gave up their lives for freedom. Would definitely recommend.
If you are looking for a passionate and informed Republican perspective, this is the tour you want. Barry was flexible and easy to work with, we came up for the day from Dublin just for this tour and it was well worth it. Our train was delayed, but he was there waiting for us when we arrived. He is willing to stop or go to any places of interest, for example, I had read "Say Nothing" about the troubles a few years back and he took me to see Dolours Prices Grave. As an American The Northern Irish accent was a bit difficult at times, but he was more then patient with us and willing to repeat himself till we got the point! The tours is expensive, but it was the highlight of my trip to Ireland. Highly recommend.
Really interesting tour - listening to a perspective that doesn’t often get heard in the mainstream. Barry is a passionate, knowledgeable guide and happy to take questions. Would definitely recommend
We did a lot of tours while we were in Ireland, but my favorite by far was this conflict tour led by Barry. Having someone who lived through it guide us along the many murals, memorials and sites gave us invaluable context and knowledge that is usually at best glossed over in big publications or disfigured by state propaganda. We were able to see both the Falls Road and Shankill sides and the imposing peace walls still separating the two communities to this day. We also spent a good deal of time in the Eileen Hickey Irish Republican History museum which brought home the reality of the POW's experiences during internment with replica gaol cells and their beautiful prison made art work. The strength of the people to endure so much oppression and violence and still not only survive but come out stronger was inspiring to say the least. Barry was warm, knowledgeable and patient answering our many questions and also shared lots of other resources to more fully acquaint ourselves with the history of the conflict from the Ulster Plantation up until today. The only rough part was the rain, torrential down-pouring during the entirety of the tour, but Barry was prepared with umbrellas and we were still able to go and visit the Gardens of Remembrance and the cemetery to pay our respects to the amazing men and women who gave their lives for the cause of a united, non-sectarian free Irish Republic. If you're interested in understanding the first hand history of Belfast and Ulster as a whole, you will be in great hands and blown away by this tour.
What a fantastic tour for anyone interested in Republican history. Barry was so knowledgeable and tailored the tour to include what we wanted to see. Would highly recommend. Planning another tour with him when we return to Belfast next year
Barry gave us a personal, informative and an eye-opening tour. I was impressed with the amount of information, stats and facts he named from the top of his head. Which of course only a local Irish person who was grown up during these times can tell. Much respect to that! It's been a lot to process, still. As 'just' a visitor to Ireland, this has been a priceless experience. The community care organising skills, training, protesting strategies and so much more were inspiring to see as well, really beautiful. Keep going. Tiocfaidh ár lá, none of us are truly free until we all are, solidarity from the Netherlands ✊🏼🇮🇪
Anton was a great quote and answered all of our questions. Unfortunately it was difficult to understand his accent . We covered a lot issued in 3 hours, spent too long at the cemetery.
Wonderful tour with a very knowledgeable guide, Sean Mc. We learned a lot about the Troubles from a historical and very personal point of view - thanks, Sean!
Dear Barry, Thanks for the best and most informative personal tour. The experience was priceless. We are still talking about it now. The DeMaio's and Addea's Thank you for a great day, great breakfast that my father in law is still talking about. Can not say enough! If possible send personal contact so we can send personal thank you!
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