Guided Literary Walks

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guided walks

Guided Literary Walk

From Samuel Beckett to Bono, George Bernard Shaw, Hugh Leonard, James Joyce to Maeve Binchy, Emma Donoghue to Jennifer Johnston, some of Ireland’s most famous writers share a connection to our charming heritage town of Dalkey.

The guided literary walk combines a guided walk of Dalkey and its scenic surrounds with snippets and extracts from works by the authors.

Among the readings, landmarks and anecdotes, discover where characters in Flann O’Brien’s The Dalkey Archive drank Hurley’s tonic wine; the train tunnel that Joyce recalls in Portrait and where Chapter Two of Ulysses is set. Look out over the coastline dubbed ‘Ireland’s Amalfi Coast’ that George Bernard Shaw and Henry Cardinal Newman so admired and of which Hugh Leonard said in his play ‘Da’, “there’s a view, that if you were rich enough, you couldn’t buy it”

The walk will finish in the Maeve Binchy Memorial Garden in Dalkey Library where there’s a mosaic to Maeve’s memory.

We offer luxury experiences for those looking for something even more exclusive.

These walks must be pre-booked and a minimum group number of 10 is required.

Tickets €18 per person (10 x €18, total €180) +Booking Fees.

MAKE ENQUIRY
Tour Duration

60 Minutes

Age Restriction

12+

Capacity

16 People

Parking

Coach Parking Nearby

What our Visitors say...

  • star rating  A tour for all ages - Despite living in Dalkey most of my life I'd never been on the living history tours - except to meet Santa or the witches.

    I brought three of my... read more

    avatar thumb Muireann M
    March 17, 2026

    star rating  A brilliant, enjoyable and educational experience!!  - We were greeted by very our friendly and affable host who outlined the experience and introduced us to our first guide for the tour which was a video presentation of... read more

    avatar thumb DougS1462
    March 14, 2026

    star rating  Best Tour Ever! - We had such a great time at the Interactive Living History tour at Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre—it ended up being one of the most unexpectedly fun parts of our... read more

    avatar thumb Meredith B
    March 5, 2026
  • star rating  Dalkey Castle - one of the highlights of our time in Ireland - We were a group of students and teachers who visited Dalkey Castle. The living history experience was great fun. It is an absolute gem and a must-visit.

    avatar thumb Discover40087645215
    February 18, 2026

    star rating  Great Interactive Experience - I came with a group of kids and I can tell that it was a great experience for the kids. I never saw them so excited and engaging so much... read more

    avatar thumb Angelotavares
    February 11, 2026

    star rating  Lovely experience!  - It was so much fun and so informative! The actors were soo good ! And they really got into character (like the archer had a real bow saying that because... read more

    avatar thumb Sophiyah B
    February 10, 2026
  • star rating  The Best Irish Castle Tour ever!!!! - We had the very best time on this tour, it was informative, exciting and so much fun. The actors were so convincing thanks Angela and Sharon

    avatar thumb Daydream797633
    January 21, 2026

    star rating  One of the best guided tours around! - Fabulous, fun morning at Dalkey Castle! The Living History tour is a must for Horrible Histories fans, both young and old! The tour is bursting with gory details, quirky... read more

    avatar thumb Andrea D
    January 18, 2026

    star rating  A magical castle Santa visit  - A brilliant experience in an enchanted castle setting. I took my two kids 8 and 5 year old and they had a great time. Santa was full of energy with... read more

    avatar thumb 2014cm
    December 13, 2025

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Contact Us

Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre
Castle Street, Dalkey, Co. Dublin,
Ireland, A96 DE61

[email protected]

+353 1 285 8366

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