Dublin Decoded: Talks, Tours & Treasure Hunts of Dublin

02/06/2026

two fantastic tours coming up in the second half of June, but tickets for each are already going fast.

Here is the one of my favourites...

on SATURDAY, 27TH JUNE at 11AM
A walking tour from Percy Place to Ballsbridge and the RDS.

exploring the Fitzwilliam / Pembroke estate in our route through this fascinating part of Dublin 4

From the Huband Bridge on Percy Place, to Ballsbridge and the Royal Dublin Society.

We will make our way from Percy Place and
down part of Northhumberland Road,
and Mary’s Road,
and the old Pembroke Estate, with some short but fascinating detours, and eventually cross over the "Ballsbridge Bridge" that gives this area its name.

Some of our featured highlights include the old School House, 1916 history at Mount Street Bridge,
some hidden estate-workers houses and their secret garden,
several 1916 heroes,
and the lesser-known history behind the 1960s America Embassy.
Plus, the greatest writer to ever work at the Pembroke Library and the origins (and the prisoners) of the old Pembroke Town hall.

Overall, expect a mix of architectural delights, alongside literary, social and revolutionary history, on this enjoyable stroll through leafy Dublin 4.

This walk is from 11AM (sharp) on Saturday 27th June.

Your admission includes the use of a "whisper set" for the tour, we rent these for you and then provide them to every guest at no charge.

Tickets for this Ballsbridge tour, are only available through the Dublin Decoded website
dublindecoded.com

All are welcome!
Join me.

02/06/2026

two fantastic tours coming up in the second half of June, but tickets already going fast.
Here is the first one I mean...

on WEDNESDAY 24TH JUNE starting 11AM, our brand-new, Bord Gáis Theatre to Cooper's Cross walking tour.

On this trip around both sides of the River Liffey quays, we will explore an amazing diversity of history and architecture, including engineering, transport and infrastructure history,
old railways yards
and former hotels,
the great 18th century Georgian Customs House of James Gandon,
the old 19th century Dockers' church of Dublin,
and much, much more besides.

Then as we swing East again on the Northern side of the river Liffey, we will discover Dublin's newest major art space, at the International Center for the Image,
an exciting new library and gallery space for contemporary photography, located in new premises within the brand-new Coopers Cross neighborhood of Dublin,
an area of new parks, paths and playgrounds.

Unmissable.

This walk is from 11AM (sharp) on Wednesday 24th June.
Your admission includes the use of a "whisper set" for the tour, we rent these for you and provide them to every guest at no charge.

Tickets available only on dublindecoded.com

02/06/2026

Join me, for my annual, epic,
all-across Dublin-centre,
both-sides of river,
Joyce-inspired,
Bloom-inspired,
non-Joycean, here-is-a Puzzle-Walking Tour!

"How to cross Dublin, without Passing a Pub" (?!)

From outside the Unitarian Church (Unitarian Church NOT Univ Church) on Stephens Green,
then via Liberties, Back Lane,
the Quays, through Collins Barracks,
Arbour Hill, and Stoneybatter.

A tour of history, architecture, and more.
Unmissable.

Two available dates this year:
SAT 13 JUNE 11AM, (selling out fast)
or, even better, do this tour on Bloom's Day
TUES 16 JUNE
(some availability remains)

Both tours start at 11AM, sharp
(Please meet by 10.55 latest)

Your ticket price includes the little sound kit,
for live, perfect sound.

tickets for either date on my website - link in bio -
dublindecoded.com

And if you can't make either of those 2 dates, be advised, I'm leading a third one this year, for the wonderful Irish Georgian Society, WED 17 June.
But N.B. tickets for that third date only on the Irish Georgian Society website (their Events page there)
Either way, any date, get your walking shoes on, and join us.

.

06/05/2026

It was a pleasure to take part recently in this panel discussion organized by the Gerard Byrne gallery, representing the work of the excellent plein air painter Gerard Byrne

Inspired by Gerard's exhibition Before I Go. Vanishing Dublin, this panel brought together historians, heritage advocates, and cultural voices to explore the relationship between architecture, memory, and civic identity — and to ask what "happens to a city when the old makes way for the new, and specificity gives way to sameness"

The discussion was filmed, and If you wish to cut or scoll forward to the panel discussion, it starts around 9 mins, 15 seconds, of (into) this video.

Discussion was moderated by the great Donal Fallon, historian, author, and presenter of the Three Castles Burning podcast, speaking with:
Donough Cahill, Irish Georgian Society
Vanessa Fielding, The Complex
Arran Henderson, Dublin Decoded
Daryl Hendley Rooney, The Little Museum of Dublin

Enjoy!

As Dublin continues to change at pace, what do we stand to lose?Inspired by Gerard Byrne's exhibition Before I Go. Vanishing Dublin, this panel brought toget...

06/05/2026

Lovely exhibition, well worth a look.

05/05/2026

What a beautiful day for our walking tour 😎
Thanks to Arran from for a fascinating talk!

is an annual Dublin City Council festival, led by and and supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. Each April, Dublin City Council encourages people to read and share a specially chosen book connected with the city. This year's selection is by John Banville.

03/05/2026

delighted to say I am leading THREE, very special tours exploring Art at the National Gallery of Ireland this month.

All are welcome! These will be fun.

First up, on THURSDAY 14 MAY, we have our "How to Read a Painting" Tour.

This is relaxed, and enjoyable way to learn the art of recognizing different "attributes" and symbols in old paintings, especially religious and mythological paintings, from the 1400s to the 1700s.

Recognizing the different symbols of different saints, (or their "attributes" as they are called) allows us to recognize and identify saints, and therefore to know what story the artists are depicting.

This is a tour, in other words, to help you recognize saints and symbols and therefore stories.

Because we have not run this tour for almost a year, and because there will again be limited opportunities later in 2026, we are running it twice this May.

from 2.15PM - 3.45PM on THURSDAY 14 MAY,
or...
a very special, super rare EVENING edition of this tour, from
6.15PM to 7.45 PM, on THURSDAY 28 MAY.

Finally, and separately, earlier that same day,
2.15PM - 3.45PM, on THURSDAY 28 MAY.
we have a tour of the superb collections of French Art at the National Gallery of Ireland

Over one and a half hours, we will explore a wide array of French paintings, ranging from a beautiful, early-Renaissance Annunciation altarpiece from 1400s Provence,
through mythological works by legendary artists like Jacques Louis David,
through portraits of the family of Napoleon Bonaparte,
right through to the Impressionism of Berthe Morisot and Claude Monet.

Please note that all three tours listed above meet and begin inside the older MERRION SQUARE entrance area,
NOT the modern Millennium Wing entrance.

Tickets should be booked in advance, please
available exclusively through my website
dublindecoded.com

27/03/2026

⏱️Reminder! bookings open tomorrow at 10am for our walking tour with Dublin Decoded: Talks, Tours & Treasure Hunts of Dublin

Arran Henderson's walk will explore the locations where most of the events and action in Christine Falls play out.

📍 Pearse Street Library

🗓️ Saturday 18th April, 11am to 12:45pm

Book your ticket tomorrow by following the link in our profile 🔗

04/03/2026

Our Dublin Decoded programme of tours, and events for March is here! Tours around under-explored parts of Dublin, a tour of an ancient cathedral, to French Art at the NGI, even a free, online Art talk. Head to our website - dublindecoded.com - to find out more.