Dublin Bus launches ‘The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades’ in Ireland

by Shrutee K/DNS

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD., announced the launch of ‘The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades’, the latest addition to Dublin Bus Tours. Travelling back in time, Minister Donohoe was propelled into the historical rebellion that would shape a nation on board a specially designed bus with performances by award-winning theatre company ANU Productions. The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades grabs you by the epaulettes and throws you into the fight, guiding you through a side of the Rising you’ve never heard before.

Easter 1916, Dublin is in flames and revolution is spilling onto the streets. From the moment guests arrive at the first stop they are thrown into the midst of Easter 1916, as prominent Irish republican Helena Molony, who fought front and centre during the rebellion, guides them onto the bus in the midst of the sound of gunfire and commotion. Thus begins a thought-provoking and interactive 90 minute tour taking in some of the most prominent scenes of Easter Monday 1916 and its direct aftermath, including City Hall, Dublin Castle, St. Stephen’s Green, Four Courts, North King Street and the GPO. Hear the real stories of people behind the Rising including the struggle of the female leaders and the tearful words of Nora Connolly’s last goodbye to her father James.

Speaking at the launch of the tour, Minister Donohoe said: ‘1916 is undoubtedly the most renowned period in our country’s history. As we approach the centenary of the week that led to the birth of the Irish State, people are looking to find out more about the events surrounding the Rising, any possible family connections to what went on and the experiences of the men and women who fought at the GPO and other landmark sites. Dublin Bus’ 1916 Tour Bus is a welcome addition to the commercial services the company already has in place and promises an accurate and convincing portrayal of the rebellion to Dubliners and those coming from further afield’.  

Ray Coyne, Dublin Bus CEO, added: “2016 is a year of great celebration in our Capital City and we felt that The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades would be the perfect addition to our Sightseeing Tours offering. The tour guarantees historical accuracy from script to costumes, on board a specially designed bus that transports you back to 1916 from the get go. ANU Productions, specialists in historical dramas, were a natural choice to help set this tour apart from other 1916 tours.”

Tours takes place daily and the tickets are priced at  €25 for adults. Special rates for children , family tickets and senior citizens are available. For further information and to book tickets visit www.dublinsightseeing.ie

• Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.
• Tourism is the island of Ireland’s largest indigenous industry; responsible for in excess of 4% of GNP in the Republic of Ireland and employing approximately 220,000 people.
• In 2015, we welcomed approximately 9.3 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland, delivering revenue of about €4.7 billion.

·         Tourism Ireland’s international website is www.ireland.com, 29 market sites available in ten language versions around the world, which attracted about 16.5 million visitors in 2015.

About Dublin Bus Commercial Services Division:

Dublin Bus Commercial Services Division includes Airlink, Open Top City Tours, Coastal Tours, Ghostbus Tours and now The 1916 Tour - Beyond Barricades. It operates separately from Dublin Bus Public Services and generates separate revenue streams. The Commercial Services Division has seen strong performance in recent years. Most recently filed financial results (2014) show turnover of the Commercial Division of €15 million, with 2015 passenger numbers showing a 5% increase to 2 million passengers.

About ANU Productions:

Director Louise Lowe and visual artist Owen Boss have worked together for the past decade and since 2009 have existed as A​NU Productions,​and are joined by producers Lynnette Moran and Matt Smyth and an extended family of artistic contributors. S​ince its inception, A​NU has created 15 seminal productions, gallery installations and museum interpretations, creating a brand that is gaining worldwide momentum. A​NU’​s aesthetic represents the independent, the innovative, and the experimental, creating a new kind of multi‐disciplinary model – a daring new hybrid art at the forefront of Ireland’s cultural landscape. Renowned for exploring historical events, ANU continue to challenge theatrical conventions by blurring the lines between interactive theatre and site specific. Placing the audience at the very centre of the experience makes it all the more immersive by taking place outside the controlled environments of typical theatres.