Belfast 1798 Rebellion Walking Tour Experience

“1798 – A Belfast Rebellion” is a 2 ½ hour walking tour within the city centre, uncovering Georgian Belfast and individuals who hoped for a better future.
The tour starts and finishes at the gates of City Hall and tells the story of the origins and formation of the United Irishmen in Belfast, through to the 1798 Rebellion and its suppression. We will lead you through the important sites that remain today and introduce you to those who fanned the flames of Rebellion.

You will learn what life was like for the Presbyterian’s of early Belfast, who were successful merchants and yet excluded from political influence, and discover how and why they allied with the Irish Catholics in an attempt to establish a more equal society for everyone on the island.

Come and learn how these enlightened sparks lit a flame that set Ireland on fire.

Meeting Point

Belfast City Hall

Donegall Square N, Belfast BT1 5GS, UK

We meet outside the front gates of City Hall, on Donegall Square North. Your guide will be wearing a blck jacket with the DC Tours logo on the left breast.

What's included:

• Vox whisper set to hear your guide clearly at all times

Not included:

• Gratuities for your guide (optional)

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Belfast City Hall

Donegall Square, Belfast, BT1 5GS

Our guide will begin the tour with an introduction to the history leading up to the United Irishmen Rebellion of 1798.

15 minutes

The Linen Hall

17 Donegall Square N, Belfast BT1 5GB, UK

Discover the history of the library and it's most infamous librarian, the United Irishman, Thomas Russell.

10 minutes

St Mary's Roman Catholic Church

Chapel Lane, Belfast

Hear how the penal laws impacted on Ireland's Catholics, and how the chapel was established in the late eighteenth century.

10 minutes

Kelly's Cellars

30-32 Bank Street, Belfast, BT1 1HL

A secret meeting place for the United Irishmen as they plotted their rebellion, and an amazing, historic pub.

10 minutes

First Presbyterian Church

41 Rosemary St, Belfast BT1 1QB, UK

Hear how the Presbyterians became wealthy merchants in Belfast, and the most famous members of this church.

10 minutes

Assembly Rooms Belfast

Waring St, Belfast BT1 2DX, UK

Hear about the most important meetings to take place in the Assembly Rooms, from the court martial of Henry Joy McCracken to the failed proposal for a Belfast slaveship company.

10 minutes

Parish Church of St George, Belfast

105 High St, Belfast BT1 2AG, UK

The first church in Belfast stood on this site, which is also the location from where Belfast gets it's name.

10 minutes

Joy's Entry

Joy's Entry, Belfast, BT14DR

Discover the influence of the Joy family on Belfast, and how these historic Entries in the oldest part of the city have now become an outdoor art gallery.

10 minutes

Belfast City Hall

Donegall Square, Belfast, BT1 5GS

Finish your tour at the statue of Mary Ann McCracken, an abolitionist, educator, and United Irishwoman.

15 minutes