Londonderry Seamus Heaney Literary Tour

InSite Tours Ireland provides travelers with award-winning, customized experiences that highlight the finest aspects of Ireland's culture, history, and landscapes.
This unique and intimate journey offers a profound connection to the landscapes and moments that inspired Nobel Prizewinning Poet Seamus Heaney, brought to life by Fergal Kearney's personal stories and insights. Whether you're new to Heaney's work or deeply familiar with it, the tour promises an emotionally enriching experience, steeped in the poet's heritage and the beauty of his homeland.

This Seamus Heaney tour provides an exclusive, immersive journey into the poet's world, offering guests a deep, personal connection to the landscapes and inspirations behind his work.

Meeting Point

Guildhall Street

Guildhall St, Londonderry BT48, UK

Go to the front entrance of The Guildhall. You will be met there by your driver/guide.

Belfast City Hall

Donegall Square N, Belfast BT1 5GS, UK

Go to the front gates of Belfast City Hall. You will be met there by your driver/guide.

What's included:

• Professional guide
• Live commentary on board

Not included:

• Food and drinks, unless specified

What to expect:

Duration: between 6 hours and 7 hours

Queen's University

University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN

The beautiful Lanyon Building at Queens is one of Belfast's landmark architectural gems, but adjacent to this is the Seamus Heaney Library, dedicated in his honour as both student and teacher.

30 minutes

The Crosskeys Inn

40 Grange Rd, Toomebridge, Antrim BT41 3QB, UK

We will take a detour to take in the panorama of Seamus Heaney's beloved South Derry, a living breathing map of the places celebrated in his work. We will stop at the ancient coaching inn at Crosskeys for some refreshments.

30 minutes

Lough Neagh Fishermens Co-operative Society Ltd

4 Bannside, Toomebridge, Antrim BT41 3SB, UK

In his seminal poem 'The Lough Neagh Sequence' Heaney charts the astonishing journey of the Lough Neagh Eel from the Sargasso Sea, across the Atlantic and upriver on the Bann to Lough Neagh. On this visit you will see the existing Fishery which keeps the tradition of Eel Fishing alive in this community.

25 minutes

Bellaghy

Bellaghy

We will take in the local GAA grounds where the Heaney's played Gaelic Football, then pass by the Forge at Hillhead, which features in one of Seamus Heaney's earliest poems from A Door Into the Dark.

10 minutes

Newferry Watersports Centre

18 Newferry Rd, Bellaghy, Magherafelt BT45 8ND, UK

We will not be taking to the water, but we will visit The Strand at Lough Beg, Seamus Heaney's 'favourite place in the world'. Here you will listen to his poem of that name that commemorates his cousin who was murdered during the Troubles.

30 minutes

Taphouse Bar and Restaurant

35 Main St, Bellaghy, Magherafelt BT45 8HT, UK

We will visit the award-winning Tap House Bar and Restaurant to enjoy a sumptous local lunch, prepared using locally sourced produce. Extra Cost.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

St. Mary's Church

25 Ballynease Rd, Bellaghy, Magherafelt BT45 8JS, UK

When Seamus Heaney died in August 2013, he took the local community by surprise by choosing his native Bellaghy as his final resting place. He he lies, his gravestone facing westwards over his beloved Tamlaghduff with the simple epitaph 'Walk on Air Against Your Better Judgement'.

15 minutes

The Turf Man

Castle St, Bellaghy, Magherafelt BT45 8LA, UK

Seamus Heaney's final public act for this community in Bellaghy was the unveiling in April 2008 of The Turf Man by artist David Annand. Inspired by his seminal poem 'Digging', Seamus said of the sculpture at its unveiling, 'it is the right image, in the right place'.

15 minutes

Seamus Heaney HomePlace

45 Main St, Bellaghy, Magherafelt BT45 8HT, UK

Before we visit the Seamus Heaney HomePlace, we will stop for lunch at the adjacent Tap House Bar and Restaurant. The HomePlace is a purpose built museum the pays homage to the great poet and his lifetime's work. During your tour you can hear Seamus hauntingly reading his own poems as you take a journey through his life.

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included