Private tour in Belfast Dr Tom T
5.0
(2) reviews
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Dr Tom T.
5.0
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Get ready to go back in time! My name is Tom and I specialise in walking you through Belfast's amazing and complex history. Belfast is an amazing city. Many tourists are drawn to the city because of the three Ts - the Titanic, Thrones (Game of) and the Troubles, the period of civil strife that ended in 1998. My tours seek to show you a different side of Belfast's history, its maritime heritage as a port and shipbuilding centre, its fine architecture and its story as the centre of the industrial revolution in Ireland. Originally from London, I moved to Belfast in 2014 to marry a local girl and have fallen in love with the city. People visit the city for many reasons, the food, the craic (Irish for fun, entertainment) and the culture, but what I love about Belfast's is its messy, multifaceted and magic past. I hope to share Belfast's amazing atmosphere and hidden history with you. I want to tell you about some of the lesser known aspects of the city's past; that the first republicans who fought for an independent Ireland free of British rule were Protestant not Catholic, that Belfast was the centre of the global linen trade for a century and that the city suffered the greatest loss of life in a bombing raid during the German bombing Blitz of the Second World War. If you are looking for a historical tour that aims to take a different perspective on the past of the city, I very much look forward to hearing from you…or better still…if I'm around and you're in town, book me! All the best, Tom I am a qualified professional Belfast Green Badge Tour Guide, certified to deliver walking tours in Belfast as an affiliate of the Institute of Tourist Guiding. I am also a member of the Northern Ireland Tourist Guide Association, a professional association of tour guides in the province. I am a published professional historian, holding a Bachelors and Doctorate in history from King's College London. I have also been involved in a number of local history projects such as The Men Behind the Glass project at Campbell College Belfast and Epidemic Belfast, a project about the medical history of the city. I also host and produced a weekly podcast that explores the history of the Great War. I am currently a Tutor on Queen's University Belfast Open Learning programme, have also been an Honorary Research Associate at Ulster University and Visiting Research Associate at Queen's University Belfast. I deliver walking tours around public areas in Belfast. Some historical sites don't permit external guides to guide on their premises (e.g. Titanic Belfast). I am not a driver; I can accompany you in your vehicle or I can arrange for a separate car/driver.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Dr Tom T.
This one-and-a-half hour Belfast history walking tour is an introduction to the story of Belfast; from its foundation by royal charter in 1613 to the present-day city. You will discover the amazing public art, iconic buildings and unique history of the city. I will share with you about pivotal individuals whose lives shaped Belfast's history. These include Mary Joy McCracken, the anti-slavery activist who campaigned against slavery for over 70 years; her brother Henry, executed for treason in 1798; Crawford McCullagh, son of a tenant farmer who became a millionaire draper and was Lord Mayor of Belfast for 17 years; and Waddel Cunningham, a merchant prince of Belfast who tried to establish the Belfast Slave Ship Company in 1786.
Meet at The Salmon of Knowledge (The Big Fish), Donegall Quay (location for phone GPS, BT1 3NG). We shall pass the Albert Memorial Clock. Known as Belfast's 'leaning Tower of Pisa', this clock was erected to commemorate Queen Victoria's late husband in the 1860s. We shall also visit Rosemary Street, home to three Presbyterian churches, named in sequential order, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd churches. The 1st Church still remains and is the oldest still-in-use church in Belfast. Its worshippers were famous Belfast citizens such as shipbuilder Edward Harland (of Harland & Wolff, the company that built the Titanic). Our next destination is Winecellar entry, home to White's, reputedly Belfast's oldest pub from 1630. Our last stop will be the gardens of Belfast's City Hall (BT1 5GS). Opened in 1906, the City Hall is a fine example of municipal architecture. In the gardens is the Titanic Memorial Gardens, erected to remember the tragic 1912 disaster. * This tour can be changed upon request. Please do contact.
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This is a walking tour. Bring comfortable shoes.
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Airport: ,Cruise: ,ByGuide: at The Salmon of Knowledge (The Big Fish), Donegall Quay, Lagan River bank (postcode BT1 3NG). This is by the Lagan Weir footbridge and behind the Customs House.
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
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