Private tour in Belfast Dr Tom T

Doctors and Diseases Private Walking Tour

-
Hours icon 1 hour 30 minutes
Walking
Private tour for 1-10 people
Your party size

1

Tour date
Start time
View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later
-
Hours icon 1 hour 30 minutes
Walking
Private tour for 1-10 people
Your party size

1

View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later

Dr Tom T.

5.0

Guide rating

11

Reviews

Tours delivered

1 hrs

Avg. response time

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.

Overview of your Belfast tour

This Belfast history walking tour provides a broad overview of the city's interesting medical history. I'll tell you all about the first hospital in Belfast; Victorian anti-vaxers and tea mania causing 'insanity'! The detrimental impact of eating sewage polluted sea food and how working in the linen mills could wreck your lungs, rot your feet and cut off your arm. I'll share the sad tales of the Blitz. Did you know it was the biggest health emergency in Belfast? Learn how pandemics and epidemics ravaged the city and how poor housing, poverty and poor diet destroyed the health of many Belfast residents. Finally, you will meet uplifting and inspiring individuals! Those who aimed to better the health of Belfast and its citizens such as social activist Mary Ann McCraken, the inventor of the milk of magnesia, Sir James Murray and revolutionary doctor William Drennan. This walking tour is an introduction to the diseases, doctors and medical history of the city and you don't need to be a clinician to enjoy it!

Your Belfast tour itinerary

The tour starts at Belfast's oldest hospital. Clifton House, the Poor House, opened in 1774, as a combined a 36-person poorhouse and a 24-bed infirmary. We then move to Clifton Street Cemetery to look at how body snatchers illegally disinterred the dead to provide bodies for medical students to dissect. After that we head into town and pass where famous doctors lived and worked. This includes Dr James Murray who invented the Milk of Magnesia and Dr William Drennan who inoculated children against smallpox. We shall also stop off at Winecellar Entry, where in 1900 a seafood restaurant was among many that sold contaminated shellfish killing hundreds across the city. The tour ends at Belfast City Hall (BT1 5GS) near where in the 1830s the legendary Dr Bloom claimed to cure all manner of diseases from cancer to the dropsy. * This tour can be customized upon request. Contact me to discuss.

Want to customize this tour?

Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.

Transport details
Type: Walking

This is a walking tour. Bring comfortable shoes.

What's included
Private Guide
What's not included
Other: Personal expenses.
Public Transportation
Food Drinks Snacks
Meeting location

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Airport: ,Cruise: ,ByGuide: MEET: In front of The Poor House gates (also known as Clifton House), 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Belfast, BT15 1ES United Kingdom.

  • You can request a different meeting location (for example, your hotel) during the checkout process.
Other details
Tour categories
History
Off The Beaten Path
Tour reference number
1021716
Languages
English
Activity level
Minimal
Accessibility
Kid Friendly
Wheelchair Accessible

Frequently asked questions

Who is this private tour in Belfast best suited for?

This private walking tour in Belfast is perfect for anyone interested in the city's fascinating medical history. Whether you're a history buff, a medical enthusiast, or simply curious about the unique stories of Belfast's past, you'll find this tour engaging. It's also suitable for families, as it's kid-friendly and wheelchair accessible.

What should I bring or wear?

Can this private tour in Belfast be customized to focus on what I want to see and skip places I've already visited?

How long is the tour, and can the start time or duration be adjusted?

Where does the tour start and end?

Is transportation included?

How much walking is involved, and is it suitable for kids, seniors, or travellers with mobility concerns?

What languages is this tour offered in?

What's included in this private tour, and what should I budget for separately?

Is this a private tour? What is the maximum group size and the starting price?

AI-generated. Please confirm details with your guide

-
Hours icon 1 hour 30 minutes
Walking
Private tour for 1-10 people
Your party size

1

Tour date
Start time
View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later
-
Hours icon 1 hour 30 minutes
Walking
Private tour for 1-10 people
Your party size

1

Tour date
Start time
View our cancellation policiesUpgrade for total flexibility with Any Reason Cancellation
Book with a depositSecure your tour today and pay your balance later
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