With Ballad Tours, Seán Fitzgerald offers the only tour in this city to be recognised by Lonely Planet and as far as I can see, the only one accompanied by some deft mandolin.
Fitzgerald is a prolific man who splits his time between roles as frontman of Dublin psychedelic punk heroes The Deadlians, as one half of Ruskavellas, or as a cornerstone of legendary singing sessions in the Cobblestone.
Saturday mornings, however, sees Fitzgerald playing the educating troubadour, guiding his wards around Dublin scored by a carefully curated selection of songs to better paint a picture of how the city used to be.
He also provides regular tours of his singular balladry with Original Dublin. Whether it’s poems from Zozimus, the blind bard or the Liberties, 20th century tunes or other rarities, Ballad Tours is a unique way to enjoy a familiar city for tourists and long suffering inhabitants alike.
Book through balladtours.com & @balladtours, and originaldublin.com
Words: Adhamh Ó Caoimh
