About Cathal Sheahan
My name is Cathal Sheahan. I am very passionate about Irish culture and history and am honoured to guide you around the wonderful, interesting, beautiful, strange, and funny city that is Dublin.
I started my tour guiding career in 2014 when I began working with a tour bus company in Dublin. I have been doing walking tours of Dublin since 2015 and really enjoy sharing my passion and stories with clients. I have a colourful background in music, theatre, film, philosophy, and archaeology. My style of guiding is very relaxed and entertaining. I am very flexible with clients, and can change gear or alter tours based on the specific needs. This keeps the tour interesting for you, as well as for me.
Even though I was born in Dublin, I grew up in rural Ireland in County Kerry. I enjoyed the beautiful landscape of the area and the many old traditions and customs that you would not find in the more urban areas. Even though it took me a while to adapt to urban living I eventually fell in love with Dublin. It was here that my natural talents were allowed to flourish. I discovered that I really am a “people” person.
After my Bachelors degree in German, Philosophy, and Archaeology in UCD, I also decided to do my Masters degree in Film Studies there. I returned to college (again) to study acting, which was always something I wished to explore. It was during this acting course that I met my lovely wife, Rachel, a native of Dublin, who also shares my passion for Irish culture and history. I continue to discover new things about Dublin every day. I got into sea swimming all year round about six years ago, so have fallen in love with the south city beaches and coastline. So Dublin continues to be very good to me. Thank you Dublin!
As well as the theatrical and musical sides to me I am also a bit of a philosopher, having studied Philosophy in university. I enjoy deep discussions with clients and believe that my tours should be entertaining and personable, but also should be left open for making a deep connection. I am very interested in other people’s stories and really enjoy where conversations can go over a cup of coffee or a pint. I love hearing about other people’s traditions, cultures, and experiences.
My tours adapt to whatever you wish to experience during your adventure in Dublin, but they will always consist of a variety of elements from storytelling, singing, poetry, seeing the sights of Dublin, and of course giving my own unique insights into the historical and cultural background of both Dublin, Ireland, and its characters. I also have the typical laid back character of most Irish people, and take every opportunity to have a laugh whenever possible. So the tour is definitely not an overly serious affair.
I look forward to sharing my passion with you. From my experience and style so far, I can assure you it will be a memorable experience and hopefully the highlight of your whole holiday.