Orla Rapple boarded a wartime vehicle
for a capital tour complete with echoes of Dublin’s Viking past.
There are a multitude of ways to learn about the Irish capital.
Open bus tours, organised pub-crawls and walking tours are all
readily available and have sprung up in the wake of the Celtic Tiger
boom, each offering its own unique attraction.
However, out of the countless tours in the city, the Viking Splash
tour has to be the most distinctive as it takes in history both
by land and water.
Ducks are the affectionate name for DUKWs, amphibious vehicles
that were used by the United States in The Second World War in order
to transport soldiers by land and water.
The Viking Splash Tour has commandeered a number of these Duck
vehicles.
They have all been brightly painted and have a less responsible
task than they did during the war.
Duck Tours are available in many cities across the world — the
most famous probably being in Boston.
Organisers of this Duck Tour in Dublin have put their own slant
to the proceedings by entitling it the Viking Splash Tour and basing
it around the huge role that the Vikings played in the capital’s
development.
Our host did this in a number of ways. Dressed in authentic-looking
clothes from the Viking period he imparted nuggets of information
on their involvement with Dublin as the Duck passed through the
streets of the city. We were told details of implements used by
the Vikings found at various sites around the route of the tour
to buildings that were obviously influenced by their distinctive
style.
In order to make the audience feel like they are back in Viking
times, a sticker on the roof of the Duck points out that goats are
accepted as tips but money is much more appreciated.
The Viking Splash Tour starts off at Bull Alley Street near Saint
Patrick’s Cathedral and makes its way into the city centre and onto
the Grand Canal Dockyard.
The driver and tour captain is equipped with a headset and microphone
to make his description of Viking activities all the more easier
to hear.
However, with the constant grumbling of the Duck’s engine and
the usual noise from city traffic, it is sometimes difficult to
catch all that the tour captain is saying. Every so often the Splash
Tour’s audience deafens the roar from the Duck and the traffic as
they are actively encouraged to give a frightening Viking roar to
passing trucks and competing tours. People gave us some funny looks.
The highlight of the tour is of course when the Duck descends
into the Grand Canal Basin.
The Duck chugs safely along in the water for about 15 minutes
before climbing onto dry land again.
The drive down to the Grand Canal Dockyard is a great incentive
for taking this tour as well as it takes visitors to parts of the
city that are not usually visited on regular tours.
The Viking Splash Tour won Dublin Tourism’s Millennium Award
for best tourism product and service a couple of years ago and it
is easy to see why — this is a well thought-out tour that incorporates
the Viking theme brilliantly.
The Splash tour has a wide range of departure times every day
except Tuesday. Just one word of warning — this is a very popular
tour with children and it is likely that the majority of the audience
on a Duck will be under 13, especially at weekends and during school
breaks.
Therefore be prepared for a lot of shouting and high jinx, which
all adds to the fun.
n The Viking Splash Tour’s offices are based at 64-65 Patrick
Street in Christchurch. Prices range from E7.50 Euro per child to
E13.50 per adult. Tickets for the tour can be reserved by calling
00 353 1 4539185.
