For visitors of Dublin who are looking for tours with a difference there
is a multitude to decide from in the city. However, one walking tour has
a cocktail of it all as it offers a quick history lesson with a ghost tour,
street theatre and much more.
The Zozimus Tour is named after its principal host. The ghost of Zozimus.
Zozimus, or Michael Moran as he was originally known, was a blind storyteller
who lived in the Liberties area of the city during the 19th century.
Zozimus had the great ability to memorise old poems, songs and stories as
well as an incredible flair for composing and reciting his own. As a result
Zozimus is the perfect host for this tour as he entertains his audience
with off-the-cuff remarks and anecdotes from the Dublin city of his living
years.
The Zozimus Tour was expected to start at 8.30pm but it was close to
8.40pm when Major Sirr bounded upon a surprised audience at the pedestrian
gates of Dublin Castle. Major Sirr was Chief of Police in Dublin Castle
in 1801.
This character has a very strident and intimidating personality and shouts
questions at various members of the audience while insisting that answers
be followed by the words: “Major Sirr, Sir.” Tourists, especially the American
variety, lap this up. However, if you are the sort of person that prefers
to follow a tour then be part of the entertainment, the prospect of being
picked out of the crowd by Major Sirr can be quite daunting and rather irritating.
Major Sirr soon sets the mood for the remainder of the tour by informing
the audience to be careful throughout the next hour and a half as it “isn’t
unusual for certain individuals to be accosted during the tour”. He then
enlists a number of the tourists to lead the march through Dublin Castle,
one of these leaders even insists on making the short march even more realistic
by screaming the “one, two, three” chant of an army major.
It is during this time that the blind Zozimus ascends upon us and takes
over the tour. Zozimus is a highly entertaining character that charms his
audience from the start. He is soon telling the story of an assistant that
used to accompany him through the streets of Dublin and act as his eyes.
This assistant was called Stony Pockets because the weight of money he was
in charge of collecting while Zozimus told his tales built up in his right
pocket and caused him to lean to one side —therefore, a handful of stones
were placed in his left-hand pocket in order to balance him out. Unfortunately,
Stony Pockets is dead and has chosen not to come back to the living world
as a ghost like his master Zozimus.
Consequently, Zozimus decides to enlist a member of the audience as his
new Stony Pockets, another opportunity for audience participation and after
much feeling of various faces for the perfect match and much running away
by less enthusiastic tourists, Zozimus finally picks his new Stony Pockets,
who in this case happens to be an American teenager who is asked to perform
a number of tasks throughout the evening, all of which she does with ever
increasing confidence.
The next stop of the evening is just around the corner in Dublin Castle
where we learn about the escape of Red Hugh O’Connor from the jail of the
Castle. This is where the fun really starts. As Zozimus is telling of the
escape of O’Connor from the very building where we are standing, a strange
figure with unruly red hair throws a rope from the top of the tower and
abseils down the side. We are soon informed that this is the ghost of Red
Hugh O’Connor and watch as he makes a number of wrong turns as he attempts
his escape. This is not the last time that the ghost of Red Hugh O’Connor
pops up on the tour and every time he does it is with hilarious and somewhat
frightening results.
It is then on to Dean Swift Alley, then to Fishamble Street and on to
Christchurch. At each stop Zozimus ensures to impart some ghostly story
or other to his audience who are at this stage constantly glancing behind
them to make sure that a strange character is not about to creep up on them.
Although these ghost stories come quick and fast the history of some
of the buildings visited could be delved into a little deeper.
Our final, and perhaps most frightening stop, is inside the gates of
Saint Audeons, the only remaining original gate into Dublin city.
Inside Saint Audeons is quite an eerie church and graveyard, which are
all accessed by stone steps that Zozimus leads us to by candlelight. A number
of ghostly characters are on offer here, including Dracula and a wild pig!
If it is an information- filled historical walking tour of Dublin city
that you are after then the Zozimus Tour is not for you. However, if constant
entertainment and a few ghostly encounters is your thing, this tour comes
highly recommended.
The Zozimus Tour starts off at the pedestrian gates of Dublin Castle
(opposite the Olympia Theatre on Dame Street) at 8.30pm during the summer
months. The rate is €8 per person although
group prices are available.
For more information on the Zozimus Tour ring 00353 1 6618646 or e-mail
info@zozimus.com.
Zozimus had the great ability to memorise old poems, songs and stories as
well as an incredible flair for composing and reciting his own. As a result
Zozimus is the perfect host for this tour as he entertains his audience
with off-the-cuff remarks and anecdotes from the Dublin city of his living
years. 