Get inside Dublin’s tattoo scene – then pick up the machine yourself

Dublin has a tattoo story most visitors never hear. On this experience with The Ink Factory, a tattoo titan rooted in the heart of the city, you’ll walk the streets of the city centre with an insider guide, uncovering the hidden history of Irish tattooing: the legendary figures, the forgotten parlours, and the subculture that defines the city’s modern identity.

After the tour, you’ll be welcomed back behind the doors of the studio itself, after hours, with full access to a space that most people only ever see from the street. One of the studio’s own artists walks you through the machine piece by piece. You’ll assemble it yourself, then pick it up and use it. Guided the whole way. You’ll practise your own designs on real silicone skin, the same material used in professional training. No experience needed. No permanent decisions required!

There are games and prizes along the way, and the whole thing has the feel of a night out rather than a guided tour.

What you’ll do:

• Walk a curated route through Dublin’s city centre, hearing the stories behind Irish tattooing that didn’t make the guidebooks
• Get after-hours access to The Ink Factory’s Parliament Street studio, a tattoo powerhouse in the centre of Temple Bar
• Meet a working tattoo artist and build a tattoo machine from scratch before using it yourself
• Practise tattooing on silicone skin with your own design and take your work home with you!
• Play for prizes in the studio session

Every attendee will receive the following:

• €25 Voucher for The Ink Factory!
• Personalized The Ink Factory polaroid.
• Keep your tattooed fake skin

Duration: 2 hours Group size: Small group, max 20 people Skill level: Zero experience needed, total beginners welcome

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Whether you’ve got tattoos or you’ve always been curious, this is a side of Dublin that few visitors ever get this close to.

See you there!