Fiona Dalton has been singing since the age of six and played the clarinet for ten years. However, she never fully followed that path until 2016, when she decided it was time for a change.
“I come from a secretarial background, have been for the past 30 odd years. In 2016, I decided I wanted to change. I’m a professional singer by trade and I wanted to do something with my voice,” she said.
“I’m left-handed, so when I was in school – I went to a convent – I was always told the best thing I’d be able to do was answer the telephone.
“I’ve been told I’ve got the gift of the gab, so someone suggested I’d be a great tour guide. I did the Level 5 heritage and culture studies in Dublinia, and became a qualified tour guide in 2017.
“As part of my training, I worked as a guide in Trim Castle, Co Meath. I asked people what they thought of Dublin and the tours there, and some said there’s not much in Dublin. That’s how we came up with the concept of Dalton’s Musical History Tour.”
Fiona has over 25 years of singing experience, initially in folk groups then in musical theatre, jazz, gospel, classical and church choirs.
She co-established Lucan Gospel Singers, and played an integral part in a local musical society prior to that, winning five awards. She also hosted her own music radio show for two years and has performed with local drama groups.
On Dalton’s Musical History Tour, people can learn some of Dublin’s most famous old-time songs while visiting the historic locations associated with them.
It offers an insight to the history of Dublin and its musical heritage. The two-mile route includes stops as Christchurch, Dublin Castle, The Olympia Theatre, the Molly Malone statue, Temple Bar, the Liffey and Viking Dublin.
Each stop has a famous song explained and performed by Fiona wearing Georgian character costume.
“I wear the big hats and the long dresses, and the kids think I’m Mary Poppins, which is quite funny,” she said.
“I do get a lot of people taking photographs, especially tourists and people saying they love my hat and that I look great. It’s pretty cool.
“I would sing songs linked to the sites. There would be 1916 songs, musical theatre. It’s interactive, fun, and people don’t have to sing, they can listen.
“It’s not specifically a singing tour, but they can join in if they want. With 1916, I would sing Sinead O’Connor’s version of Foggy Dew,” she added.
