1960's Sherriff street documentary, an insight into social issues 50 years ago

greenbicycle

I just found and watched this documentary from the 1960's about Sherriff street.
the reporter is very patronising at times but the images captured and some of the interviews give an amazing insight into the area at the time.

Be warned it is quite a long video, 26 mins long but I think it highlights how long issues around social housing etc have been experienced. It kind of makes you realise where so many of our social problems stemmed from.

Anyway, there you go, have a look if your interested, just thought it was too good to not share and discuss!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmyQDZq1sUY

ILoveYourVibes

Wonder where those kids are now They seem like sweet boys.

Thank you for finding it.

Stay in school kids. Believe.

klaaaz

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Wonder where those kids are now They seem like sweet boys..

Probably dead from the scourge of heroin or emigrated if they were lucky to escape poverty. I also saw a similar documentary from the 80's, those kids never got a chance in life living in poverty hell. Who'd employ them with an address like Sheriff st? They had the toughest start in life.

Thing is not much has changed regarding attitudes towards our own poor like those inner city kids, they are still looked down by the cushy middle/upper class snobs as vermin.

greenttc

Yeah sure it even says in the video that people had to make up addresses back then in the sixties so that they could get a job. They really didn't have a chance did they? And parents had given up to an extent,let them off school etc.
They really had nothing though.

The social worker sounded way ahead of her time I thought talking about the importance of play for development, they talk about that now! She is all for building houses and integration into other wealthier communities too.

ILoveYourVibes

klaaaz wrote: »

Probably dead from the scourge of heroin or emigrated if they were lucky to escape poverty. I also saw a similar documentary from the 80's, those kids never got a chance in life living in poverty hell. Who'd employ them with an address like Sheriff st? They had the toughest start in life.

Thing is not much has changed regarding attitudes towards our own poor like those inner city kids, they are still looked down by the cushy middle/upper class snobs as vermin.

Not all of em. Some did good. It would be interesting to see where they are now. And what different choices were made by the parents etc.

What advice those people could give those living through it now.

You can always lie about your address. Leave off one line. Most people are clueless about Dublin geographically anyway.

I agree though that was one thing the documentary left out that place was RIFE with drugs in the 60's. Particular young mothers. And there wasn't this big social stigma there is now about it either. Drugs back then even illegal ones were almost seen as medicine even heroine was seen as medicine.

ILoveYourVibes

greenttc wrote: »

Yeah sure it even says in the video that people had to make up addresses back then in the sixties so that they could get a job. They really didn't have a chance did they? And parents had given up to an extent,let them off school etc.
They really had nothing though.

The social worker sounded way ahead of her time I thought talking about the importance of play for development, they talk about that now! She is all for building houses and integration into other wealthier communities too.

She should have grown a pair of balls and went in with a family planning clinic and free contraception and abortion and told the Irish govt to go screw themselves.

You can't supervise 12 kids well. Particularly if they are the same age range. If you have a couple older you can have them take care of each other a bit.

I would have given some of those mothers a right talking to , who lets their kids out unsupervised around a place like that? What are you newbies? You have lived here yrs you ought to know better.

Whats with letting your kids quit school with no job beforehand? Who is going to hire a 12 yr old the market was over saturated with 14 yr olds with an obvious advantage!

Also why couldn't the govt create a pedestrianized zone around the place no cars. You don't like then stop cramming people into flats in the inner city.

Free education for adults and children all the way.

Also it needed a rehab center. And kids with parents who are too off their heads to get them up for school in the morning need help.

greenttc

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Not all of em. Some did good. It would be interesting to see where they are now. And what different choices were made by the parents etc.

What advice those people could give those living through it now.

You can always lie about your address. Leave off one line. Most people are clueless about Dublin geographically anyway.

I agree though that was one thing the documentary left out that place was RIFE with drugs in the 60's. Particular young mothers. And there wasn't this big social stigma there is now about it either. Drugs back then even illegal ones were almost seen as medicine even heroine was seen as medicine.

Dont think there was major drug problem till the eighties, or am i wrong?