Dublin books

mindhorn

Originally posted in the Genealogy forum here. I'm looking for book recommendations on what life was like in inner city Dublin in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Open to historical fiction books as well.

pinkypinky

Ghost Light by Joseph O'Connor is partially set in 1907.

The Plough & the Stars by Sean O'Casey is set during the Rising.

Ascendant

Padraig Yeates' A City in Wartime - and subsequent books - is recommended.

Jellybaby_1

Some years ago I came across a book online called 'Reminiscences' by Sir Charles A. Cameron, published in Dublin by Hodges Figgis. The link I gave that time is no longer accessible unfortunately. Mainly about his life and travels but also gives some insight into the lives of the poor in Dublin. No idea where you can access it now unfortunately.

P.S. Cameron was born in 1830 and died in 1921 so quite relevant to your enquiry.

Jellybaby_1

Found Cameron's book here, downloadable:


https://wellcomecollection.org/works/zfbbgf7t/items?canvas=1&langCode=eng&sierraId=b28990079

mindhorn

Thanks all. 'Reminiscences' is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. The library has a copy of it but might download it instead in the meantime. Skimmed over the 'How the Dublin poor live' and 'Earnings of the poor' sections this morning. Interesting but grim reading.

Jellybaby_1

Yes, pretty grim. I very much doubt other cities were any better though.

Peregrinus

I think Dublin was recognised at the time as being particularly bad. It had some of the worst slums in Europe.

gozunda

Historical Fiction -

'Strumpet City' by James Plunkett

Historybluff

Here's three books that might interest you:

• Working Class Heroines by Kevin Kearns
• Dublin Slums 1800-1925 by Jacinta Prunty
• Dublin, the Deposed Capital by Mary E. Daly

The bibliographies in these books contain primary sources that you could chase up.

Edgware

I think that it has never been acknowledged the massive impact that the terrible list of fatalities from Gallipoli, Somme, Passchendaele had on thethe Dublin working class.(And to be fair on centres of military like Kildare, Athlone. Cork)

Hannibal_Smith

Jellybaby_1 wrote: »

Found Cameron's book here, downloadable:


https://wellcomecollection.org/works/zfbbgf7t/items?canvas=1&langCode=eng&sierraId=b28990079

Thanks for sharing this. It's a fantastic read.

I was looking for a similar book as you OP. I traced back the family tree last year and am interested in finding out what life would have been like for the people behind the names

Edgware

Hannibal_Smith wrote: »

Thanks for sharing this. It's a fantastic read.

I was looking for a similar book as you OP. I traced back the family tree last year and am interested in finding out what life would have been like for the people behind the names

Check out the Tenement Museum in Henrietta St. I havent been there but it might be worth a look.
Also stick in a few addresses on the Census 1901 1911.
In places like Rathmines and Rathgar you will see the household listed. Usually a family of Protestants and then a couple of Catholics who were the servants.

Bozo Skeleton

Heirlooms And Hand Me Downs is a great read. It's transcribed from taped interviews with people living on Bride Road, Bride Street, Ross Road, and Nicholas Street, in Dublin 8.
It's a book of peoples memories, and as such it's an oral history of the area. Starts off with recollections of the early 20th Century all the way up to 2010 or so, when it was published.
Fascinating recollections of life in the early 1900's in a little corner of the Liberties.

http://www.chrisreidartist.com/heirlooms_the_book.html

Bozo Skeleton

If you're ever in the area, basically it's between Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patrick's Cathedral, you might notice plaques that are dotted around. If you're wondering what they are, they're quotes from the above book.