The excellent website of Dublin life and lore Come Here To Me! embarks on a discussion of that now vanished phenomenon “the Rathmines accent”, prompted by the (not, it must be said, enormously well vouched) idea that Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was taught English by an Irishman – in fact a native of Leinster Road in Rathmines.

A great fire, banked high and red, flamed in the grate and under the ivytwined branches of the chandelier the Christmas table was spread.