Latest Blogs
Morning Glory Beyond Rathmines
A Dublin poem, of going and returning, from Gerard Smyth.
Weeping for the Workers
The supreme place given to the national question meant some Dublin politicians had to affect a deep concern for the poor they did not necessarily really feel.
The Lady in the Dodder
A stroll along the banks of the Dodder recalls a murder committed in 1900, and its reverberations in two of Joyce’s works.
Well Done Please
Like the famous literary character he created, Bram Stoker was a healthy feeder.
Supping with the Devil
Four generations ago Dublin had a vibrant and numerous working class Protestant community. For some of their middle class co-religionists they were too vibrant.
Larkin in Dublin
Philip Larkin visited Dublin for a library conference in 1967. He wasn’t hugely impressed.
Dublin Can Be Himmel
A German visitor to Dublin in 1783 was impressed by the city’s beautiful location, its bays and mountains, and the thriving trade of its port.
A Lesson Learned in Leinster Square
A variety of pedlars worked the streets of suburban Dublin more than a hundred years ago, fascinating, and sometimes terrifying, the local children.
Great Days in Rathmines
A citizen of Rathmines remembers the idyllic days of his childhood in the prosperous suburb around the turn of the twentieth century.
A Sneakin’ Regard
Rich and poor alike in Ireland tended to support constitutional politics, but this did not mean they did not sometimes have sympathy for those arrested for violent acts.
No Pussyfooting
The city authorities had a short way with mendicants, pests and malingerers back in the days before political correctness gone mad.
Use Your Head
Sexual harassment is an unpleasant practice and often goes unpunished. But not always.