In the early twentieth century, Dublin’s chronic housing conditions were described as the worst within the British Empire. The collapse of the Church Street tenement in 1913 with fatal consequences increased pressure on authorities to address Dublin’s housing crisis.

Although events like World War I and the Easter Rising all delayed providing housing for Dublin’s citizens, Dublin Corporation’s Housing Committee undertook significant home building in the area known today as Dublin 8. This talk by Cathy Scuffil discusses four estates built against a backdrop of war, revolution and the emerging Free State. It celebrates the largest, the housing estate built in Fairbrother’s Fields, better known as The Tenters, on its centenary.

Cathy Scuffil (MA, BBS Hons) is a Dublin-born historian with a strong interest in local history. She is currently working as Historian-in-Residence with Dublin City Council for the South Central and South East Areas.