Our history often hides in plain sight. We travel roads, pass laneways and street-signs without appreciating the events that may have happened here in the past. A photograph found in an archive illustrated just this, as Dublin City Historian in Residence Cathy Scuffil, investigated the background to the image, taken in the Crumlin area of...
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of one of Dublin’s most beloved artists. Harry Kernoff was a devoted lover of Dublin City and expressed his passion in his paintings, sketches and drawings. Vitor Vicente will be projecting some of them on the screen and discussing their relationship to Dublin history and the...
Join historian, Sean J Murphy, for this talk about Charles Lucas. Dr Charles Lucas (1713-1771) was a Protestant or Anglo-Irish Nationalist whose statue stands in Dublin’s City Hall. He was a predecessor of Grattan and Flood and indeed in some respects a precursor of the republican United Irishmen. Following his election to Dublin Corporation as...
*Apologies, registration is full* Join Vawn Corrigan for a slide show presentation exploring the fascinating history of the Aran Sweater. From its rocky island roots it eventually spanned the globe to become a symbol of Irishness. Feted on the catwalk, worn by celebrities yet always homely, the classic Aran design has held its own through...
Oral history helps bring the past to life by recording the voices, experiences, stories and memories of people. In this introductory session members of the Oral History Network of Ireland...
Dublin City Historian in Residence, Katie Blackwood, will give an illustrated talk on the history of tourism in Dublin. Tourism is an industry that packages and sells culture and national identity and this talk will explore these issues while tracing Dublin's own meandering journey as a place to visit. Booking essential, email rahenylibrary@dublincity.ie
In this illustrated talk, Ruth McManus discusses the development of housing policy in Ireland from 1922 to 1932. This first decade after independence saw the new government tackling a major housing problem. How did it go about tackling the problem? What was built? Have these houses stood the test of time? Explore these questions and...
This lecture by Dr Joan Kavanagh, will highlight the transportation narrative of the Grangegorman Female Penitentiary from 1840 to 1852. Its development, the policies that were put in place for the management of the Female Depot and the movement of the female convicts from their respective county gaols will be explored. It will also focus...
This talk is aimed at those who are considering or have researched some topic of local history and would now like to make their findings available to the public. It will provide pointers on how to research, where best to look for information and how to produce an end product suitable for your intended audience....
**Apologies, registration full** Nicola Pierce, author of The Spirit of the Titanic and Chasing Ghosts, an Arctic Adventure, discusses her latest novel of historical fiction, In Between Worlds, the Journey of the Famine Girls. The book was inspired by the Earl Grey Scheme: between 1848 and 1850, over four thousand orphaned Irish girls, aged 14...
Díreoidh an chaint seo ar oidhreacht ailtireachta agus luathstair na Leabharlainne Náisiúnta. Bainfidh sé leas as meascán de ghrianghraif stairiúla ón gCartlann Náisiúnta Ghrianghrafadóireachta, léaráidí ailtireachta agus íomhánna níos nua-aimseartha chun scéal bunaithe na Leabharlainne, agus na daoine a chruthaigh í, a insint. This talk will focus on the architectural heritage and early history of...
In the context of the current wider debate over public monuments, this lunchtime talk will take a fresh look at the monuments of Christ Church Cathedral, informed by Dr Greg Sullivan’s work on the ‘Pantheons’ project in St Paul’s Cathedral, London. No booking required.
Pembroke Library will host a lecture by Dublin City Historian in Residence Cormac Moore, on the life of Pembroke Library's first Librarian, Frank O'Connor (born Michael Francis O' Donovan) who, among other achievements, went on to become an internationally renowned short story writer. Note: Limited spaces. To book, email pembrokelibrary@dublincity.ie
A Bird in the House, God Bless Her was recorded by Michael Fortune of folklore.ie, with the Southside Travellers Action Group (STAG). Telling of rare customs in Ireland, it includes stories of fairies, the banshee, and shape-shifting hares. It won the 2024 Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) Community Archive Scheme and marks the first collection...
You are invited to join us at the Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again exhibition for an exploration on the influence of the classics on the works of Seamus Heaney. While Heaney’s poetry tended to be rooted in the sense of place, identity, and memory, the classics were intertwined in much of his most celebrated works...
The appointment of the first women on the frontline of Dublin Corporation’s public health service at the turn of the 20th century, when Dublin was widely considered one of Great Britain and Ireland’s unhealthiest cities, was controversial in several ways. This talk will illuminate the story of Dublin’s first women sanitary sub-officers, revealing their significant...
Bígí i dteannta Niamh Ní Riain ó Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann le haghaidh na cainte trí Ghaeilge, 30 nóiméad ar líne, faoi shaol agus saothar William Butler Yeats. Tá an chaint oiriúnach dóibh siúd atá díreach ag tosnú amach ag foghlaim na Gaeilge agus dóibh siúd a bhfuil níos mó taithí acu uirthi. Join Niamh...
Dublin City Historian in Residence, Elizabeth Kehoe, will give a talk about O’Connell Street based on people's memories and historical records so this will be an eclectic mix about the Capital’s main street. This year marks the 100th year anniversary of the naming of this iconic street. No booking required.
