Republican News · Thursday 7 February 2002

The rare aul' times

Dublin through Space and Time
Edited by Joseph Brady and Anngret Simms.
Published by Four Courts Press
€19.95 paperback (or €45 hardback)

Irish Days: Oral histories of the twentieth century by Margaret Hickey.
Published by Kyle Cathie Ltd
€25 hardback

Dublin through Space and Time is a real treat for those who have an interest in urban history, particularly that of Dublin, being the truly great metropolis that it is (only anti-Dub begrudgers could disagree!). Although this work is quite academic, it is also easy to read. This book essentially combines two disciplines of study, those of geography and history. While both Brady and Simms are geographers based in UCD it is a historical account of Dublin's development based on certain themes. These themes are the origins and early growth of the city in the Viking and Medieval period; Dublin in its "classical" period of growth from 1660 to 1810; Dublin in its 18th century heyday (or so we are told); and Dublin in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The book features many illustrations of old buildings and places long gone and those much altered. It also features many historical maps of Dublin and maps illustrating certain aspects of urban life. Overall, this book is a good read and a useful reference. It is recommendable to all those who would like to find out more about their native city (or blow-ins!), so it would be worth one's while investing in a copy.

Irish Days is a very different kind of book, far less academic but more readable for those who like a good story. It reflects the increasing appetite for oral history (no pun intended!). Basically, this book is a collection of life stories told by twelve people, all born between 1906 and 1926. While they recall the events of the Irish revolutionary period (1913-1923) and how this impacted on them later, these stories tend to be more personal and less political. It is a lot like listening to your Granny recalling what life was like in a period that is now history (provided, of course, she is a good storyteller). To a large extent, this is the strength of the book.

The interviewees come from a variety of backgrounds. These include Catholics and a Protestant, and range in occupations from an artist, a cattle dealer, an actor, a sportsman, a nun, a publican, a judge, a huntsman, an emigrant building site worker, a forester, a musician to an eccentric (not that there was ever a shortage of them!). They come from places as varied as Kildare, East Galway, Kerry, Clare, Roscommon, Tipperary, North Derry, and Dublin (Northside and Southside).

The author's father, Jim Hickey, is among those interviewed and tells an interesting story. He recalls the history of the resistance to the Woodford evictions in Galway about how his father was forced to emigrate from there (his mother emigrated from Fermanagh). He himself was born in Manchester. Margaret Hickey has done a good job in selecting the stories concerned as they are quite representative of an Ireland that was predominantly agricultural and rural, a situation now rapidly changing. While this book may not be everybody's cup of tea, it is definitely readable.