From townhouse to tenement and back sep 16 by theirishaesthete in recent weeks a succession of events in dublin have commemorated the centenary of the lockout, an occasion when many of the citys larger employers, determined their workforce should not become tradeunionised, denied access to factories, yards and docks to anyone suspected. It also features restored rooms on the basement and ground floors that illustrate what life would have been like during that period. It is based on the original and wholly authentic testimonies of survivors of the old dublin tenements. Death emphasised the precariousness of life for the poor. The hot dog vendor from the carol burnett show full sketch duration. Dublin tenement life goodreads meet your next favorite book. Dublins inner urban village, irelands arctic siege. Her mother stayed at home and worked as a hairdresser.
It gave just the sort of detail i was looking for for some research i am undertaking. Close quarters life in new yorks tenement buildings. New york in 1899 its 1899, the cusp of the 20th century, and new york city has never been more fascinating. Twelve men and women slept in a room less than feet long. Dublin tenement life an oral history by kevin kearns. We knew matt talbot the story of the life of the dublin north inner city workman matt talbot born1856 died june 7th 1925. By the 1930s, 6400 tenements were occupied by almost 112,000 tenants. Aug 01, 20 it is there that tenement living is today brought to life through a superb exhibition. No one had lived in the building in over 50 years when the tenement museum found it. Gertie keane describes tenement life on henreitta street.
No one had lived in the building in over 50 years when the tenement museum found it in 1988 and they preserved what they found. So is the case with henrietta streets tenement dwellers. Gathering original and authentic oral testimonies from survivors of the old dublin tenements and presenting along with the social and historical background, as well as a valuable collection of. In the eighteenth century, it was a street of the socalled second city of the empire, home to many sedan chair owners and members of the ruling elite, but intime it came to define the extreme and grotesque poverty of innercity dublin, synonymous with. Jun 22, 20 in the eighteenth century, it was a street of the socalled second city of the empire, home to many sedan chair owners and members of the ruling elite, but intime it came to define the extreme and grotesque poverty of innercity dublin, synonymous with overcrowded tenement life. Irish tenement life in new york city published in 18th19th century social perspectives, 18th19th century history, issue 4 julaug 2008, news, volume 16 a simple table, two chairs and an old stove take up most of the cramped kitchen. Additional information scran article click on the link in a. Gathering original and authentic oral testimony from survivors, together with the social and historical background and a valuable collection of photographs, kearns shows what life was. Jun 25, 2018 close quarters life in new yorks tenement buildings. Jul 09, 20 gertie keane describes tenement life on henreitta street in 1901 posted on july 9, 20 by dublintenementexperience children on henrietta street in 1924 from the independent newspapers collection at the national library of ireland. Irish tenement life in new york city history ireland. The tenement houses were the subject of enquiry in 1885 by the royal commission on the houses of the working classes, and their report confirms that which i have already quoted. Out of mulberry street stories of tenement life in new.
Aug 27, 2017 a new museum opened on henrietta street today, showcasing what life used to be like in the tenements of the north inner city the tenement museum dublin will focus on the period from 1877 to the. Jul 12, 20 a brilliant new facebook page has emerged recently, entitled dublin tenement life. To mark the opening of the museum, dublin city council is staging hentown, an immersive theatre experience created for the museum by anu productions. It is there that tenement living is today brought to life through a superb exhibition. Although there have been several books about tenement life, including the recent 97 orchard street bkl f 15 2002, in this one, the writing is particularly clear and sharp. Development of a tenement experience at 14 henrietta street. A first hand chronicle of the life lived in the tenements over three quarters of a century ago. Gertie keane describes tenement life on henreitta street in 1901. The 1911 census shows a street where general labourers made. The lack of decent housing, medical care, education. A cribs style look at how people lived in tenement buildings in dublin in 19.
Dublin tenement museum showcases social history ireland. Although the writing style was extremely difficult to follow, it was well worth the struggle to read the stories of the individuals who populated that area. Thisi is an excellent snapshot of life in the lower manhattan tenements of the 1800s, as seen through the eyes of one who was there. Mar 01, 2006 buy dublin tenement life by kearns, kevin c. Former residents of one of dublins most crowded tenement buildings in the 1960s returned to their old home yesterday to see it in a new light as a social history museum. For nearly 150 years, the wretched, squalid tenements of dublin were widely judged to be the worst slums in all of europe. Irish immigrants lives laid out at new york tenement museum. Most families were dependent on intermittent casual labour. I came across your site while researching my old primary school, weavers square convent. From townhouse to tenement and back the irish aesthete. Vivid detail and a constant thread of fondnostalgiadespitethepoverty, made it an. The tenement dwellers of church street, dublin, in 1911 by janet moody, 9781846826450, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.
The information was gathered by men who called in person to tenement houses and gathered information on the spot. This book was well written and comprised verbatime accounts of reminiscences by now elderly tenement dwellers. National trust tenement house in glasgow the tenement house is an authentic 19thcentury glasgow tenement house and was the home, for over 50 years, of miss agnes toward, an ordinary lady who kept all sorts of things others would have. The fascinating and often poignant verbal testimonies of dublins last surviving tram drivers. Its an oral history of life in the tenements, told by the people themselves. The big freeze of 1947 and the bombing of dublins north strand. Here is a set of links on the shettleston history project to other sites related to glasgow tenement life. This project was set up to commemorate the 19 lockout using an authentic tenement building at no. Presenter tim cleary goes back in time to see what life was like in a tenement building on henrietta street.
Kearns presents a fascinating, often heartbreaking look at life in the slums of dublin from the early nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth. It has posted a remarkable collection of photographs, primarily showing working class life in innercity dublin in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By the 1930s, 6,400 tenements were occupied by almost 112,000 tenants. Sep 27, 2017 lohman will present the lecture, in the irish tenement kitchen, at 6 p. Lodgers in a crowded and squalid tenement, which rented for five cents a spot on bayard street. A new museum opened on henrietta street today, showcasing what life used to be like in the tenements of the north inner city the tenement museum dublin will focus on the period from 1877 to the.
The history channel succumbs to some cheesy reenactments, but its talkinghead interviewees give a sense of how much riis photography and reporting transformed both journalism and public policy at this time. Tenement museum dublin, situated at number 14 henrietta street, showcases the daily life of the north inner city from 1877 to the late 1970s when it was a tenement building. Aug 26, 2002 this book about tenement life will certainly be an eyeopener to many young people who are used to their own space where they can live and dream. The people interviewed in this book were in their 60s, 70s and 80s and their memories are remarkably vivid and the stories incredible, tragic and also inspiring and humorous.
The 1901 census, therefore, gives us that rare opportunity to view the lives of the tenement dwellers of henrietta street, and we can begin to appreciate the many nuances and diversity which existed. In 1911 nearly 26,000 families lived in innercity tenements, and 20,000 of these families lived in just one room. Indeed, a quote by political scientist edward marshall helps to illuminate the situation. Queens and staten island formally become part of new york city, bringing the citys population to nearly 3,500,000. There was six in one bed and seven in the other new henrietta street museum brings dublin tenements of the past vividly back to life tue, aug 22, 2017, 19.
There is much discussion at this time about the homes of the poor in dublin and the problems surrounding tenement housing. Alongside the legacy of the vikings and the impressive edifices of georgian dublin, the existence of the tenements is one of the bestknown aspects of dublins history, famously depicted in sean ocaseys trilogy and james plunketts strumpet city. Buy dublin tenements memories of life in dublins notorious tenements by isbn. Museum of dublin tenement life set for henrietta street. I was an atgwu shop steward at my job in dublin during the late 70s early 80s and learned a great deal about the 19 lockout as part of my trade union training. There was six in one bed and seven in the other new henrietta street museum brings dublin tenements of the past. Views of city life tenements, transportation, and baseball. A miserylit series of seven books by a woman who grew up in extreme poverty in the summerhill tenements area in dublin in the 1950s has won lavish praise from literary critics in the us. Sheilas life in glasgow sheila was born in a glasgow tenement in 1930s.
See more ideas about old photos, old pictures and history. Museum of dublin tenement life set for henrietta street the house, built in 1748, comprises time capsule untouched for more than 100 years thu, apr 30, 2015, 01. Riis book, how the other half lives, exposed the mostly unseen world of late nineteenthearly twentieth century tenement life. Life in the tenements was hard and brutal independent. An oral history which was number one on the irish times bestseller list for many weeks. Feb 25, 2014 i came across your site while researching my old primary school, weavers square convent. Dublin tenement museum opens this irish america irish echo. Of his ten books on dublin, five have been bestsellers, most notably dublin tenement life. Gertie keane describes tenement life on henreitta street in. The tenement dwellers of church street, dublin, in 1911. A brilliant new facebook page has emerged recently, entitled dublin tenement life.
Development of a tenement experience at 14 henrietta. Lohman will present the lecture, in the irish tenement kitchen, at 6 p. Tenement definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The carol burnett show official recommended for you. A shared tenement story from jim meade dublin tenement.
In dublin s lost heroines, kearns presents the voices of workingclass dublin women with dignity, emotion and gravity. Given that my research has touched on housing conditions in 1960s dublin, i had a special interest in visiting the dublin tenement experience, but there are so many dimensions to this exhibition that it has a broad appeal. Used books may not include companion materials, may have some shelf wear, may contain highlightingnotes. The rise and demise of dublin is a story you can tell better on henrietta street than anywhere else in the city. Now in dublins street life and lore, through the vivid oral histories of the participants themselves, professor kevin kearns chronicles this rich street life and lore for future generations. It gives a great insight into his life as seen through the eyes of people who knew him. This book about tenement life will certainly be an eyeopener to many young people who are used to their own space where they can live and dream. Inside the squalid tenements of 1890s new york city. Sep 19, 20 a cribs style look at how people lived in tenement buildings in dublin in 19. The present byelaws relating to tenement houses were at that time in preparation, and were adopted in november, 1880, a few months after the report was published. The first half of this century was the heyday of dublins vibrant and bustling traditional street life. Dublin tenements memories of life in dublins notorious. The tenement museum dublin is a social history museum that showcases the daily life of dublins north inner city from 1877 to the late 1970s when it was a tenement building.
Pdf dublin tenement life download full pdf book download. One of the most wellknown phenomena in the early history of new york city is the tenement house. Dublin s lost heroines is a masterly work of oral history by the acclaimed author of the bestselling dublin tenement life, kevin c. Many of the photos have been collected by the north inner city folklore project, and capture important moments in. Some districts had up to 800 people to the acre, up t. The report of the housing committee provides a vivid picture of tenement conditions.