Blogs

Listen back to local Historian and well-known author Bernard Neary from Cabra West as he brings us on an interesting tour of Dublin 7, including the people, places and buildings of interest. Find out where the writer Iris Murdoch was born, where the poet Austin Clarke grew up and where Matt Kiernan made his Uilleann Pipes.

Down the years Jacob’s Biscuits introduced new products on a regular basis. Some did not survive the court of consumer taste while others, like Cream Crackers and Fig Rolls, remain proven favourites. From time to time the more popular products got a new label, updated to reflect the style of the time.

Listen back to a talk by Peter Clarke looking at the 225 year history of the Royal Canal, from its origins in 1789 through all its phases to the present day. The talk traces the planning and construction of the canal and will reference many places, people and events of historical interest along the course of Dublin’s beloved Royal Canal.Image: Foster Aqueduct and Royal Canal House Phibsboro (see larger image)Reserve a copy of Walking the Royal Canal by Peter Clarke from the library catalogue.Recorded at Phibsboro Library on Monday 21 August 2017 as part of Heritage Week 2017.See more at Royal Canal Amenity Group (RCAG).

This map is what we would now call the development plan for what became Grafton Street. The plan is by the Dublin City Surveyor, John Greene, to the scale of 10 feet to an inch and it is dated 17 January 1680. At that date, Grafton Street was a humble country lane, linking the two open spaces of St Stephen’s Green and Hoggen Green. There was even a municipal dung-heap, known as ‘The Pound’ at the end of the lane.

On Tuesday, 3rd October, 2017 in the Mansion House, Dawson Street, an tArdmhéara Míchéal Mac Donncha, launched a new Guide ‘Knowing Dublin – Know Your City Council’; an introduction to the work of Dublin City Council and the role of our elected representatives in the life of the city. Download a copy of Knowing Dublin - available in English and Irish.Knowing Dublin – Know Your City Council is a simple introduction to the work of Dublin City Council and the role of the elected representatives in the life of the city. It is a nuts and bolts piece, told in plain language, designed to inform those with little or no knowledge of the many services that the Council provides. As such, it is relevant for young adults, new citizens, immigrants, and anyone who wants to know more about how Dublin City functions.  It is also a useful tool for teachers as a basis for class lessons.Listen back to Sheela Keane discussing 'Knowing Dublin - Know Your City Council' on NearFM's Northside Today programme: http://nearfm.ie/podcast/?p=23766Many thanks to NearFM for permission to reproduce this recording.“Local democracy is strengthened by the active participation of citizens working towards a shared future. The active engagement of citizens can lead to an improvement in the quality of services delivered and the quality of democratic debate and dialogue surrounding decisions about the future of the city. Tá an daonlathas aitiúl mar bunú d’ár daonlathas náisiúnta” said Ardmhéara Míchéal Mac Donncha.The guide describes in detail the work of the local government elected representatives. There is a strong emphasis on voting: how to vote and why it is so important that citizens use their vote.“One of the main aims of Dublin City Public Library Service is to inform, educate, and enhance the lives of the people it serves. This guide is designed to give citizens an understanding of the way local government functions; by doing so, it facilitates greater participation in the democratic process and strengthens our shared  citizenship” commented Margaret Hayes, Dublin City Librarian.Download Knowing Dublin in English (PDF, 3.2MB) Cannot access PDF?Download Knowing Dublin in Irish (PDF, 3.15MB) Cannot access PDF? The Guide forms part of Dublin City Council’s calendar of events supporting Social Inclusion.

What happened in Ireland after the 1916 Rising? How did the political, economic and social landscape change and what brought about independence in 1922? Listen back to a three-part lecture series delivered by Maeve Casserly Dublin City Council’s Historians-in-Residence for the South East Area.  The lecture topics are:Lecture 1 - Ireland in 1917Lecture 2 - What was the War of Independence?Lecture 3 - What was the Civil War?Recorded at Rathmines Library on 12 and 26 June and Terenure Library on 20 Septemeber 2017.Lecture 1Lecture 2Lecture 3See images from this turbulent time in Irish history in the Birth of the Republic Collection available to search online at Dublin City Libraries and Archive Digital Repository.The Historians-in-residence have compiled a comprehensive booklist to accompany the Irish Revolution series of lectures:The Irish Revolution, 1917-1923: Further Reading (PDF, 363KB)This lecture series is part of Dublin City Council's Decade of Commemorations programme of events. 

Dublin City Hall was the venue for our third Heritage Week event, our seminar ‘Living in Victorian Dublin’. Our five speakers each spoke on a different topic, in order to cover all aspects of the Victorian city. Michael Barry was our first speaker. Author of Victorian Dublin Revealed he gave an overview of the entire city, demonstrating how many buildings, both public and domestic, have remained from that era and introducing them through his own splendid photography. Our next two speakers, Dr. Susan Galavan and Dr Jacinta Prunty, formed exact opposites. Susan’s talk was based on her new book Dublin’s Bourgeois Homes: building the Victorian suburbs 1850-1901.

What happened in Ireland after the 1916 Rising? How did the political, economic and social landscape change and what brought about independence in 1922? Listen back to a three-part lecture series delivered by Brian Hanley Dublin City Council’s Historians-in-Residence for Dublin City Library & Archive.

Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath / Lord Mayor of Dublin Mícheál Mac Donncha will officially launch a new exhibition Jacob’s Biscuit Factory & Dublin: An Assorted History, today, Friday, 8 September at 1pm in Dublin City Library and Archive.Drawing on the vast 330 boxes of Jacob Biscuit Factory Archives held at Dublin City Library, and using beautifully illustrated panels, oral histories, flags and original artefacts, the exhibition tells both a chronological and thematic history of Jacob’s Biscuit Factory. The events of 1913-1922 which impacted on Ireland nationally feature prominently and using the lens of the factory allows the exhibition to provide a unique contribution to the Decade of Commemorations.  The exhibition also tells more broadly the impact of Jacob’s on social, cultural and political life in Ireland throughout the twentieth century.  It includes an impressive time-line showing the changing faces of Jacob’s biscuit labels throughout the decades, and original artefacts such as a locked recipe books, an ‘Irish Free State’ Biscuit tin, employee welfare booklets,  and a truncheon used during the 1913 Lock-out alongside with a  letter from Trade Union leader Jim Larkin. Visitors will find out about the fascinating history of the Jacobs cream-cracker, who was the marketing genius to develop the concept of Jim Figgerty, and how did major national and international events from 1916 Rising to both World Wars impact the business, customers, and staff.Speaking ahead of the launch, Árdmhéara Mícheál Mac Donncha said “Thousands of Dubliners have a personal connection to Jacob’s whether through family members working there or simply a life-time of enjoying their wonderful selection of familiar products. This colourful exhibition focuses on the history of the factory, the workers, the biscuits it produced and its impact on Irish life in the twentieth century. I encourage everyone to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane & visit this tasty exhibition.  Molaim an taispeántas seo do phobal na cathrach agus cuairteoirí.”Margaret Hayes Dublin City Librarian said “This exhibition is the realisation of a journey made possible by a generous donation of company records from Valeo Foods, the Jacobs brand owner, together with a lifetime of committed collecting by Douglas Appleyard. This material was then professionally transformed by the Dublin City Archive team into an accessible archival legacy rich in story and image. Dublin City Council is proud to fund this exhibition through its Decade of Commemorations fund.”The exhibition will be on display at Dublin City Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2 from Friday 8 September to 28 October 2017. Opening hours are Monday - Thursday 10am-8pm & Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm. Free guided tours are also available every Tuesday morning throughout September & October: Booking required via jacobs-exhib-guided-tour.eventbrite.ieMembers of the public are encouraged to contact Dublin City Library and Archives (DCLA) @dclareadingroom using #jacobsassorted if they have Jacob’s memorabilia which they would like to add to the archive or to share their favourite labels or memories of Jacob’s.In particular DCLA are gathering stories of the after-life of Jacob’s biscuit tins. What did you keep in the tin or box, once all the biscuits were eaten?  For example that spare parts for the first Aer Lingus plane Iolar were carried in a Jacob’s tin!See Also: The Changing Face of Jacob's Biscuits Image Gallery.Further information: [email protected]; 01 674 4997/4848About the Jacob ArchivesThe archives of W & R Jacob and Company were acquired by Dublin City Library and Archive in 2012.  Comprising both the business archives donated by Valeo Foods and the Appleyard Collection donated by Douglas Appleyard, the 330 boxes contain a wide range of corporate records, relating to over 150 years of biscuit making in Dublin.This archive represents a rich and significant contribution to the study of business and commercial life in Dublin in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It also offers valuable information about life in the community of over three thousand Dublin workers, mostly women, who were engaged at any given time during most ofthe company’s manufacturing period. Following a major cataloguing and preservation project, the collection was opened for public access in the Reading Room of Dublin City Library and Archive in 2016.History of the companyThe Company’s Dublin connections originated on 29th June 1851, when it rented premises at 5 and 6 Peters Row, Dublin, on the corner of Bishop street. This building occupies a unique position in Irish history as it was seized and occupied by Irish Volunteers during Easter week 1916, as part of the armed insurrection against British rule in Ireland. In 1975, W & R Jacob’s manufacturing operations moved to a new purpose built factory in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght, where it remained until the factory closed in 2009.  The Jacobs brand lives on today in Ireland via Valeo Foods. 

Warmest congratulations to Kathleen Clifford, a member of Kevin Street Library creative writing group whose book 'Back of the Hack: Growing up in the Liberties' was recently published by A. Farmar.