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The story of Molly Malone, the famous Dublin fishmonger, is immortalised in the song of the city. Her statue, in Andrews Street, is one of the most visited by tourists to Dublin.But behind the romantic image of Molly Malone is the sad reality that early death from disease and unsanitary living conditions was a feature of Dublin life for many, particularly in the late 1800s and early 1900s.When Charles Cameron was appointed by Dublin Corporation as Chief Medical Officer in charge of Public Health in 1876, - a position he was to hold for some 50 years - he had a challenging workload in addressing the many issues directly related to disease and poverty in the city at the time. These were issues close to his heart, having lost two young sons to typhus in the early years of his married life.Cameron  prioritised improvements in housing conditions, going as far as closing down housing he felt was unfit as dwellings. He published many papers on topics such as sanitation and hygiene, whilst encouraging improvements in diet and nutrition, especially for those in poorer circumstances. One famous initiative from 1911 was the ‘3d per bag’ scheme for the capture of house-flies. These bags were deposited in the Corporation’s facility in Marrowbone Lane.  As public health improved under his tenure, the death rate in Dublin associated with infectious diseases dropped from 9/1000 to 1.3/100 in 1919.When six cases of smallpox were reported in Dublin in December 1902, fearing an epidemic, Cameron established the Pigeon House Isolation Hospital in early 1903. This could accommodate fifty patients, and later became a tuberculosis sanitorium.  Cameron also designed a fever ambulance to transport patients which was copied by health authorities in Europe.Charles Cameron died in 1926 and was buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery Dublin.  However, his memory lives on in two housing developments in the city, Cameron Street off Cork Street, and Cameron Square in Kilmainham, both in Dublin 8.Blog post by: Catherine Scuffil, (former) Historian in Residence, Dublin South Central, Dublin City Library and Archive.

This blog is brought to you by Transition Year student, Aisling, on work experience in Pearse Street Library, and it's about her five favourite books ever. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is my favourite book series at the moment.  Five of the six books books have been published so far. The Miss Peregrine’s series is perfect for those who prefer the slightly ‘cryptic’ side of fantasy with chilling photographs throughout. Even as a fan, be aware that the first book can be a bit slow as you only meet the peculiar children halfway through. The Conference of the Birds, released January 14th of this year, means that you will have to wait a very long while for the conclusion.Next we have a classic comic series that always has a special place in my heart, The Adventures of Tintin - (Volume 3). Tintin comics by Hergé are a classic. It features a reporter thrown into the craziest of situations. His trusted dog Snowy, and a sailor trying to quit alcohol, make up the unlikely trio along with a whole bunch of other zany characters. Tintin travels all over the world to solve cases.Carry On, and its sequel, Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell. Carry On asks the simple question, “what if the Chosen One absolutely sucked at their job”, then instantly delivered. Based on the ‘fiction within fiction’ story in Rowell’s other novel Fangirl, Carry On tells the story of Simon Snow and his time among fantastical wizards trying to avoid fighting the ‘Big Bad’ the entire time. Oh, did I mention his boyfriend is a vampire? Yeah, it’s a pretty cool novel, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who feels dissatisfied with the ending of Harry Potter.Comet in Moominland, or pretty much any other story in Tove Jansson’s Moomin series, is a surefire way to increase your dosage of serotonin. My source is this perfect cover. This particular installment is the second novel Jansson wrote for the Moomins and friends. The book debuts of my favourite character in the franchise - Snufkin!He’s the little fellow in red on the cover. The main plot of this story is that a comet is coming to destroy the valley the Moomins call home, and they’re off to try and stop it! It’s probably one of the more serious issues in the series.For my final novel, we’re going back to the classics with my favourite book, The Maze Runner by James Dashner.Despite similiar books like The Hunger Games or Divergent, The Maze Runner is the only one of the post apocalyptic Young Adult novels that stuck with me. I  have read all five and each time I wanted more of this strange universe and the characters. I wanted to learn more about what made Cranks the way they are. This book is also half the reason I picked up a lot of strange slang. My favourite will always be the original novel, though, as it’s about a boy named after Thomas Edison who woke up in a box and ended up surrounded by a maze with a bunch of other boys for company, trying to survive. 

Welcome to the tenth entry of our blog series 'Lost in the Stacks' - with recommendations by Dublin City Libraries staff exploring our first-rate catalogue, links provided, nudging you towards making an inspired selection. This is brought to you by Jessica in Cabra Library. Cabra Library has two lively and dedicated Junior Book Clubs that meet once a month. Two titles are chosen, usually one fiction book and one graphic novel/non-fiction book. The best discussions involve differences of opinions about the books. We don't expect everyone to love all the books all of the time. Here are some of our stand out reads from 2019.Junior Book Club: age 7-9The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin ColferThis is a touching story about the bond between a boy and his dog. Oz the puppy has had a rough start in life, abused by his cruel owners. Can Patrick help him learn to trust people again? Patrick is having a tough time of his own; he misses his musician dad who is away from home a lot. This is an affecting read, with lots of sad and poignant moments, but ultimately with a satisfyingly happy conclusion. The beautiful detailed illustrations add emotional depth and warmth.The Wolves of Currampaw by William GrillThis large format illustrated book is published by the fantastic Flying Eye Books (also publishers of another book club favourite - the Hilda graphic novels by Like Pearson). Based on the real life story of the attempts to capture a wolf pack in 19th century New Mexico, this book has a lot of interesting historical detail and opportunities for conversations about wildlife conservation and preservation. We had a great discussion about the illustrations in the book (which range from full page spreads to smaller images) and they added atmosphere excitement to the story.Flotsam by David WiesnerThis wordless picture book is a joy from start to finish. When a boy on a beach finds an underwater camera washed on the seashore he decides to get the film developed and in doing discovers a delightful mystery. The illustrations are intricately detailed and fantastical, showing us a magical marine world. The book club really enjoyed discussing this book and sharing their thoughts about what was happening. Interestingly, the thing that puzzled them most was that cameras once upon a time had a roll of film that had to be taken to a special shop to be developed and turned into photographs!Me and Mister P by Maria FarrerArthur is fed up (and a bit jealous) of the attention his younger brother gets from his parents. When a friendly polar bear called Mr P turns up unexpectedly and insists on staying with Arthur and his family everything changes for the better. Arthur learns that just because his brother has different ways of behaving to other kids does not mean they cannot have fun together as a family and his parents do not love him any less. This is a lovely, gently humorous story that has a message of acceptance and tolerance without being too preachy or heavy handed.Nightlights by Lorena AlvarezThis beautiful graphic novel has the most enchanting illustrations I have seen in a long time, with jewel like colours saturating the pages and a whimsical drawing style that veers between sweet and sinister. The story is about Sandy, a girl who loves drawing, who makes a new friend outside school one day. Not all is what it seems however, and when her new friend Morfie becomes mean and controlling Sandy must use all her imaginative power to save herself.Junior Book Club: age 10-12The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens This ingenious mystery is a follow up to The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd (1960-2007) and is based on her original idea. Robin Stevens is the author of the bestselling (and very popular with our library kids) series Murder Most Unladylike. This story follows the same central characters that were in The London Eye Mystery, as Ted’s detective skills and unique insight are needed to save his aunt Gloria from prison when a painting goes missing from the Guggenheim Museum. It is refreshing to have a neuroatypical central character in a children’s book and our book club enjoyed the mystery and fast pace of this story.Smile by Raina TelgemeierSmile is the story of what happened after 12-year-old Raina tripped, fell, and horribly damaged her two front teeth. The resulting dental trauma goes on for years, as Raina has to negotiate the perils of early adolescence with an ongoing array of braces and enduring orthodontic procedures. The drawing style is clear and expressive with a muted colour palette. The kids in the older book club are huge fans of Raina Telgemeier – I could have chosen any of her graphic novel memoirs, they enjoyed them all immensely.Beetle Boy by M.G. LeonardPrepare to learn some fascinating facts about beetles in this quirky adventure story that mixes just the right amount of science, adventure and fun. When his dad disappears from a vault containing a rare beetle collection it is up to Darkus to figure out what has really happened. Darkus makes an unusual friend when he Baxter, a rhinoceros beetle starts communicating with him.The Wishing Spell: The Land of Stories by Chris ColferTwins Alex and Conner’s world changes forever when they are given a special fairy tale book. The book is the entrance to a magical world called the Land of Stories where all the fairy tale characters live. However, getting back home is going to be harder than they think as they run into (and from) some of the nastier creatures like goblins, witches and trolls. This is an imaginative and entertaining read with great moments of humour and just the right amount of danger.El Deafo by Cece BellOffering a fascinating and authentic insight into a hearing impaired world, this is a sweet graphic novel, loosely based on the author’s own childhood, where the characters are depicted as bunnies. When Cece is four she loses most of her hearing after having meningitis. Later on, when she goes to school she has to wear a big hearing aid and sometimes the other kids are mean to her. Things change when she realises that her Phonic Ear can be like a superpower that allows her to listen in on the teachers - she likes to think of herself as a superhero called El Deafo. Our book club was particularly impressed with the way that CeCe’s hearing loss is depicted visually with text fading out and disappearing from speech bubbles.  

Welcome to the ninth entry of our blog series 'Lost in the Stacks' - with recommendations by Dublin City Libraries staff exploring our first-rate catalogue, links provided, nudging you towards making an inspired selection. Short story collections usually get short shrift but this is not the case today in this quirky blog written by staff member, Brian, from our Relief Panel. Are you sick and tired of short stories parading the underbelly of life? – if so, try cocktails by the pool with John Cheever. As a bonus you’ll get the wonderfully wicked rant ‘The Worm In The Apple’ and in ‘The Swimmer’ get a brilliant description of Burt Lancaster’s torso.Celebrated opening lines of novels include “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don’t know” from Albert Camus’ ‘The Outsider’ and from ‘Murphy’ by Beckett “The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new”. Perhaps less celebrated but my personal favourite begins the short story  ‘An Interest In Life’ (from ‘The Collected Stories Of Grace Paley’) – “My husband gave me a broom one Christmas”. What follows is a story opening both perfectly put together and hilarious.I recently re-read the story ‘The Lost Salt Gift Of Blood’ from ‘Island : collected stories’ by Alistair MacLeod. I was beguiled again by MacLeod’s huge sense of a small place, by his divination of the familial ties that bind us and by his plainspeak about the unspoken.On listening to ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ recently I thought to myself that, with no offence to Morrissey and the boys, I’d prefer to be re-reading a paragraph from the short story ‘ Smorgasbord’ (collection ‘The Night In Question’) by Tobias Wolff that ends with the line “I let the light go out”. I don’t know where to start going on about this collection so I won’t.  Just read.  

Irish nationalists drew parallels between their own struggle and that in India, particularly the brutality of colonialism. In mid-1919, the British government faced rebellion both overseas and at home. India was consumed with unrest as demobilised soldiers and economic recession created unstable conditions in the region, particularly the Punjab. On 10 April 1919, rioting began in the city of Amritsar, following the arrest and deportation of Indian national leaders. All meetings and public assemblies were banned in response to the violence; when a large crowd gathered at an enclosed public space known as Jallianwalla Bagh, British and Gurkha troops, led by General Reginald Dyer, opened fire without warning. At the subsequent enquiry in October, Dyer himself justified his actions by stating that it was ‘no longer merely a question of dispersing the crowd, but of producing a sufficient moral effect from a military point of view’ – in other words, setting an example.The image opposite, from the satirical newspaper, The Lepracaun, compares British rule in the two countries: executions and burning of homesteads in Ireland, while India saw the brutal practice of execution by cannon, particularly associated with the British suppression of the rebellion of 1857.  At home, the campaign against British rule in Ireland commenced with an ambush on a police patrol in Tipperary in January 1919, the same day the First Dáil met at the Mansion House in Dublin.Dyer was eventually dismissed from the army but commanded widespread support in the UK, with one MP suggesting that he be sent to Ireland to use similar methods to defeat Sinn Fein. Another warned that the same would soon happen in Ireland: as the Marquess of Crewe said, ‘for "Amritsar" read "Limerick" or "Ennis," or some town in the South and West, and conceive a precise repetition of the circumstances there.’Dyer was eventually dismissed from the army but commanded widespread support in the UK, with one MP suggesting that he be sent to Ireland to use similar methods to defeat Sinn Fein. Another warned that the same would soon happen in Ireland: as the Marquess of Crewe said, ‘for "Amritsar" read "Limerick" or "Ennis," or some town in the South and West, and conceive a precise repetition of the circumstances there.’Dublin Irish and Local Studies CollectionThe Dublin and Irish Local Studies Collection includes new and second-hand material on Dublin City and County covering a range of books, newspapers, periodicals, photographs, maps, prints, drawings, theatre programmes, playbills, posters, ballad sheets, audiovisual materials and ephemera. Library and archive material cannot be borrowed or removed from the Reading Room. Collections can be accessed by filling out request forms and can be viewed in the Reading Room only.Blogpost by: Bernard Kelly, Historian in Residence, Dublin City Library and Archive. 

Welcome to the sixth entry in our blog series 'Lost in the Stacks' - recommendations by Dublin City Libraries staff exploring overlooked gems and helping you find your next read!Our entry today comes from Marc and is an eclectic mix of some of his current comic faves, including horror-infused fairytales, university adventures and a spy thriller!Pick and Mix ComicsOnce upon a time, there was horror in children’s tales. However, the continuing 'Disney-fication' and homogenisation of fairy stories mean that children are spared such spinechilling scenes as the agonising death of Red Riding Hood’s Granny and the execution of the Big Bad Wolf at the hands of the Woodcutter.Thankfully, Neil Gaiman is busy teaming up with the world’s greatest illustrators to reinject gore, terror, and bloody murder into our best loved folklore. If you missed his reboot of the fairy tale world with Chris Riddell, The Sleeper And The Spindle, then you simply must catch up with it.In Snow, Glass, Apples, Gaiman teams up with Colleen Doran, whose stunning, stylised art is dedicated to the revolutionary stained glass luminary, Harry Clarke. In this retelling, Snow White is a vampire, and her stepmother lives every day in fear as those around her succumb to the insatiable hunger of the ravenous child. Fans of the macabre will revel in the creepy, gothic atmosphere, and dripping gore.From the ridiculous to the sublime, Giant Days is possibly my favourite ongoing comic series. It’s definitely my favourite book about three girls going to the University of Sheffield. 10 volumes in and the travails of Esther, Daisy, and Susan are no less engrossing and charming. Writer John Allison had previous success with Bad Machinery but his characters have truly come to life in collaboration with artist Max Sarin.If you want to start at the beginning of the series, then look here and skip to the next section because *spoilers ahead* In this latest episode, Daisy and Esther visit a jobs fair for graduates, Susan and her no-longer-secret boyfriend face the first challenges of living together, and Ed Gemmell is in rehabilitation after confessing his love to Esther and/or breaking both his ankles. *end spoilers* Through it all, they show us how to be good friends and better people. What more could you ask for?I stumbled upon The Prague Coup when the Central Library comic book club was looking into French comics. After the USA and Japan, France has the biggest comic book industry in the world. Among the translated gems we found were the Death Of Stalin, Louis Undercover (which turned out to be French-Canadian), and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Bouncer, which we’ll be reading next month. The Prague Coup turned up completely unexpectedly and immediately piqued my interest.Graham Greene is the main character. It’s ostensibly a true story and tells of his time in post-war Vienna, researching what would become The Third Man; one of the great films of the age. Told from the perspective of Greene’s lover and fellow spy, it’s a tale of mistrust, backstabbing and all the assorted jollities one expects from the Cambridge Spies.

On December 6, 1922, the Irish Free State came formally into existence after the Free State Act gave effect to the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It was exactly one year after the signing of the Treaty. Under the Free State Act, the Governor General would be the King’s representative in Ireland. The first holder of the post was former Irish Parliamentary Party MP Timothy Healy, who was sworn in at his home in Chapelizod.Opposite an undated portrait of Tim Healy (Dixon Slides Collection, DCLA)Healy was born in Bantry, Co. Cork in 1855. He worked in England as a railway clerk and then from 1878 in London as parliamentary correspondent of the Nation. He followed the family participation in Irish politics (his elder brother Thomas was a solicitor and Member of Parliament for North Wexford and his younger brother Maurice was a solicitor and MP for Cork City. After being arrested for intimidation in connection with the Land League, Tim was elected as MP for Wexford in 1880.In Parliament Healy became an authority on the Irish land question, and created the ‘Healy Clause’ of the Land Act of 1881, which protected tenant farmers’ agrarian improvements from rent increases imposed by landlords. This not only made him popular throughout nationalist Ireland but also won seats for the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) in Protestant Ulster. He was called to the Bar in 1884 and became a Queen’s Counsel in 1899In the IPP, Healy’s relations with Parnell were always strained and he finally broke with ‘the Chief’ in 1886 when the Kitty O’Shea divorce scandal became common knowledge. Although he was a strong supporter of Home Rule, he was not an admirer of Parnell’s successors in the IPP and he supported Sinn Féin after 1917.During the War of Independence, Healy recognised the futility of the insistence by the Ireland Secretary, Sir Hamar Greenwood that the IRA should surrender their arms before engaging in talks about a truce. He said:The point I gather, taken by the blessed Cabinet donkeys, was that the Shins should surrender arms before a truce. This is worthy of Gallipoli, Antwerp, Deniken, Wrangel and the cohort of cods. I am for doing business and making peace.Because he was regarded as an elder statesman by the British and Irish governments, both sides proposed him in 1922 as governor-general of the new Irish Free State. The Office of Governor-General was largely ceremonial but many Nationalists regarded the existence of the office as offensive to republican principles and a symbol of continued Irish involvement in the United Kingdom.The office's role was diminished over time by the Irish Government and it was officially abolished on 11 December 1936. The Irish government set the term of office for the Governor General at five years. Tim Healy died at his home in Chapelizod in March 1931, aged 75 years.Dublin Irish and Local Studies The Dublin and Irish Local Studies Collection includes new and second-hand material on Dublin City and County covering a range of books, newspapers, periodicals, photographs, maps, prints, drawings, theatre programmes, playbills, posters, ballad sheets, audiovisual materials and ephemera. Library and archive material cannot be borrowed or removed from the Reading Room. Collections can be accessed by filling out request forms and can be viewed in the Reading Room only.Blop post by: Dr Mary Muldowney, Dublin City Council Historian in Residence, Dublin Central. 

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), the most iconic athlete of the twentieth century possessed Irish ancestry and visited Ireland on three occasions during his lifetime. Accompanied by his fourth wife Lonnie, Ali’s final visit to Ireland occurred in 2009. After attending a fundraising dinner at the Ballsbridge Court Hotel in Dublin, he travelled westwards to Clare and received the honour of becoming the first Freeman of Ennis during a civic reception held at Waterpark House, Drumbiggle.In Ennis, the birthplace of his maternal great-grandfather Abe Grady, Ali unveiled a monument at Turnpike Road commemorating his visit and the recent launch of the ‘Alltech Muhammad Ali Center Global Education and Charitable Fund’, and attended another fundraising event held at Dromoland Castle.Ali’s previous visit to Ireland had occurred during the summer of 2003, when he was among the special guests in attendance at Croke Park for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games, the first time that this event was held outside the United States. Ali won a Gold Medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome when aged only eighteen, and in a moving spectacle overcame his Parkinson’s syndrome to light the Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. While in Dublin for a second time, Ali enthusiastically mingled with Special Olympics athletes across the city and met former South African President Nelson Mandela at the Four Seasons Hotel in Ballsbridge the morning after the event’s opening ceremony.Famously, Ali’s first Irish trip took place in the summer of 1972 when he fought at Croke Park against Alvin ‘Blue’ Lewis, a tough and powerful yet limited fighter from Detroit. Touched by the friendliness and sincerity of the Irish people, Ali was also exasperated at the almost total whiteness of the local populace and isolation of his hotel on the outskirts of south county Dublin, where he stayed for nine nights. The fight, which occurred on 19 July 1972, was a one-sided yet spirited affair in which Ali dominated his game opponent while rarely getting out of second gear, perhaps due to a head-cold he had caught a couple of days earlier.Ali dropped the Michigan fighter with a chopping right hand near the end of the fifth round, but a slow count of fifteen seconds and the sounding of the bell allowed Lewis to get off the canvas and continue. The referee later stopped the fight in the eleventh round, awarding Ali a technical knockout victory.Blogpost by: Dr. James Curry, Historian in Residence, North West Area.Dublin North West Historian in Residence Dr. James Curry will be giving a talk on ‘Muhammad Ali and Ireland’ during the Dublin Festival of History 2019. These will take place at Cabra Library on Thursday 10th October from 6:30-7:30pm, and at Donaghmede Library on Thursday 17th October from 6:30-7:30pm.Booking required: [email protected] and/or [email protected]

Instrument Carousel - a partnership between Girls Rock Dublin and Dublin City Libraries was a smash hit with all the teenagers in Pearse Library on Culture Night last Friday. Instrument Carousel was an opportunity for participants to explore their musical potential.It marks the launch of the “GRD Gear Library”, the gear loan service designed for teenagers by Girls Rock Dublin & Dublin City Libraries. Sixteen teenagers took over the Library in a fun & loud experiment involving electric guitars, basses, synths, keyboards & drums. By moving through different rooms and engaging with GRD coaches, participants learned a song on each instrument, and finished by performing the song together.Girls Rock Dublin is a non-profit, volunteer-led organisation that builds girls’ self-esteem through music creation and performance. Providing workshops and technical training, GRD creates leadership opportunities, cultivates a supportive community of peers and mentors, and encourages social change and the development of life skills. ​From Culture Night any teenager who is a member of Dublin City Libraries can borrow their preferred instrument for three weeks. All you need is your library card!Teenagers will need the signature of a parent or guardian when completing the membership form. Their parent or guardian will need to bring photo I.D. and proof of address. Get access to great online resources, borrow books, DVDs and now musical instruments! There are no fines and you can use your card in any library in Ireland.    Joining is easy. Call into Pearse Street library and borrow what you like. The GRD Gear Library is a collection of  instruments, amplifiers and musical accessories that Girls Rock Dublin are now making available through Dublin City Libraries all year round.     The collection is made up of donated gear from people in the community who value the work of Girls Rock Dublin and from purchases made from funding received with thanks to ​Reverb.com​. GRD Gear Library also welcome donations of 'gear'.The library is an ongoing project, more pics from Culture Night 2019 on flickr. Dublin City Libraries are free,fun and easy to use. Find out more.       

I guess it’s that time of year again! If you’re back to school or college, read on to find out about our amazing array of FREE online research and reference resources. We have something here to help you with your studies, whatever level you’re at.Visit our website at http://www.dublincity.ie/library-eresources to explore all the free online resources available through Dublin City Libraries. All for FREE!All you need to register or to log on is your Dublin City Libraries card. And remember to tell your friends and family and classmates too!AdultStudentJuniorEarly LearningKidsStudentOxford Research and Reference Encyclopaedia, featuring the following topics:ClassicsClimate Science CommunicationCriminology        Education              Environmental ScienceInternational StudiesLiteraturePolitics    Psychology                 Religion                                  Social Work           Oxford English DictionaryOxford Dictionaries, featuringSpanishArabicGermanFrenchItalianPortugueseRussianChineseOxford Bibliographies – British and Irish Literature and Victorian LiteratureOxford Music Online (Grove Music)Oxford Art Online (Grove Art Online/Benezit Dictionary of Artists)American National Biography OnlineYou can access 1,000s of articles in newspapers and magazines from Ireland and around the world with Proquest and PressReader.Proquest  PressReader Finally, we also have the following research and reference tools available to you on your device when you visit your local library:Dictionary of Irish BiographyEmerald InsightScience DirectJSTOR – The Irish CollectionIrish Times Digital ArchiveIrish Newspaper ArchiveHappy studying from Dublin City Libraries!