Publications

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Dublin City Libraries has a long history of publishing books. These books are available to borrow from our libraries and to consult in the Reading Room. Many are in print and available to buy in book shops or through our distributer Four Courts Press.

Publications List

Title: Building Healthy Homes: Dublin Corporation’s First Housing Schemes 1880-1925
Author: Joseph Brady and Ruth McManus
Format: Hardback
Pages: 300pp; ills.
Price: Hardback €22.50 (guide price)
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Libraries & Archive
ISBN: 978-0-9500512-6-0

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Description

During the twentieth century, Dublin Corporation transformed the urban landscape of Dublin. Its many housing developments sought to end a housing and public health crisis of immense proportions, the legacy of the nineteenth century.

Its early engagement with the housing crisis was tentative and involved mostly small inner city schemes, many of which are unknown to present day Dubliners. Yet, these schemes were built well and most continue to be lived in and appreciated.

Building Healthy Homes, written by Joseph Brady and Ruth McManus, and published by Dublin City Council, is a commemoration and an analysis of the early schemes from the 1880s to the late 1920s. These are examined in some detail and the book is comprehensively illustrated with maps, photographs and original plans. Housing policy evolved during this time and the reader will learn that the issues faced and the solutions found remain relevant to the present day. The reader will also meet many of the significant people who shaped the city; people such as Charles Cameron, H.T. O’Rourke and P.C. Cowan. The text ends with a detailed account of Marino and Drumcondra. These schemes, especially the former, represent the culmination of policy development and were seen as models for the future.

The fact that they remain sought-after today is a testament to the quality of that vision.

Joseph Brady is an urban geographer and formerly of University College Dublin. His interests include city history and development, non-European urbanisation and the history of cartography. He is the author of many works on the development of Dublin and co-editor of the Making of Dublin City series of books, published by Four Courts Press.

Ruth McManus is Associate Professor of Geography in Dublin City University. She is the author of Dublin 1910-1940: shaping the city and suburbs (2002) and Crampton Built (2008), and co-editor of Leaders of the City (2013). Her interests include urban geography, suburban history, population, heritage, tourism and geography education, and she is co-editor of the Making of Dublin City series.

Title: Vindicating Dublin: The story behind the controversial dissolution of Dublin Corporation in 1924
Author: Aodh Quinlivan
Format: Hardback
Pages: 288pp; ills.
Price: Hardback €22.50 (guide price)
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Libraries & Archive
ISBN: 978-0-9505488-3-8

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Description

The strained relationship between the Irish Free State and Dublin Corporation (the city's municipal government) is brought to light in this absorbing study which captures the mood in the capital during a period of turmoil. Throughout the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence, Dublin Corporation operated as a highly political institution. After the Civil War the Corporation continued to irritate central Government with its activities. In these politically sensitive years, there was a determination to divorce local government from national issues. The Free State enacted the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923 which gave national government the power to dissolve local authorities. Accordingly, on 20 February 1924 the Department of Local Government and Public Health announced a public inquiry into Dublin Corporation.

Vindicating Dublin uncovers the story of this 14-day inquiry, chaired by Nicholas O'Dwyer, which culminated in the the dissolution of the Corporation. Locally-elected councillors no longer held power in the city; instead three Commissioners were appointed to oversee municipal government. This arrangement was in place from 1924-1930 until the Local Government (Dublin) Act, 1930 created the position of a city manager and set in motion Dublin's first local elections in a decade.

Aodh Quinlivan is a lecturer in politics at the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork, where he specialises in local government and public sector management. He is also the Director of UCC's Centre for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG).

Title: Gentlemen’s Daughters in Dublin Cloisters: The social world of nuns in early eighteenth century Dublin.
Author: Bernadette Cunningham
Size: 25.5cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 42pp
Price: €8
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 9780950548845

Book available from all good bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Description

The 20th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2017

The twentieth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, 'Gentlemen’s Daughters in Dublin Cloisters: The social world of nuns in early 18th century Dublin' by Bernadette Cunningham, was held at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on Wednesday, 25 January 2017

Title: Knowing Dublin: Know your City Council
Author: Dublin City Public Libraries
Format: Paperback and PDF
Pages: 38pp.
Price: Free and available to download below
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries

Book available from all good bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Description

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.

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.

Knowing Dublin was researched and written by public library staff. It was originally published in 2008. The 4th and fully revised edition was be published in October 2017.

The Knowing Dublin guide, in both English and Irish, is available in each Dublin City branch library.

Knowing Dublin. Know Your Council

English version (3.4MB) Leagan Gaeilge (3.4MB)

Title: Rioters, Looters, Lady Patrols & Mutineers: Some reflections on lesser visited aspects of the Irish Revolution in Dublin.
Author: Pádraig Yeates
Size: 25.5cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 48pp
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 9781907002359

Book available from all good bookshops | Library Catalogue.

The 19th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2016

The nineteenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, 'The women were worse than the men: crime in Dublin in 1916' by Pádraig Yeates, was held at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on Thursday, 21 January 2016.

Title: The Ha'penny Bridge, Dublin
Author: Michael English
Size: 23cm
Format: Hardback and paperback
Pages: 272pp; colour illustrations
Publisher: Dublin City Council, 2016
ISBN: 9781907002229 (hardback) | 9781907002298 (paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops and Library Catalogue.

Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge is one of the symbols of the city. Opened on 19 May 1816, the first dedicated footbridge over the river Liffey, it was also the first iron bridge in Ireland. The bridge was officially named after the first duke of Wellington, the Dublin-born victor of the Battle of Waterloo. It quickly acquired the nickname by which it is still known because it replaced a Liffey ferry which charged passengers a half-penny – and this amount was now charged to pedestrians as a toll to cross the bridge. The Ha’penny Bridge has had its share of controversy. In 1913 proposals were made to replace it with an art gallery designed by the famous architect Sir Edward Lutyens at the request of Sir Hugh Lane. The gallery would span the river similar to the Vasari Corridor in Florence. In the event, Dublin Corporation did not have enough funds for the project, so it was turned down. The Ha’penny Bridge was triumphantly restored in 2001.

This lavishly-illustrated book has been produced to mark the bi-centenary of the bridge and is the fourth in Dublin City Council’s series on engineering history and heritage, the other titles in the series being 'Bridges of Dublin', 'Exercise of Authority' and 'The Rivers Dodder and Poddle'.

With special contributions from Michael B. Barry, Annette Black, David de Haan, Seán Harrington, Michael Phillips, Logan Sisley and Gerard Smyth.

Title: The Dublin Civic Portrait Collection: Patronage, politics and patriotism, 1603–2013
Author: Mary Clark
Size: 24.5cm
Format: Hardback
Pages: 238pp; colour illustrations
Publisher: Four Courts Press, May 2016
ISBN: 9781846825842

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Beginning in the early 17th century and continuing to the present day, the city of Dublin has built up a portrait collection that is unique on the island of Ireland in terms of range and diversity, and is brilliantly expressive of the political aspirations and realities that have informed its creation. The collection contains sixty-six works in oil-on-canvas and eight statues in bronze and marble. These can be placed in three principal categories: royal personages; lord lieutenants of Ireland; and lord mayors and aldermen of Dublin. It includes works by Irish artists Thomas Hickey, Hugh Douglas Hamilton, Martin Cregan, Stephen Catterson Smith, Dermod O’Brien, Robert Ballagh and Carey Clarke and by leading English portraitists including Sir Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, Sir William Beechey and Sir Thomas Lawrence.

This book contains a catalogue of the entire collection with an introduction placing it within the broader context of civic imagery and regalia, giving due regard to ceremony, heraldry, dress and accoutrements of office. The Dublin collection is placed within its historical context to show how developments in Dublin and in Ireland as a whole influenced its formation. This lavishly illustrated book illuminates the complex relationship between politics, pageantry, art and history in the Irish capital over a sustained period of 400 years.

Mary Clark is the Dublin City Archivist and curator of the Dublin Civic Portrait Collection.

Title: The Rivers Dodder and Poddle: Mills, storms, droughts and the public water supply
Authors: Don McEntee and Michael Corcoran
Series editor: Mary Clark and Michael Phillips
Size: 28.5cms x 21cms
Format: Hardback and paperback
Pages: 296pp; colour illustrations
Publisher: Dublin City Council, April 2016
ISBN: 9781907002243 (hardback) | 9781907002274 (paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Over many years the River Dodder, rich in history and archaeology, has been the engrossing subject of numerous books and papers. Most of what has been written focuses on particular aspects of the river, e.g. flora and fauna or folklore and legend. In contrast, this book concentrates on the engineering history and topography while not neglecting other relevant issues of the river and the Bohernabreena Reservoirs. The Dodder’s role in supplying water to Rathmines and Rathgar and the later integration of this system with the wider Dublin public water network is also explained. Information has been collected from a wide range of very diverse sources – some of them contradictory – and only inserted on verification. The Bohernabreena Reservoirs, more properly known as the Glenasmole Reservoirs, and their unique role in water supply, millers’ compensation rights and flood control, are a central feature of these pages. The authors describe the Dodder – as with any other river, having its own unique catchment and other attributes - from as many other different viewpoints as possible. The Poddle - which in essence is a tributary of the Dodder – is also explored. This river, which is now mostly underground, is famous for the Dubh Linn, the peaty pool which formed at its confluence with the river Liffey.

'The Rivers Dodder and Poddle' is the third in a new series of books issued by Dublin City Council to explore the engineering history and heritage of the city, other titles in the series being 'Bridges of Dublin', 'Exercise of Authority' and 'The Ha'penny Bridge Dublin'.

Michael Corcoran was a draughtsman with Dublin City Council's Drainage Division for 24 years and is the author of several works including Our Good Health: a history of Dublin's water and drainage (2005). Don McEntee was Senior Engineer in the Design Section of the Engineering Department of Dublin City Council.

Title: Dublin City Council and the 1916 Rising
Editor: John Gibney
Size: 25cms x 16cms
Format: Hardback and paperback
Pages: 336pp; full colour
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive, March 2016
ISBN 9781907002335 (hardback) | 9781907002342 (paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Dublin City Council had a strong connection to the 1916 Rising through the involvement of elected members and Dublin Corporation employees, while the City Hall was a garrison building, held on Easter Monday by the Irish Citizen Army. The thirteen essays in this book, researched and written by experts in their field, explore the events and strategies leading into and following the Rising as it concerned the City Council.

These are complemented by biographies of 151 persons who were involved in the Rising and were either employed by the Council at the time, or subsequently. This wide-ranging book is essential for a complete understanding of the Rising.

Contributors: Sheila Carden, Shay Cody, Evelyn Conway, Donal Fallon, Las Fallon, David Flood, John Gibney, Anthony Jordan, Conor McNamara, Martin Maguire, Thomas J. Morrissey SJ, Seamus Ó Maitiú, Lawrence White, Padraig Yeates.

John Gibney is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and the author of several books on Irish history. He has been a research fellow at the University of Notre Dame and NUI Galway. In 2012 he produced the acclaimed RTÉ Radio 1 documentary The Animal Gangs (broadcast July 2012) on the folklore of inner city Dublin. He has worked in heritage tourism in Dublin since 2001.

Title: The Three Castles of Dublin: An eclectic history of Dublin through the evolution of the city's Coat of Arms
Authors: Michael English
Size: 22cms x 15.5cms
Format: Hardback
Pages: 272pp; full colour
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive, March 2016
ISBN: 9781907002267

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

The Three Castles have been the symbol of Dublin since 1230AD, when they first appeared on a city seal as three towers situated around one of the fortified gates of the city. Over time, the towers assumed greater significance as a symbol and by the mid-16th century they had been separated into three distinct castles. The first formalised heraldic depiction of the castles was devised in 1607 by Daniel Molyneux, the Ulster King-at-Arms.

The origin of the Three Castles as a symbol is unknown and obscure. Did they symbolise the three garrisons outside the city’s walls in earlier times? Some speculate that they represent Dublin Castle, repeated three times, because of a mystical connection with that number. Perhaps they are not castles at all, but represent three gates of the Viking city.

Whatever the reason, the Three Castles has been, and remains, the official symbol of the city for nearly 800 years – a symbol that remains the same, yet with every reproduction was painstakingly drawn, designed and fabricated differently from the previous depiction. The only stipulation in any depiction is that two castles are placed over one.

Many Dubliners and visitors to the city will be familiar with the Three Castles as the symbol appears throughout the city, in various forms, on buildings, flags, water hydrants, plaques and streetlights. This fascinating and richly illustrated book follows the eclectic history of the city as it tracks the evolution of this notable graphic symbol.

Title: Richmond Barracks 1916: We were there, 77 women of the Easter Rising
Authors: Mary McAuliffe and Liz Gillis
Size: 24cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 276pp
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive
ISBN: 9781907002328

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

It is now generally acknowledged that women played a vital role in the Irish revolutionary movement in the years 1913–23, including the Easter Rising. Women of the Irish Citizen Army, Cumann na mBan, the Clan na nGaedheal Girl Scouts and individual women fought side by side with their male counterparts in most of the Rising outposts in Dublin, Enniscorthy and Galway during Easter week 1916. After the surrender, seventy-seven of these women were arrested along with their male colleagues and taken to Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin. It is these seventy-seven, representing a cross section of Irish society in a pivotal time in Irish history, whose histories, activism and legacies form the nucleus of this book.

This new research and analysis of the women in the 1916 Rising is a welcome addition to the historiography of the period and gives voice to the forgotten Easter Rising women.

Title: Exercise of authority: Surveyor Thomas Owen and the paving, cleansing and lighting of Georgian Dublin
Author: Finnian Ó Cionnaith
Size:
Format: Paperback | Hardback
Pages: 156pp; colour illustrations
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive, February 2016
ISBN: 9781907002304 (paperback); 9781907002236 (hardback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

From the 1770s to the mid-nineteenth century the commissioners for paving the streets of Dublin, commonly known as the Paving Board, were responsible for the paving, lighting and cleansing of the capital. Granted sweeping powers by the Irish parliament, this organisation tackled problems still familiar to modern Dubliners such as traffic congestion, street paving, road works, waste removal, public lighting and anti-social behaviour. The Commissioners attempted to stamp Georgian conformity and order on a city trying to shake its medieval image and move into the modern world. Prior to its foundation, the maintenance of Dublin's streets was a haphazard affair with the city's patchwork of diverse and divergent parishes bearing responsibility for services within their borders. The Paving Board took this misbalanced system and placed the city under one hierarchical organisation capable, in theory, of helping the rapidly growing city cope with the changes it encountered. The legacy of the Paving Board can still be seen today in the setts and granite curbstones which can be found in Dublin’s historic core and yet this book is the first history of this important body, looking at the first formative fifteen years of the Board from the viewpoint of one of its most important officers, surveyor Thomas Owen.

'Exercise of Authority' is the second in a new series of books issued by Dublin City Council to explore the engineering history and heritage of the city, other titles in the series being 'Bridges of Dublin', 'The Rivers Dodder and Poddle' and 'The Ha'penny Bridge Dublin'. This richly-illustrated book is essential for a complete understanding of Georgian Dublin.

Title: Dublin in its Global Setting: From Wood Quay to Silicon City
Author: Kevin Whelan
Size: 25.5cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 30pp
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive
ISBN: 9781907002281

Book available from all good bookshops | Library Catalogue.

The 18th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2015

Listen back to 'Dublin in its Global Setting: From Wood Quay to Silicon City' by Kevin Whelan. The eighteenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series was held at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on Thursday, 22 January 2015.

Title: The Mansion House, Dublin. 300 years of history and hospitality
Editor: Mary Clark
Size: 31cms
Format: Case-bound | Paperback
Pages: 180pp. colour ills, large format
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive
ISBN: 9781907002199 (Case-bound) | 9781907002205 (Paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

Dublin’s Mansion House is the only mayoral residence in Ireland and is older than any surviving in Great Britain. Originally the town house of merchant and property developer Joshua Dawson, it was purchased by the Dublin City Assembly in April 1715 and since then has been the home of each lord mayor during their term of office. This is the first major work on the Mansion House and includes essays on its history, architecture and antique furnishings along with an account of one year in the residence, which gives a vivid picture of how the building is used.

Contributors: Mary Clark is the Dublin City Archivist and is curator of the Dublin Civic Portrait Collection. Fanchea Gibson is the Administrator of the Mansion House and oversees the day-to-day running of the mayoral residence. Nicola Matthews is architectural Conservation Officer with Dublin City Council and her research interests include the historic fabric of Merrion Square. Susan Roundtree was Senior Executive Architect with Dublin City Council and was responsible for the care and conservation of the Mansion House. Patricia Wrafter is Senior Executive Council and is responsible for the historic furnishings of the Mansion House.

Title: Bridges of Dublin. The Remarkable Story of Dublin's Liffey Bridges
Authors: Annette Black & Michael B. Barry
Format: Hardback | Paperback
Pages: 260pp. colour ills
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive
ISBN: 9781907002250 (Hardback) | 9781907002212 (Paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

A vivid history of Dublin unfolds in this exploration of more than one thousand years of bridges over the river Liffey. From the time of the Vikings and their simple, wooden bridge, through Dublin’s late 17th century expansion when four new bridges were built within 14 years, to the iconic Ha’penny Bridge the story of a city and its bridges is told.

Dublin’s bridges are not mere structures. They are monuments to heroes and heroines, celebrations of a great literary heritage, romantic reminders of gentler times and futuristic style statements of a city’s confidence in itself. They are portals to the city’s past revealing tales of bloody battles, political intrigue, innovative engineers and architects, dubious developers and romantic liaisons.

From the oldest surviving, Mellows Bridge of 1768, to the newest, the Rosie Hackett Bridge of 2014, all 24 bridges and those they replaced are eloquently described. Striking photographs, reproductions of old maps and illustrations along with suggested walking tours complement the remarkable story of the bridges of Dublin. Lavishly illustrated, this book is essential for all those who are interested in this important part of Dublin’s history.

'Bridges of Dublin' is the first in a new series of books issued by Dublin City Council to explore the engineering history and heritage of the city, other titles in the series being 'Exercise of Authority', 'The Rivers Dodder and Poddle' and 'The Ha'penny Bridge Dublin'.

Annette Black is a writer and teacher living in Co. Wicklow. She is the author of the website bridgesofdublin.ie and has written and published on both historical and educational topics. Over the years she has contributed to print media as diverse as The Irish Times, The Guardian and Ireland's Own while also contributing to radio programmes such as ‘Sunday Miscellany’ and numerous educational and lifestyle radio programmes, many of which she also presented.

Author and historian Michael B. Barry, from West Cork, studied engineering and economics in Trinity College, Dublin. He has worked on transportation projects both in Ireland and around the world. With a strong interest in history and heritage, Michael has written several books. He lives in Dublin.

Title: Thomas Fitzpatrick and The Lepracaun Cartoon Monthly 1905-1915
Size: 20cms
Format: Pbk
Pages: x, 199pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Council c/o Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive
ISBN 978-1907002-17-5

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

James Curry and Ciarán Wallace’s book Thomas Fitzpatrick and The Lepracaun Cartoon Monthly 1905-1915 introduces a new generation of readers to the work of Thomas Fitzpatrick, the owner and chief cartoonist of the ‘Lepracaun’ monthly. This publication was a best-seller on Dublin’s news-stands a century ago.

Between 1905 and 1915, The Lepracaun Cartoon Monthly satirised society and politics in Dublin and beyond. Its proprietor, editor and chief cartoonist Thomas Fitzpatrick (1860-1912), already had a distinguished career drawing for leading publications in Dublin and London, including Nation, National Press and Weekly Freeman and Irish People. Fitzpatrick’s cartoons countered Punch’s ape-like Irishman with the upright and noble figure of ‘Pat’, and his sharp pen presented senior British figures in an unforgiving light. The Lepracaun Cartoon Monthly, however, gave his perceptive wit a far broader canvas. Politicians and publicans, clerics and suffragettes, trade unionists and bosses were all fair game – nor did the man or woman in the street escape his critical eye.

Introductory essays on Thomas Fitzpatrick’s life and career, and on the social and political context of the times, complement the detailed captions which accompany each image. A foreword by Jim FitzPatrick, artist and grandson of Thomas, adds a personal note to the volume, and a colourful frontispiece by Conánn FitzPatrick updates the original cover of The Lepracaun.

View Image Gallery: The Lepracaun Cartoon Monthly and the 1913-14 Dublin lockout.

Title: Alleys, Annals and Anecdotes: a new look at Gilbert’s History of Dublin
Author: Séamas Ó Maitiú
Size: 25.5cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 30pp
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 9781907002182

The 17th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2014

Listen to 'Alleys, Annals and Anecdotes: a new look at Gilbert’s History of Dublin' by Séamas Ó Maitiú. The seventeenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series was held at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on Thursday, 23rd January 2014.

Title: Dublin After Dark: Glimpses of Life in an Early Modern City

Author: Maighréad Ní Mhurchadha
Size: 25.5cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 24pp
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 9781907002144

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The 16th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2013

Listen to 'Dublin After Dark: Glimpses of Life in an Early Modern City' by Maighréad Ní Mhurchadha. The sixteenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series was held at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on Wednesday, 23 January 2013.

Title: Sir John T. Gilbert: Life, Works and Contexts
Author: Brendan Twomey
Size: 25.5cms
Format: Paperback
Pages: 32pp
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 9781907002090

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The 15th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2012

The fifteenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, 'Sir John T. Gilbert (1829-1898): Life, Works and Context' by Brendan Twomey, was held at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street on the 23rd January 2012. Brendan Twomey has published many books on the history of Dublin including 'Dublin in 1707: A year in the life of the city' (2009) and 'Smithfield and the Parish of St Paul, Dublin 1698-1750' (2005).

Listen to or download the 15th Annual Gilbert Lecture: 'Sir John T. Gilbert (1829-1898): Life, Works and Context' by Brendan Twomey.

Title: Mr J. Kennedy Miller's Very Capable Company of Irish Players

Author: Christopher Fitz-Simon
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 28pp
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 9781907002052

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The 14th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2011

Listen back to Dr Christopher Fitz-Simon's 'Mr J. Kennedy Miller's Very Capable Company of Irish Players'. The fourteenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series was delivered on 24 January 2011, at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse St., and chaired by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Gerry Breen.

Title: Commodious Temples: Roman Catholic church building in nineteenth-century Dublin
Author: Brendan Grimes
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 36pp. ill.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2010
ISBN: 9781907002045

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2010

Listen back to thirteenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Brendan Grimes', 'Commodious Temples: Roman Catholic church building in nineteenth-century Dublin'. The lecture was delivered on 21 January 2010, at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, and chaired by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Emer Costello.

Title: Dublin's civic buildings in the early modern period
Author: Colm Lennon
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 24pp. illustrated
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2010
ISBN: 9781907002038

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2009

Listen back to Colm Lennon's 'Dublin's civic buildings in the early modern period'. The twelfth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series was delivered on 22 January 2009, at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, and chaired by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Eibhlín Byrne.

Title: Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lectures 1998 - 2007
Corporate Author: Dublin City Public Libraries
Size: Paperback with CD
Format: 25.5cm
Pages: 232pp. illustrated
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2009
ISBN: 9780946841981

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Gilbert Lecture Series was inaugurated in 1998, the year which marked the centenary of the death of Sir John T. Gilbert. The aim of the series is to celebrate the life and work of Gilbert, and the history of Dublin, the city whose past he wished to uncover and bring before a wider public. The first ten lectures, delivered from 1998 to 2007 inclusive, are now published as a single volume. The series continues and each new lecture is published individually.

Title: Going Solo: Children's reading guide
Author: Rosemary Hetherington, Dublin City Public Libraries
Size: 21cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 57pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2009
ISBN: 9781907002021

Book available from Library Catalogue.

Have fun using this guide to build your child's reading confidence, gently pushing them beyond the limits of their comfort zone. Sharing books with young children builds a sense of security and helps them explore their environment as they progress through school - gaining an understanding of the world beyond their own immediate surroundings.

Parents sometimes have difficulty in choosing the right level of reading material for their children. This guide identifies books for children, at various ages or reading levels. Guideline recommendations are made in categories including Developing Readers (aged 4 to 6 in junior and senior infants classes), Newly Confident Readers (aged 7 to 8 in 1st and 2nd classes), Confident Readers (aged 9 to 10 in 3rd and 4th classes), Reluctant and Less Confident Readers (aged 9 to 14).

Compiled and annotated by Rosemary Hetherington, former Children's Librarian, Dublin City Libraries.

Title: River, Rivalry and Revolt: history of the built fabric of Dublin City
Author: Christine Casey
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 24pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2009
ISBN: 9780946841974

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The 11th Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2008.

The eleventh annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Dr Christine Casey's River, Rivalry and Revolt: history of the built fabric of Dublin City, was delivered on 23 January 2008, at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse St., and chaired by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Paddy Bourke.

Title: Early Modern Dubliners
Author: Dr Maighréad Ní Mhurchadha
Size: 23.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 136pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2008
ISBN: 0946841934 | 9780946841936

Book available from Library Catalogue.

Dublin City has a remarkable collection of historical documents, many of which are under the care of Dublin City Council. The author has drawn on the contents of these and other records to tell the stories of a few of Dublin's residents during the Renaissance period. Despite many difficulties, including plague, riots, the threat of war and serious religious differences, the citizens combined to maintain a spirit of independence, a belief in the importance of their city and a strong sense of community, often using unorthodox means to achieve their ends and, occasionally, even managing to enjoy themselves!

Maighréad Ní Mhurchadha is a native of Dublin City and an active local historian who has contributed to several journals. She is author of The customs and excise service in Fingal 1684-1765: sober, active and bred to the sea (1999) and Fingal, 1603-60: contending neighbours in North Dublin (2005). She has also edited The vestry records of the united parishes of Finglas, St. Margaret's, Artane and the Ward 1657-1758 (2007). Her interests include the social history of Dublin City and County in the Early Modern period and the history of sport.

Title: Reading Gulliver: Essays in celebration of Jonathan Swift's classic
Author: Dublin City Public Libraries
Size: 20cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 168pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2008
ISBN: 0946841926

Book available from Library Catalogue.

Given the connection of Dean Jonathan Swift with Dublin - and his place in the literary heritage of the city - it is particularly pleasing for me to present this collection of essays on his immortal classic, Gulliver's Travels, specially commissioned by Dublin City Libraries.

"First published nearly 300 years ago, in 1726, it remains one of the great satirical masterpieces of English literature. Written in a style of a contemporary travel book, Gulliver's travels has appeal for readers of many levels, savagely lampooning the politics, religious bigotry and social mores of Swift's own time - and still, after so many years, having much to say about the human condition. Swift's work has also been enjoyed by generation upon generation of children as a wonderful story of adventure and fantasy, indeed there can hardly be a child who is not familiar with the image of the giant Gulliver dwarfing the little people of Lilliput."

Extract from Foreword by Deirdre Ellis-King, Dublin City Librarian (1985 - 2010)

Title: Through streets broad and narrow: Dublin's trams
Author: Michael Corcoran
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 32pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2008
ISBN: 0946841918

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2007

Listen back to Michael Corcoran's 'Through streets broad and narrow: a history of Dublin's trams'. The tenth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series was delivered on 23 January 2007, at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse St., and chaired by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Vincent Jackson.

Title: Dublin City Archaeological Archive Guidelines
Author: Dublin City Council
Size: 25cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 24pp.
Price: Free
Publisher: Dublin City Council, 2008
ISBN: 9781902703343

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Dublin City Archaeological Archive has been established to preserve records from excavations conducted in Dublin City by archaeologists working in the private sector. The Archive is based at Dublin City Library & Archive in Pearse Street and is accepts site records from licensed excavations in Dublin.

The Dublin City Archaeological Archive Guidelines provides useful information for the preparation of records for submission to the Archive.

Dublin City Archaeological Archive Guidelines

Download PDF (2.1MB)

Title: Alderman Tom Kelly (1868-1942) and Dublin Corporation
Author: Sheila Carden
Size: 24cm
Format: Casebound / Paperback
Pages: xiii, 238pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Council, 2007
ISBN: 9780946841882 (casebound) / 9780946841899 (paperback)

Book available from all Library Catalogue.

This is the first full-scale biography of Alderman Tom Kelly, who was an influential member of Dublin City Council in the early decades of the 20th century, a period of radical change for Ireland and its capital city. His achievements included the replacement of slums by social housing; developing the public library service; and the foundation of the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art.

A committed nationalist, Kelly was a political prisoner on two occasions after the 1916 Rising and as a result, his health broke down, preventing him from taking up the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin to which he was elected in January 1920. In later life, Kelly continued to work for his twin aims of improved housing and access to education for all, and in this spirit he was a founder member and first President of the Old Dublin Society.

Title: Mrs Harris, her pocket and her petition
Author: Andrew Carpenter
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 16pp. ill.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2007
ISBN: 094684187X

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2006

The ninth Sir John T. Gilbert Lecture: Professor Andrew Carpenter's 'Mrs Harris, her pocket and her petition: some thoughts on Swift's Dublin Castle poems of 1699-1701', was delivered on 23 January 2006 at Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse St., and chaired by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Bronwen Maher.

Title: Where’s Where in Dublin: A Directory of Historic Locations, 1913-1923

Author: Joseph E.A. Connell

Size: 24cm

Format: Hardback Casebound 50 Illustrations (b/w)/ Paperback Casebound 50 Illustrations (b/w)

Pages: xviii, 226, ill, map

Publisher: Dublin City Library & Archive, 2006

ISBN: 0946841810 (hbk) | 0946841829 (pbk)

Book available from Library Catalogue / Four Courts Press

This Directory was published by Dublin City Council to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, and lists historic locations in Dublin on a street-by-street basis, describing the events which occurred in each during the tumultuous decade from the 1913 Lock-Out until the end of the Irish Civil War. The author Joe Connell has catalogued the many sites of historic interest in Dublin and has used his knowledge over many years to guide visitors on the 1916 Rebellion walking tours.

Title: Dublin Delineated
Author: Dublin City Public Libraries
Size: 22cm
Format: Hardback
Pages: 32pp., 26 plates
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2006
ISBN: 0946841837

Book available from Library Catalogue.

Full title: Dublin delineated in twenty-six views of the principal public buildings, accompanied by concise descriptions of each; with an itinerary, and new plan of the city, pointing out the leading streets, and principal objects of attraction.

Dublin Delineated was first published in 1831 and it went into several editions between that year and 1843. This facsimile is based on the 1834 edition, printed for W. F. Wakeman in D'Olier Street. It includes 26 finely engraved plates drawn by the celebrated artists George Petrie, R.H.A. and W.H. Bartlett, and the engraved map of the city, especially drawn for the 1831 edition, is used for the endpapers. Originally copies were bound in watered silk or in half leather on marbled boards. The cover of the facsimile edition replicates a binding in quarter leather on marbled boards.

Aimed at the visitor to the city, the stated objective of Dublin delineated in twenty-six views was to celebrate the city as it was in the 1830s, highlighting important buildings and monuments and offering a tour of the most interesting places which could be seen "in the course of a few hours". Contemporary views of Trinity College, the Custom House, Dublin Castle, the Royal Exchange (now City Hall), Nelson's Pillar, the Rotunda and Bank of Ireland are included, as well as lesser known views of the cloth mart and Queen's Bridge and the King's Bridge with the Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) in the background. Detailed descriptions are given of each view, full of interesting facts and figures.

Title: The Georgian Squares of Dublin
Author: Various
Size: 25.5 cm
Format: Hardback / Paperback
Pages: x, 161pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Council, 2006
ISBN: 9780946841783 (hardback) | 9780946841790 (paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press and other bookshops | Library Catalogue.

This is the first-ever book concentrating on Dublin’s Georgian Squares, with essays on Parnell, Mountjoy, Merrion, Fitzwilliam and Mountjoy Squares. Written by a team of conservation architects, and illustrated in full colour, with specially commissioned photographs, The Georgian Squares of Dublin is the perfect Christmas gift and is available from all good bookshops.

Produced by Dublin City Library & Archive.

Title: Once Upon a Time

Author: Dublin City Public Libraries
Size: 21cm x 21cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 47pp. colour illustrations
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2005
ISBN: 0946841756

Book available from Library Catalogue.

Text and catalogue of the exhibition Once Upon A Time - Two Centuries Of Children's Book Illustration From The Collections of Dublin City Public Libraries.

"Tráth Dá Raibh - Dhá Chéad Bliain De Léaráidí Leabhair Páistí Ó Bhailiúcháin Leabharlanna Poiblí Chathair Átha Cliath"

Dual language (Irish / English - Gaeilge / Bearla)

Title: Our Good Health: A history of Dublin's water and drainage

Author: Michael Corcoran
Size: 31cm
Format: Hardback
Pages: xi, 224pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Council, 2005
ISBN: 0946841772

Book available from Library Catalogue.

This book is a history of Dublin's water supply and drainage system from the year 1200 to the present day. It includes many old photographs and maps, which will be of interest to many.

The role of water in the Dublin city life is catalogued with particular attention to developments from the Victorian era to the present day. It also includes the necessary daily duties to maintain services and planning for the future.

The provision of this service is generally 'taken for granted' today and the book endeavours to illustrate the importance of water and wastewater services in maintaining a high quality of life for the citizens of Dublin.

Title: Seventeenth-century Dubliners and their Books
Author: Raymond Gillespie
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 28pp. illustrated
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2005
ISBN: 0946841764

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2005

The eight annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Raymond Gillespie's 'Seventeenth-century Dubliners and their Books' was delivered at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on 20 January 2005, and chaired by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Andrew Montague.

Title: Such Happy Harmony: Early Twentieth Century Co-operation to Solve Dublin's Housing Problems
Author: Ruth McManus
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 28pp. illustrated
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2005
ISBN: 0946841748

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2004

The seventh annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Dr Ruth McManus's 'Such Happy Harmony' was delivered at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, on 22 January 2004, and chaired by Mr Philip Maguire, Assistant City Manager, Dublin City Council.

Title: How to Trace Your Family History: A brief guide to sources of genealogical research for beginners
Author: Dublin City Public Libraries
Size: 24cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 32pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries
ISBN: 0946841802

Book available from Library Catalogue.

4th Edition Published: 2005 (First Published: 1998)

This booklet is intended as a guide to major sources of genealogical information in Ireland. As such it will be of value to those embarking on family history research for the first time and will give an insight into some of the problems likely to be encountered.

Title: The Dublin Fire Brigade - A history of the brigade, the fires and the emergencies.
Author: Tom Geraghty and Trevor Whitehead
Size: 24.5cm
Format: Hardback / Paperback
Pages: xvi, 320pp., illustrated
Publisher: Dublin City Council, 2004
ISBN: 0946841705 (hardback) | 0946841713 (paperback)

Book available from Four Courts Press (Hardback) | Library Catalogue.

This is the story of the dedicated fire-fighters, officers and ambulance personnel who provide emergency services to the people of Ireland's capital city.

Fully illustrated in colour and black-and-white, with many photographs published here for the first time.

Title: Robert Emmet and songs of rebellion
Author: Nicholas Carolan
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback with CD
Pages: 24pp. illustrated
Price: €10
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2004
ISBN: 0946841691

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2003

The sixth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Nicholas Carolan's 'Robert Emmet and songs of rebellion' was held in the Oak Room of the Mansion House on 23 January 2003, and chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Dermot Lacey. The lecture was accompanied by Barry Gleeson who performed the songs.

Title: Managing the Dublin slums 1850 - 1922
Author: Jacinta Prunty
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 32pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2004
ISBN: 0946841659

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2002.

The fifth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Jacinta Prunty's 'Managing the Dublin slums 1850 - 1922' was held in the Oak Room of the Mansion House on 23 January 2002, and chaired by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Michael Mulcahy.

Title: An Aid to Reading Ulysses
Author: David Butler
Size: 23cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 56pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2004
ISBN: 0946841721

Please Note: Out of print. Book available from Library Catalogue.

Published in 2004 in association with the James Joyce Centre and Rejoyce Dublin 2004.

Title: The four parts of the city: High life and low life in the suburbs of medieval Dublin
Author: Howard Clarke
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 24pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2003
ISBN: 0946841640

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2001.

The fourth annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, Howard Clarke's 'The four parts of the city' was held in the Oak Room of the Mansion House on 23 January 2001, and chaired by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Maurice Ahern.

Title: Dublin in the year 1000
Author: John Bradley
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 15pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2003
ISBN: 0946841667

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 2000.

The third annual lecture in the Gilbert Lecture Series, John Bradley's 'Dublin in the year 1000 A.D.' was held in the Oak Room of the Mansion House on 21 January 2000 and chaired by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Mary Frehill.

Title: What a performance! Street entertainment in medieval and renaissance Dublin
Author: Alan Fletcher
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 20pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2003
ISBN: 0946841632

Book available from Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 1999

This, the second annual lecture in the series, was delivered in the Oak Room of the Mansion House on 22nd January 1999, and chaired by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Senator Joe Doyle. Alan Fletcher's 'What a performance!' was accompanied by four singers from the Christ Church choir.

Title: The streets of Dublin revisited
Author: Douglas Bennett
Size: 25.5cm
Format: Paperback
Pages: 20pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2003
ISBN: 0946841624

Book available through Library Catalogue.

The Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture, 1998

This, the inaugural lecture in the series, 'The streets of Dublin revisited' was delivered by Douglas Bennett on 23 January 1998 in the Oak Room of the Mansion House, chaired by the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor John Stafford.

Title: Dublin Libraries: a pictorial record
Author: Séan Lennon
Size: 21cm, chiefly illustrated
Format: Paperback
Pages: 88pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2001
ISBN: 0946841578

Note out of print: Book available through Library Catalogue.

A lavish introduction to Dublin's most beautiful and interesting libraries, both public and private, treated with a wealth of Seán Lennon's fine illustrations, combined with the artist's own insights into the role played by libraries in Dublin's cultural life.

Title: Dublin: A celebration from the 1st to the 21st century
Author: Pat Liddy
Format: Paperback / Hardback
Pages: 281pp.
Publisher: Dublin City Public Libraries, 2000
ISBN: 0946841500 / 0946841519