HISTORY
The History of Dublin through Walks and Talks
AUTUMN HN115
Thursdays
Tutor: Áinnle O’Neill
This course highlights Dublin as an historical city, whose many highways, byways, large buildings, houses, etc., help to tell the story of how Dublin grew from a small trading post in the 9th century, to become the second city of the British Empire in the 19th. The talks present the background historical details, which are fleshed out and placed in context during the relevant walks.
| BELFIELD | ||
| 5 Thursdays | Sep 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 | 7.30pm - 9.30pm |
| 5 Saturdays | Sep 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27 | 10.00am - 12.00pm |
| FEE 190 | Pring Open Learning Application Form 2012.13 or ring (01) 716-7123 for Laser/credit card payment | |
Tutor Details:
Áinnle O’ Neill is a native of Dublin, who inherited a love of walking its streets from his father and grandfather. After qualifying as a primary teacher he gained a BA in History and Politics in UCD. Ainnle used Dublin as a living resource in his teaching career. Most of his working life has been spent in Clondalkin and he attained an M.A. on the history of this area (1650-1850). Áinnle is Principal of St. Ronan’s National School.
Core Topics:
- Arrival of the Vikings, consolidation and settlement. Resistance by local kings. Development of commerce and exports. Battle of Clontarf and adoption of Christianity and many native customs
- Walk through Viking and Medieval Dublin, within the walls
- Invasion of the Normans, ethnic cleansing of Hiberno-Norse from south of the Liffey. Visit of Henry II and establishment of Dublin Castle. Bruce Invasion and Black Death. Raids by Wicklow clans. Wars of the Roses and two Pretenders in Dublin. Geraldine rebellion and Henry VIII’s break with Rome
- Walk through Dublin Castle, outside the walls to the area around St. Patrick’s Cathedral
- Elizabethan Dublin. Speed’s map. Cromwell in Dublin. Restoration of Charles II and Ormond’s development of the northern suburbs. War of the Two Kings and Dutch influence on trade and commerce
- Walk from site of Viking Motte, past old Parliament building, through Trinity College, past Powerscourt House and finishing in St. Stephen’s Green
- Georgian Dublin- the rise of the urban rich and their houses and streets. Lives of the rich and poor; Swift and the Drapier Letters. Gratten’s Parliament and the Irish Volunteers. 1798 Rebellion and the Act of Union
- Walk through a Georgian street, past a Fitzgerald townhouse and a Huguenot graveyard and around a fine Georgian square
- Dublin in the early years of the Union. Conditions for the poor. The rise of O’Connell and the Home Rule movement. Young Irelanders and Fenians, the IRB. Parnell and the Liberals. The rise of the Gaelic League, the GAA and the Gaelic Revival in literature
- The Liffey Bridges’ Walk- from the original site of “Áth Cliath” to Butt Bridge and the new Customs House
Reading List:
The following is a selection of recommended texts for those interested in reading further around the course content. We advise that you do not buy books in advance of the course as your tutor will discuss the list and suggest the most relevant reading for particular interests.
The following are samples of materials referred to during the course. This list will be discussed in class.
Hone, J., Craig, M. & Fewer, M., The New Neighbourhood of Dublin
A series of 21 walks, first done in 1949 and re-walked in 2002
De Courcey, F.W., The Liffey in Dublin, (Gill and MacMillan)
Alphabetically arranged details of the people and places connected with the river throughout its history
Bennett, D., Encycolpedia of Dublin, (Gill and MacMillan)
Also alphabetically arranged details of the people and places connected with the river throughout its
History, but with a wider sweep of the city
Kissane, N., Historical Dublin Maps, (National Library of Ireland)
Reasonably priced series of maps covering the period covered in this course
Somerville-Large, P., Dublin – the First 1000 Years, (Appletree Press)
Good way to flesh out the notes you may have taken
Costello, P., Dublin Castle in the Life of the Irish Nation, (Wolfhound Press)
Great detail, in words, photos and drawings of what was the focal point of power in the Capital since the
13th century
Maxwell, C., Dublin Under the Georges, (Lambay Books)
Probably the best book on the Golden Age of Architecture in Dublin
Cowell, J., Dublin’s Famous People and Where they Lived, (O’Brien Press)
An excellent companion on your own walks through Dublin
Some of these books may be out of print, but are available in the larger public libraries in Dublin
City and county
