On this course, you’ll journey into the social history of the city. You’ll explore how typical Molly Malone’s death from fever at a young age really was, and examine how James Joyce’s ‘dear, dirty Dublin’ came into being.
Dive into Dublin’s colourful culture and history
Specialists in history and geography at Dublin City University will walk you through the Dublin of old, introducing you to the daily lives of ordinary Dubliners – the good, the bad, and the gruesome.
You’ll learn about the political, health, and economic life of Dublin of the period, and come away able to identify how Dublin’s past continues to inform its present.
What topics will you cover?
- Introduction to Dublin, 1850-1930 – its political and social context
- Health and disease – death, disease and public health initiatives
- Living conditions and housing – suburban development and different approaches to the slums
- Leisure and everyday life – work and play for ordinary Dubliners
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify the main contours of Dublin between 1850 and 1930 (social, political, economic, geographic).
- Describe what it was like to live in Dublin from 1850 to 1930, identifying how it changed over time.
- Explore some key sources which can be used to study the history of post-Famine Dublin.
- Compare key issues and debates about Dublin in the past with contemporary issues.