Tenements of the 1930s/40s
Principal D7Et, Aine Sottsheck, Bridie Kelly, John Lovely D7ET
6th Class have been studying the Dublin Lockout if 1913, as part of a Phizzfest project. Earlier, there was a visit from researcher Paul Rouse.
Today, we had a first-hand glimpse of tenement life, when local woman Bridie Kelly visited.
Bridie was born in 1929 in Dominic St, so doesn’t quite remember the Lockout or its aftermath. However, she did recall for us events such as: the great freeze of 1947, or the North Strand Bombing of 1941. Another tragic early memory was of baby sister, Carmel being waked between the house windows in 1936.
She told us about living in a grand 5-storey Georgian mansion, with ornate stairs and hall landings. However, the houses were by now in very poor condition, with no running water. Tenants had to work out a rota to clean the hall, and in winter, this was the only place that children could play – houses were too cramped, and there were no coats to play outside.
Being the eldest, Bridie was responsible for minding her younger siblings: “Don’t take the baby out of the pram” was her mother’s common refrain. As soon as they reached The Temple playground in King’s Inns though, the pram was used for games instead. Children commonly played with skipping ropes, or annoyed neighbours by knocking on doors, then sliding down the banister to escape. There was no cash to shop at Jemmy Nixon’s on Parnell Street, but they could always look in the window. There was also the library on Capel St. but people without deeds to their homes had difficulty joining.
One real surprise was to hear about farm animals in the centre of town. Behind their houses were farms, holding horses, cattle and even pigs.
Coal was vital for winter survival, but residents depended on the goodwill of Jack the Coalman to gain credit when money was short.
There was virtually no work to be had in Ireland. Bridie’s father worked during the war in England, sending home remittances regularly to keep his family from penury. Eventually, almost all of Bridie’s family emigrated to England in the 1950s, having already moved to Cabra in 1947.
Thanks to Bridie for giving us a rare opportunity to touch history, particularly that at our doorstep.
