Dublin: A Social History, 1850-1930

Learn about everyday life in the Irish capital during a tumultuous period

Between 1850 and 1930, Dublin went through landmark change, evolving from a city of tenements to a city of suburbs in the landscape of post-Famine Ireland.

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.

This course would appeal to people interested in historical urban research, members of the Irish diaspora interested in their ancestors, people coming to Dublin to study, or those just curious about urban social history.