Celebrating Dublin’s Story: Launch of History on Your Doorstep, Volume 8

Last week in City Hall, I had the great pleasure of launching History on Your Doorstep: Volume Eight, Dublin City Council’s annual free publication written by our dedicated Historians in Residence.

This latest edition is a wonderful addition to the series, featuring engaging stories from across our city’s past, along with a special contribution in Irish by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire — Scríbhneoir agus Staraí.

Dublin is one of those rare cities whose history lives all around us — in our streets, our neighbourhoods, our people. The History on Your Doorstep series captures that spirit, preserving not only the great events that shaped Dublin but also the everyday experiences of Dubliners that make up the fabric of our shared story.

Celebrating Dublin Through History

My mayoral theme is Celebrating Dublin — celebrating our neighbourhoods, our heritage, our culture, our sport, and above all, our people. This publication is a perfect expression of that vision. It brings the city’s history out of archives and lecture halls and places it directly into our homes, libraries, and conversations.

Our Historians in Residence work tirelessly across the city to make history accessible and enjoyable for all. This year alone, they have delivered more than 184 free events, workshops and activities, reaching over 4,600 people. From school workshops and walking tours to memory-collecting projects and library talks, they continue to help us see Dublin with fresh eyes and a deeper understanding of its past.

A Team Effort

I want to extend my congratulations and thanks to the seven contributors to this year’s edition:

• Katie Blackwood – Dublin North Central
• Elizabeth Kehoe – Dublin Central
• Cormac Moore – Dublin South East
• Mary Muldowney – Dublin North West
• Catherine Scuffil – Dublin South Central
• Dervilia Roche – Historian in Residence for Children
• Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire – Scríbhneoir agus Staraí

A special word of thanks also goes to Elizabeth Kehoe and Allison Galbari for their editing, and to the teams in Dublin City Libraries and Dublin City Council Culture Company — including Mairead Owens, Brendan Teeling, Iseult Dunne, Linda Devlin, Allison Galbari, Sree Sen, and many others who make this project possible.

Bringing History to Life

The appetite for this work in Dublin is enormous, and the feedback could not be more positive. One attendee at a Historians in Residence event put it perfectly:

“This brings the history of ordinary people and our city to life – long may it last.”

That, to me, is exactly what Celebrating Dublin means — cherishing the everyday as much as the extraordinary, and making sure our history is not only remembered, but lived and shared.

History on Your Doorstep: Volume 8 is available free of charge in all Dublin City Libraries and you can always download a copy here – https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/2025-08/hoyd-volume-8_screen-final.pdf.