Heritage Week Dublin Suburbs Walking Tours

A series of walking tours from the Irish Historic Towns Atlas (IHTA) Dublin suburbs took place as part of Heritage Week with support from Dublin City Council.

South East City

On Saturday 12 August 2023, Rob Goodbody, historic buildings consultant and author of various publications that include IHTA no. 26 Dublin, part III, 1756 to 1847 (Dublin, 2014), Irish stone bridges; history and heritage (Dublin, 2016) and Dublin Bay; nature and history (Dublin, 2017), led a group through the industrial South-East City, highlighting the reclaimed land, the impact from the canal and railway and pointed out some exquisite engineering in several bridges. 

Rob Goodbody during the South-East City walking tour.

Drumcondra

Later that day Ruth McManus, Associate Professor of Geography, Dublin City University and a member on the Honorary Editorial Board of the IHTA, gave her tour of Drumcondra. From Belvidere House to Drumcondra Church graveyard and the former All Hallows grounds to the banks of the Tolka River. Professor McManus's publications include Dublin, 1910 to 1940; shaping the city suburbs and she is author of IHTA Dublin Suburbs no. 3, Drumcondra, forthcoming. 

Ruth McManus during the Drumcondra walking tour

Kilmainham/Inchicore/Goldenbridge

On Monday 14 August, Dr Frank Cullen took a group into old and new Kilmainham where he highlighted the site of St John's Priory and the Knights Hospitallers, St John's Mill and the Camac River and on to Inchicore and Goldenbridge. Dr Cullen works with the Irish Historic Towns Atlas and has published Dublin 1847: city of the Ordnance Survey (Dublin, 2015) and is author of IHTA Dublin Suburbs no.4 Kilmainham/Inchicore, forthcoming. 

Frank Cullen during the Kilmainham walking tour.

Rathmines

Dr Séamas Ó Maitiú, former secondary school teacher, lecturer and Rathmines native, continued the suburbs walking tours on Friday 18 August in Rathmines where he discussed the key developers of the township and how the centre has shifted over the centuries from the original rath. Dr Ó Maitiú is author of IHTA Dublin Suburbs no. 2 Rathmines (Dublin, 2021) and editor of the Dublin Historical Record since 2014. If you would like to watch the launch lecture of the Rathmines atlas, 'Rathmines through space and time: from medieval rath to flatland' is available here. 

Séamas Ó Maitiú during the Rathmines walking tour.

Clontarf

Finally, on Saturday 19 August, Professor Colm Lennon, MRIA, (formerly Maynooth University) and Clontarf native, guided the group along the seafront and lanes of Clontarf highlighting the castle, churchyard and discussed the possible locations of the Battle of Clontarf. Professor Lennon has published extensively on Irish urban, social and cultural history. He is author of IHTA no. 19, Dublin, part II, 1610 to 1756 (Dublin, 2008), John Rocque's Dublin: a guide to the Georgian city (Dublin, 2010), and IHTA Dublin Suburbs no. 1, Clontarf (Dublin, 2017).

Colm Lennon during the Clontarf walking tour. 

To delve further into the Dublin suburbs, you can watch back on 'From outlying villages to townships: Dublin suburbs in the nineteenth century' here. It was part of the Towns and Country: perspectives from the Irish Historic Towns Atlas seminar in 2021 and an online exhibition here. As part of IHTA Online, the first twenty-eight atlases from the main series are freely available to download and search here. 

For further photos from the tours: