Dublin Pub Life and Lore - An Oral History of Dublin's Traditional Irish Pubs

Dublin is renowned for its amazing profusion of pubs and for its exuberant pub culture. In Dublin Pub Life and Lore, Professor Kevin Kearns examines the history of this phenomenon by speaking to old publicans, barmen and regular customers, relating the story of Dublin pubs and their patrons in an engaging and entertaining fashion.Traditionally in Ireland, the public house or 'pub' was the centre of a community's social life and a social institution ranking second in importance only to the parish church. Pubs ranged from dusky watering holes frequented by labourers, dockers and shawlies to elegant Victorian gin palaces where the gentry and literati gathered. Along the Dublin quays there were dives filled with scoundrels, prostitutes and misfits of every sort.Following the success of his bestselling classic Dublin Tenement Life, Kevin Kearns has researched and created a wonderful oral historical chronicle of Dublin's pub life. Based on conversations with old publicans, pub 'regulars' and long-serving barmen, Dublin Pub Life and Lore captures the folklore, customs, characters and wit of the traditional Dublin public house.Dublin Pub Life and Lore: Table of ContentsIntroductionHistory and Evolution of Dublin Public HousesOrigins and Uses of AlcoholA City of Taverns and AlehousesDublin's Colourful Public HousesDrinking Customs of the Social ClassesDisreputable Drinking DensProud and Prosperous PublicansDublin Temperance MovementGovernment Inquiry into Intemperance and the Role of Public HousesOral History and Pub LoreDublin Pub Culture and Social LifeThe Pub as a Living Social InstitutionThe Publican's Role and StatusPub Regulars and Their LocalPorters, Apprentices and BarmenPubs as IRA Meeting PlacesWomen on the ",Holy Ground", The Pintman and His PintPub Customs and TraditionsPub EntertainmentSinging PubsLiterary PubsNotable Pub CharactersEccentric Publicans and Notorious PubsUnderworld of Shebeens, Kips and SpeakeasiesFamous Barmen's StrikesTransformation and Desecration of Venerable PubsOral Testimony of Publicans and BarmenOral Testimony of Pub Regulars and Observers