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Strumpet City
Set in Dublin during the Lockout of 1913, Strumpet City is a panoramic novel of city life. It embraces a wide range of social milieux, from the miseries of the tenements to the cultivated, bourgeois Bradshaws. It introduces a memorable cast of characters: the main protagonist, Fitz, a model of the hard-working, loyal and abused trade unionist; the isolated, well-meaning and ineffectual Fr O'Connor; the wretched and destitute Rashers Tierney. In the background hovers the enormous shadow of Jim Larkin, Plunkett's real-life hero.
Strumpet City's popularity derives from its realism and its naturalistic presentation of traumatic historical events. There are clear heroes and villians. The book is informed by a sense of moral outrage at the treatment of the locked-out trade unionists, the indifference and evasion of the city's clergy and middle class and the squalor and degradation of the tenement slums.
Strumpet City's popularity derives from its realism and its naturalistic presentation of traumatic historical events. There are clear heroes and villians. The book is informed by a sense of moral outrage at the treatment of the locked-out trade unionists, the indifference and evasion of the city's clergy and middle class and the squalor and degradation of the tenement slums.
560 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1969
180 people are currently reading
2,881 people want to read
About the author
James Plunkett
22books18followersJames Plunkett Kelly, or James Plunkett (21 May 1920 – 28 May 2003), was an Irish writer. He was educated at Synge Street CBS.
Plunkett grew up among the Dublin working class and they, along with the petty bourgeoisie and lower intelligentsia, make up the bulk of the dramatis personae of his oeuvre. His best-known works are the novel Strumpet City, set in Dublin in the years leading up to the lockout of 1913 and during the course of the strike, and the short stories in the collection The Trusting and the Maimed. His other works include a radio play on James Larkin, who figures prominently in his work.
During the 1960s, Plunkett worked as a producer at Telefís Éireann. He won two Jacob's Awards, in 1965 and 1969, for his TV productions. In 1971 he wrote and presented "Inis Fail - Isle of Destiny", his very personal appreciation of Ireland. It was the final episode of the BBC series "Bird's-Eye View", shot entirely from a helicopter, and the first co-production between the BBC and RTE.
James Plunkett is one of the forgotten men of Irish literature. Most of our writers seem to loom larger than their work (Behan, whom I wrote about last week, is the classic example). But Plunkett's name is less remembered than either his landmark play, The Risen People, or his novel and television series, Strumpet City.
Plunkett grew up among the Dublin working class and they, along with the petty bourgeoisie and lower intelligentsia, make up the bulk of the dramatis personae of his oeuvre. His best-known works are the novel Strumpet City, set in Dublin in the years leading up to the lockout of 1913 and during the course of the strike, and the short stories in the collection The Trusting and the Maimed. His other works include a radio play on James Larkin, who figures prominently in his work.
During the 1960s, Plunkett worked as a producer at Telefís Éireann. He won two Jacob's Awards, in 1965 and 1969, for his TV productions. In 1971 he wrote and presented "Inis Fail - Isle of Destiny", his very personal appreciation of Ireland. It was the final episode of the BBC series "Bird's-Eye View", shot entirely from a helicopter, and the first co-production between the BBC and RTE.
James Plunkett is one of the forgotten men of Irish literature. Most of our writers seem to loom larger than their work (Behan, whom I wrote about last week, is the classic example). But Plunkett's name is less remembered than either his landmark play, The Risen People, or his novel and television series, Strumpet City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
July 10, 2017
It was one of those never-ending June evenings, with long reaches of sky from which the light seemed unable to ebb. Rashers moved slowly ... At Chandlers Court he stopped to get his breath and to look up at the sky. It was never ending, with never fading light. He thought of Death and felt it was waiting for him somewhere in the sky's deeps, cold Sergeant Death, as the song said, Death the sad smiling tyrant, the cruel remorseless old foe.
A wonderful novel, this. It tells the stories, spread over the years 1907-1914, of a number of characters, most of them in the lower working class of Dublin, but several from other stations: priests, business owners, a "slum lord". The focus of the story is the famous (though only famous to me now that I have read this novel) Dublin Lock-out of 1913-14, the most severe industrial dispute in the history of Ireland ().
The characters are real, not caricatures. Some of them will be quite unforgettable to me I think (even if I can't remember their names after a short space into the future). One of the unforgettable "characters", James Larkin, actually was the union organizer who sparked the events leading up to the Lock-out, and provided both the rallying point for the workers, and the target for the employers and every other segment of society which opposed them.
Rashers Tierney, the fellow mentioned above, is one of the most vivid portrayals I've come across in a long time, a street walker, sometime street entertainer, a fellow who with his beloved dog wends his way through the story as an example of the bumpy ride down that the extreme poor of a large city, not just Dublin, endure. I think I will remember his name for a while.
Two other characters that will stick with me are Fathers O'Connor and Giffley, who together with Father O'Sullivan minister (each in their own way) to the parishioners of St. Brigid's, a church in the poorest section of Dublin.
Father Giffley is the senior priest at the church, hence in charge; he is also an alcoholic, slowly loosing his mind in his own perilous descent. He is in rebellion against his church, unable to accept the blind eye that its hierarchy has toward the deprivations and suffering of the poor. Plunkett's portrayal of him is masterful, a portrayal in turns shocking, horrifying, and heart-breaking.
Father O'Connor, whose story is told with perhaps more detail than any other character's, is pretty much the opposite of Father Giffley, whom he despises for his drinking, and for his rejection of the Church's position on the strikers and employers.
And that position? The Catholic Church was officially in support of the employers in the dispute, both because the employers represented "authority", and (perhaps more importantly) because the union represented socialism, the dread anti-god movement. This makes perfect sense from the Church's perspective, I'm afraid, but was still something of a surprise to me. The way the Church was willing to describe the grovelling poor of the working class, trying to get some improvement in their status through unionism, as doing little more than following the devil's direction, was both shocking and disheartening to me. (The novel does mention that several priests, besides Father Giffley, did reject this.)
Illustrative of this attitude is what happened (both in the novel and in actual fact) when a plan to transport children of the striking workers to England was broached. These children, many practically starving, were to live with sympathetic unionists there while the lockout continued. The Church rallied faithful Catholics to guard the quaysides and prevent any such transfer, on the grounds that the children in these homes would be subject to Protestant, or worse yet, atheist influence; and that therefore they must be forced to remain in Dublin with their families, and face the consequences of their striking fathers' reckless and sinful actions. The mind reels.
The title? "Strumpet City"? "Strumpet" is a centuries-old word for prostitute, of course. So is Plunkett calling Dublin the "City of whores"? I don't know, but actually he found the title in a play, quoted at the front of the book, called The Old Lady Says 'No', written in 1929 by an Irish playwright named Denis Johnston:
Shall we sit down together for a while? Here on the hillside, where we can look down on the city ...
Strumpet city in the sunset
So old, so sick with memories
Old Mother;
Some they say are damned
But you, I know, will walk the streets of Paradise
Head high, and unashamed.
When I was about done with this review, I found the following wonderful appreciation of the book. It's from the Introduction to the latest edition of the novel, by Fintan O’Toole.
The novel was selected as Dublin's 2013 'One City One Book' book of the year, in commemoration of the centenary of the 1913 Lockout.
Very highly recommended.
February 24, 2020
James Plunkett, although not a great stylist, enriches his profound knowledge of working-class Irish history with a great love for the city of Dublin and a sympathy for all its inhabitants, from the wealthy to the poor. As a consequence, this novel about the 1913 Lock-out is wise and often very moving.
Plunkett is particularly good at showing how political convictions, rooted in a sense of place, lead people to action, and how these actions in turn transform their lives and alter their relationships in unexpected ways. As such, it is a worthy descendant of the novels of Walter Scott.
March 4, 2018
"Strumpet City" is an Irish social novel published in 1969, that is good 50 years too late. When everyone was waist deep in post-modernist adventures, this novel tries to warm the hearts for a battle and does it in an earnest and unpretentious way.
Like with any other social novel, whether it's Steinbeck or Hugo, we know where the author's sympathies lie. No secret is ever made of it. And frankly I do have a soft spot for a good social novel with the pureness of its heart, its childlike stubbornness, its teenage idealism, its insistence on broadcasting all the wrongs and standing up for the little guy.
It's hard not to love 'Strumpet City', admire Fitz, pity Rashers, feel contempt for the Bradshaws, and despise Father O'Connor (oh, how wonderfully despicable he was). This is all precisely what Plunkett wanted us to feel while we're being educated on the Dublin Lockout of 1913.
It's a shame this novel somewhat missed its time and you won't see it in elegant Penguin Classics covers.
Like with any other social novel, whether it's Steinbeck or Hugo, we know where the author's sympathies lie. No secret is ever made of it. And frankly I do have a soft spot for a good social novel with the pureness of its heart, its childlike stubbornness, its teenage idealism, its insistence on broadcasting all the wrongs and standing up for the little guy.
It's hard not to love 'Strumpet City', admire Fitz, pity Rashers, feel contempt for the Bradshaws, and despise Father O'Connor (oh, how wonderfully despicable he was). This is all precisely what Plunkett wanted us to feel while we're being educated on the Dublin Lockout of 1913.
It's a shame this novel somewhat missed its time and you won't see it in elegant Penguin Classics covers.
March 25, 2015
Strumpet City is the great social novel of Dublin. Plunkett does for Dublin what writers like Dickens did for London. He expertly encapsulates the social strata of early 20th century Dublin with all it's hardship and poverty but also the loving comradery of the people which helps them survive the hardship.
Plunketts descriptions of the city are masterful. He lets us hear, smell and feel the clamour of the city. A city which remained largely unchanged until the 1960s when the tenements were cleared once and for all.
While I would levy some criticism at Plunkett for his character development, he does give us Rashers Tierney. I cannot think of Rashers match anywhere in literature and he must surely be one if the most beloved characters in Irish literature.
I would encourage all to read this book. And for those interested there is an interesting podcast by History Ireland discussing the book and the period.
Plunketts descriptions of the city are masterful. He lets us hear, smell and feel the clamour of the city. A city which remained largely unchanged until the 1960s when the tenements were cleared once and for all.
While I would levy some criticism at Plunkett for his character development, he does give us Rashers Tierney. I cannot think of Rashers match anywhere in literature and he must surely be one if the most beloved characters in Irish literature.
I would encourage all to read this book. And for those interested there is an interesting podcast by History Ireland discussing the book and the period.
June 14, 2013
In addition to being my May Book Club read, Strumpet City is the chosen book for Dublin, One City, One Book, an initiative of Dublin City Council. Further information on this initiative can be found at
Like many others, I watched Hugh Leonard’s adaptation of James Plunkett’s Strumpet City on RTE television in 1980, we all sat glued to the television screen each week, eagerly awaiting each episode as it unfolded. So I was delighted this was chosen in our Book Club as the read for May as I finally got a chance to read it and also revisit the television series (hired on DVD whilst reading the book).
Set in Dublin at the beginning of the 20th Century and focusing on the 1913 lock-out, Strumpet City is considered a much loved Irish classic and rightly so. James Plunkett did a superb job of capturing the social, political and economic aspects of this era. These were indeed difficult times for workers and their families who lived in the tenements in Dublin City. While most experienced extreme poverty, yet even at such a difficult time, they found new hope in Jim Larkin and the Trade Union movement. There was a wonderful array of characters in the book representing all social classes, the upper class Bradshaws, the poverty-stricken inhabitants of the tenements, the workers, trade union leaders and the clergy. Some of my favourite characters were Father Gifley, Mr Yearling and of course aul Rashers Tierney himself.
As this year is the one hundred anniversary of the 1913 lock-out, it’s ironic that this year in Ireland so much controversy is evident over the past number of months between the public sector unions, government and employers. The unions appear to have lost the respect and support of their grass roots over the last number of years and perhaps it would be no harm if their leaders sat down and read this book, just to remind them of their origins, their purpose, commitments and priorities. But that’s another day’s discussion. I think this book/TV series should be compulsory reading/watching in all secondary schools in Ireland as it captures a most historic and important time in Ireland’s history, one which may not be familiar to a whole generation of Irish.
Like many others, I watched Hugh Leonard’s adaptation of James Plunkett’s Strumpet City on RTE television in 1980, we all sat glued to the television screen each week, eagerly awaiting each episode as it unfolded. So I was delighted this was chosen in our Book Club as the read for May as I finally got a chance to read it and also revisit the television series (hired on DVD whilst reading the book).
Set in Dublin at the beginning of the 20th Century and focusing on the 1913 lock-out, Strumpet City is considered a much loved Irish classic and rightly so. James Plunkett did a superb job of capturing the social, political and economic aspects of this era. These were indeed difficult times for workers and their families who lived in the tenements in Dublin City. While most experienced extreme poverty, yet even at such a difficult time, they found new hope in Jim Larkin and the Trade Union movement. There was a wonderful array of characters in the book representing all social classes, the upper class Bradshaws, the poverty-stricken inhabitants of the tenements, the workers, trade union leaders and the clergy. Some of my favourite characters were Father Gifley, Mr Yearling and of course aul Rashers Tierney himself.
As this year is the one hundred anniversary of the 1913 lock-out, it’s ironic that this year in Ireland so much controversy is evident over the past number of months between the public sector unions, government and employers. The unions appear to have lost the respect and support of their grass roots over the last number of years and perhaps it would be no harm if their leaders sat down and read this book, just to remind them of their origins, their purpose, commitments and priorities. But that’s another day’s discussion. I think this book/TV series should be compulsory reading/watching in all secondary schools in Ireland as it captures a most historic and important time in Ireland’s history, one which may not be familiar to a whole generation of Irish.
November 1, 2024
In preparation for a forthcoming trip to Dublin I decided to reread this favourite and I have to say I enjoyed it even more than my first reading of it 7 years ago. It was like returning to long-lost friends. Such a fantastic novel filled with great characters, and importantly it shines a light on an episode of history that so many people on this side of the Irish Sea know nothing about.
July 30, 2016
A very moving and personalised telling of the affects of the 1913 Dublin Lock-out
No harsh reality around the poverty of the time is held back, a book that is as graphic as it is explicit.
A profoundly moving story of the events leading up to and the devastating affects of not just the lock-out but the poverty tens of thousands of families were forced to endure
The complete graphic descriptive passages of the abject poverty of the Dublin working classes is unsettling as it is uncomfortable all of which is made even more painful and palpable when compared to the comforts and respectability of the middle classes.
Plunkett gives us great portraits of people such as Rashers Tierney and Father O'Connor all from different backgrounds but sharing a the same but different city.
This book was written from the heart
No harsh reality around the poverty of the time is held back, a book that is as graphic as it is explicit.
A profoundly moving story of the events leading up to and the devastating affects of not just the lock-out but the poverty tens of thousands of families were forced to endure
The complete graphic descriptive passages of the abject poverty of the Dublin working classes is unsettling as it is uncomfortable all of which is made even more painful and palpable when compared to the comforts and respectability of the middle classes.
Plunkett gives us great portraits of people such as Rashers Tierney and Father O'Connor all from different backgrounds but sharing a the same but different city.
This book was written from the heart
July 20, 2013
A good book of historical fiction set in Dublin and focusing on the Lockout of 1913. There are characters from all walks of life and the story relayed is realistic. The plight of the poor can not possibly leave the reader unmoved. In the foreground you have a set of fictional characters, in the background the well-known Jim Larkin. My complaint is that you can easily sort the characters into two groups - the villains and the heroes.
The bottom line: I felt I ought to be more engaged than I was.
The bottom line: I felt I ought to be more engaged than I was.
August 31, 2011
I first read this sometime in the early '80s, after having seen the RTÉ television programme on PBS. It's in the sprawling epic category, although it doesn't stray much further north than Drumcondra nor south of Dún Laoghaire; the Phoenix Park marks its western extremity and Dublin Bay is the east. Oh, there are mentions of Connemara and Cork, Liverpool and London, but those are place people will come from or go to. The real action takes place either in Kingstown (as Dún Laoghaire was then known) or within a few blocks of the Liffey: inside a circle which could be drawn with Liberty Hall at the centre and Parnell Square on the radius. A tight little world indeed for an epic.
The cast of characters is expansive enough, however; mostly families. There are the wealthy Bradshaws: husband and wife occupying a handsome home in Kingstown with their two servants, the elderly Miss Gilchrist and young Mary; there is the de facto family group in the rectory of St. Brigid’s: the alcoholic Fr. Giffley, the sincere but dull Fr. O’Sullivan, and the priggish youthful Fr. O’Connor, transferred from Kingstown and a continuing link between the inner city and leafy suburb; then there is the extended clan at Number 3 Chandler’s Court, a rundown tenement within St. Brigid’s parish: Robert and Mary Fitzpatrick (she formerly in service to the Bradshaws), the Mulhalls across the hall, the Henneseys' layabout husband, shrewish wife and multitudinous children; and finally if you will, the beggar Rashers Tierney and his dog Rusty, also occupants of No. 3, if only the basement. We might also consider a larger family, even by Irish Catholic standards: the brotherhood of Big Jim Larkin’s Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, of whom many of the above are members. There are, as might be expected in an epic, many walk-ons, including King Edward VII, Jim Larkin and James Connelly, a cheery handful of rozzers and rogues, the occasional hooer (with the requisite heart of gold), and on and on, with cameos by all the leading lights of the Celtic revival and beyond.
No epic is worth the handle without an epic struggle, and this is the centre of the novel: The 1913 Dublin Lockout, when Labour and Management effectively closed down the entire city, throwing thousands of the poorest out of work, ruining innumerable businesses and setting the next stage in Ireland’s long struggle for independence. The novel begins in 1907, introducing the characters on the occasion of a rare royal visit, which gives plenty of opportunity for Plunkett to establish the political stance of each.
Plunkett’s writing style is workmanlike, straightforward without being too flowery. In spite of the huge cast, the novel moves along at a brisk clip, driven as it is by historical events. I make no claim to verify the veracity of the history: the general outlines conform. The real story is how huge events affect little people: in this, James Plunkett’s Strumpet City is successful.
The cast of characters is expansive enough, however; mostly families. There are the wealthy Bradshaws: husband and wife occupying a handsome home in Kingstown with their two servants, the elderly Miss Gilchrist and young Mary; there is the de facto family group in the rectory of St. Brigid’s: the alcoholic Fr. Giffley, the sincere but dull Fr. O’Sullivan, and the priggish youthful Fr. O’Connor, transferred from Kingstown and a continuing link between the inner city and leafy suburb; then there is the extended clan at Number 3 Chandler’s Court, a rundown tenement within St. Brigid’s parish: Robert and Mary Fitzpatrick (she formerly in service to the Bradshaws), the Mulhalls across the hall, the Henneseys' layabout husband, shrewish wife and multitudinous children; and finally if you will, the beggar Rashers Tierney and his dog Rusty, also occupants of No. 3, if only the basement. We might also consider a larger family, even by Irish Catholic standards: the brotherhood of Big Jim Larkin’s Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, of whom many of the above are members. There are, as might be expected in an epic, many walk-ons, including King Edward VII, Jim Larkin and James Connelly, a cheery handful of rozzers and rogues, the occasional hooer (with the requisite heart of gold), and on and on, with cameos by all the leading lights of the Celtic revival and beyond.
No epic is worth the handle without an epic struggle, and this is the centre of the novel: The 1913 Dublin Lockout, when Labour and Management effectively closed down the entire city, throwing thousands of the poorest out of work, ruining innumerable businesses and setting the next stage in Ireland’s long struggle for independence. The novel begins in 1907, introducing the characters on the occasion of a rare royal visit, which gives plenty of opportunity for Plunkett to establish the political stance of each.
Plunkett’s writing style is workmanlike, straightforward without being too flowery. In spite of the huge cast, the novel moves along at a brisk clip, driven as it is by historical events. I make no claim to verify the veracity of the history: the general outlines conform. The real story is how huge events affect little people: in this, James Plunkett’s Strumpet City is successful.
June 9, 2020
Strumpet City is considered a masterpiece for good reason, it really is an a absolutely top-notch example of what a social novel can be. It's about the 1913 Dublin lockout and the lives of all sorts of people involved over the course of several years. Every relationship is meaningful and every character is deep and interesting, even the ones you dislike. I haven't stopped thinking about it since finishing it yesterday and im sure I'll keep thinking about it for a while yet
June 30, 2013
A tremendously powerful novel. It tells the story of the 1913 Lockout in Dublin, at a time when many of the working classes were already living in dire poverty, worsened by the effects of the Lockout. (The Lockout was a major industrial dispute involving 20,000 workers and 300 of their employers).
The characters in the novel represent both sides of the divide. Even so, as in all good novels, opinions are not quite so clear cut. Some of the upper classes do try to help the poor and of course some of the poor are only half-hearted in their support of the strikers, desperate as they are for work.
This novel does have a slightly Dickensian air about it but with less sentimentality and more humour.
The character of Rashers Tierney is very well done and reminds me of Dublin characters I knew as a child, in his wit and humour. The 3 priests are also very complex characters and well done, considering Plunkett himself was an anti-clericalist.
Special mention should also be made of Mrs Bradshaw, an upper class lady, who while trying to help in small ways cannot see the bigger picture and would be quite content for things to sty as they are, with the poor getting occasional handouts but otherwise knowing their place.
I am surprised a book like this got past the censor in the 60's as not only is one of the characters a prostitute but there are also some not so charitable remarks made regarding the church.
Another noteworthy aspect of this book is Plunkett's treatment of women. He acknowledges the hard life particular to women at the time (childbirth, childrearing, grinding poverty) and gives them a voice and recognition, something often overlooked in historical novels.
All in all, a very satisfying and moving (sometimes horrifying) book that really packs a punch.
The characters in the novel represent both sides of the divide. Even so, as in all good novels, opinions are not quite so clear cut. Some of the upper classes do try to help the poor and of course some of the poor are only half-hearted in their support of the strikers, desperate as they are for work.
This novel does have a slightly Dickensian air about it but with less sentimentality and more humour.
The character of Rashers Tierney is very well done and reminds me of Dublin characters I knew as a child, in his wit and humour. The 3 priests are also very complex characters and well done, considering Plunkett himself was an anti-clericalist.
Special mention should also be made of Mrs Bradshaw, an upper class lady, who while trying to help in small ways cannot see the bigger picture and would be quite content for things to sty as they are, with the poor getting occasional handouts but otherwise knowing their place.
I am surprised a book like this got past the censor in the 60's as not only is one of the characters a prostitute but there are also some not so charitable remarks made regarding the church.
Another noteworthy aspect of this book is Plunkett's treatment of women. He acknowledges the hard life particular to women at the time (childbirth, childrearing, grinding poverty) and gives them a voice and recognition, something often overlooked in historical novels.
All in all, a very satisfying and moving (sometimes horrifying) book that really packs a punch.
June 19, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I first read it in the 1970s and at that time I was young and idealistic. I believed that all the problems covered in the book, the extreme poverty and injustice at the beginning of the twentieth century were things of the past and that workers were not treated in that way any more. The story covers the period prior to the beginning of 'the troubles' in Ireland and focuses upon the treatment of the men on strike for fair pay who were facing Lock-out from their jobs. We are introduced to Fr. O'Connor who has just arrived at St. Brigid's Church as he asked to be transferred to a parish where he could work with 'the poor'. The trouble with Fr. O'Connor is that he does not like poor people, they are dirty, they smell, they beg and he considers them to have brought a lot of their troubles upon themselves with their own feckless behaviour. The Parish Priest in charge of St. Brigid's is Fr. Giffley, at heart a good and caring man who has spent his life in the parish and has been worn down trying to help the poor. He has a severe drink problem and is also walking a fine line between sanity and madness.
The story revolves around men like Fitz and his wife Mary and the Mulhall family. Mr Mulhall is heavily involved in the strike whilst James Larkin, who actually was the union organizer who sparked the events leading up to the Lock-out, raised money in other countries to help support the strikers in Ireland but this was far too little and people were facing near starvation.
I think the character that will stay in my memory and heart for the longest is Rashers Tierney and his little dog Rusty, the only creature to show Rashers any love. Poor Rashers did not even know what his real name was. He lived in a filthy and dank cellar, sleeping on a few dirty sacks on the floor. Some days he found food in the bins of the rich people, often he and Rusty went without. Fr. O'Connor had no pity for the likes of Rashers and dismissed him from his winter job of keeping the church boiler fuelled. I found his story heartbreaking.
The writing in this book is poetic and eloquent and gives a real insight into that part of history just before the world would be plunged into the dreadful darkness of the first World War.
I am wise enough to know now that these things were not 'of the past'; they are just as relevant today and if you look around you will find a Rashers Tierney existing not so far from where you live.
A wonderful piece of writing.
The story revolves around men like Fitz and his wife Mary and the Mulhall family. Mr Mulhall is heavily involved in the strike whilst James Larkin, who actually was the union organizer who sparked the events leading up to the Lock-out, raised money in other countries to help support the strikers in Ireland but this was far too little and people were facing near starvation.
I think the character that will stay in my memory and heart for the longest is Rashers Tierney and his little dog Rusty, the only creature to show Rashers any love. Poor Rashers did not even know what his real name was. He lived in a filthy and dank cellar, sleeping on a few dirty sacks on the floor. Some days he found food in the bins of the rich people, often he and Rusty went without. Fr. O'Connor had no pity for the likes of Rashers and dismissed him from his winter job of keeping the church boiler fuelled. I found his story heartbreaking.
The writing in this book is poetic and eloquent and gives a real insight into that part of history just before the world would be plunged into the dreadful darkness of the first World War.
I am wise enough to know now that these things were not 'of the past'; they are just as relevant today and if you look around you will find a Rashers Tierney existing not so far from where you live.
A wonderful piece of writing.
July 24, 2024
A bloated book with all the emotional complexity of a trip to the supermarket. I should have stopped after the first 100 pages.
October 25, 2022
I read this book for the first time when I was 15 and recently I got an urge to take it down from the shelf again. Few pieces of literature have ever had such an impact on me as much as this did. It made me see and understand the world from a very different perspective. The poverty, the hunger and the slum life that so many endured in early 20th century Dublin are captured so well and at times it is a very painful read. Although it’s a work of fiction, all the key moments in the book were inspired by real events. The core message of justice and desire for a more equal society still rings true.
5 stars out of 5, read it if you have never done so!
5 stars out of 5, read it if you have never done so!
July 3, 2022
One of the most anxiety provoking reading experiences of my life lmao
November 6, 2017
Dublin was "a comfortless city" (71). "There were particular deaths no longer, only Death in general" (96). "These bricks were returning once more to dust, one by one these walls would bulge outwards, crack, collapse into rubble. They were despised and uncared for, like the tenants they sheltered, who lived for the most part on bread and tea and bore children on rickety beds to grow up in the same hardship and hunger. Larkin was thundering his message of revolution, organising strikes, leading assaults on a shocked society, but the immediate gains, where they came at all, made little difference" (296). "But that was the Will of God" (390). Oh! Not quite Angela's Ashes monotonous Irish misery but close, no?
Plunkett's novel, as it is the sort of centennial epic that captures a zeitgeist, is meant as an Irish equivalent to the 'Great American novel'. I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, as the novelistic pieces are often cut-out predictable (thwarts, melancholies, drifting moods, joys, etc.). And, you know, books in English that aren't American aren't so common, I humbly reckon, at least in the canon I know; so it has that rarity thing going for it. It's also often compared to another Irish great, Joyce's Ulysses, which proves it sweeping through decades (maximalist) where Joyce zeroes in one day in 1904 (minimalist). Which is a better experience of Dublin? I do not know, frankly.
The 1913 lock-out -- one side cheering for Larkin, Connolly, revolution, and the other for status quo, wealth inequality, the same old landlord/tenant grumbling -- makes a fine premise at times. The socialist debates this setting summons are eternally conveyed in quaint yet precise words and eternally proven in itchy moods, vignettes, piquant life corners. It can be a little tiresome at times (haven’t you yet decided? realized?), but life in general can be that way just as often as literature, no? We aren’t ready for a nature like that, I suppose, human civilization and all; still stuck we are to miserable capitalism and pained "justice" and 'the way it’s been and will continue to be' and stuff. So depressing in that sense. But not a bad book in general. I don’t know.
Maybe when Dublin itself is glimpsed, less when the human characters inside it get long gazes and are followed? All on page 494, near the book's end, the city's characterized in a sad yet funny way again: Rashers Tierney describes Dublin as "the most misbegotten kip of a city in the whole wide world" ['kip' defined soon after as "a resort of ill fame, a whorehouse"; for Father Griffley "it was a fitting word. It pleased him."] Just as Rashers as a character can remind us of Bubbles, so can Strumpet City's Dublin echo The Wire's Baltimore: a hard-luck, blue-collar place, of a lot of highs and lows both, in a particular and remarkable turn of history. We need not so much the inhabitants' complicated, confusing ins and outs, in my opinion: let's bask more in reality (smaller nature), no?
Plunkett's novel, as it is the sort of centennial epic that captures a zeitgeist, is meant as an Irish equivalent to the 'Great American novel'. I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, as the novelistic pieces are often cut-out predictable (thwarts, melancholies, drifting moods, joys, etc.). And, you know, books in English that aren't American aren't so common, I humbly reckon, at least in the canon I know; so it has that rarity thing going for it. It's also often compared to another Irish great, Joyce's Ulysses, which proves it sweeping through decades (maximalist) where Joyce zeroes in one day in 1904 (minimalist). Which is a better experience of Dublin? I do not know, frankly.
The 1913 lock-out -- one side cheering for Larkin, Connolly, revolution, and the other for status quo, wealth inequality, the same old landlord/tenant grumbling -- makes a fine premise at times. The socialist debates this setting summons are eternally conveyed in quaint yet precise words and eternally proven in itchy moods, vignettes, piquant life corners. It can be a little tiresome at times (haven’t you yet decided? realized?), but life in general can be that way just as often as literature, no? We aren’t ready for a nature like that, I suppose, human civilization and all; still stuck we are to miserable capitalism and pained "justice" and 'the way it’s been and will continue to be' and stuff. So depressing in that sense. But not a bad book in general. I don’t know.
Maybe when Dublin itself is glimpsed, less when the human characters inside it get long gazes and are followed? All on page 494, near the book's end, the city's characterized in a sad yet funny way again: Rashers Tierney describes Dublin as "the most misbegotten kip of a city in the whole wide world" ['kip' defined soon after as "a resort of ill fame, a whorehouse"; for Father Griffley "it was a fitting word. It pleased him."] Just as Rashers as a character can remind us of Bubbles, so can Strumpet City's Dublin echo The Wire's Baltimore: a hard-luck, blue-collar place, of a lot of highs and lows both, in a particular and remarkable turn of history. We need not so much the inhabitants' complicated, confusing ins and outs, in my opinion: let's bask more in reality (smaller nature), no?
November 25, 2014
Wow!
I enjoyed reading this book.
It was rich in themes which range from socialism, trade-unions, strikes, police bruatlity, religion, poverty etc.
It is based on the period before world war I. The characters, most of them are poor and destitute. It is a struggle to get a meal a day.
The workers are oppressed by the employers.
The strikes are rampant.
The police are brutal.
The priests are irresponsible and misleading.
The Government is reluctant and turns a deaf ear to the cries of it's citizens.
The rich are arrogant.
And you think that that was a long time ago. It is what is happening now! We are still angry and hungry, satisfied and dissatisfied, poor and rich.
The preachers have gone from comforting to exploiting us. They take advantage of our vulnerability and naivete and 'steal' the last coin we have.
We are all living in our own strumpet cities with politicians promising us heaven when they give us hell.
Sorry, we live with the hope that God is going to reward our suffering. We are slow to blame him and accept our fate as handed to us.
Our children, suffering, going hungry without even clothing. Education is very expensive yet we are told that it is a basic need. Why can't it be free like oxygen.
This book does not answer your questions but shows you the ills that plagues society. The difference between the rich and the poor. And the role of God in all this.
I enjoyed reading this book.
It was rich in themes which range from socialism, trade-unions, strikes, police bruatlity, religion, poverty etc.
It is based on the period before world war I. The characters, most of them are poor and destitute. It is a struggle to get a meal a day.
The workers are oppressed by the employers.
The strikes are rampant.
The police are brutal.
The priests are irresponsible and misleading.
The Government is reluctant and turns a deaf ear to the cries of it's citizens.
The rich are arrogant.
And you think that that was a long time ago. It is what is happening now! We are still angry and hungry, satisfied and dissatisfied, poor and rich.
The preachers have gone from comforting to exploiting us. They take advantage of our vulnerability and naivete and 'steal' the last coin we have.
We are all living in our own strumpet cities with politicians promising us heaven when they give us hell.
Sorry, we live with the hope that God is going to reward our suffering. We are slow to blame him and accept our fate as handed to us.
Our children, suffering, going hungry without even clothing. Education is very expensive yet we are told that it is a basic need. Why can't it be free like oxygen.
This book does not answer your questions but shows you the ills that plagues society. The difference between the rich and the poor. And the role of God in all this.
March 7, 2015
I had the luck to find this book abandoned in my street, among others, it looked new and probably never read. I picked it up, as I have a special affection for Ireland and Irish literature, but delayed the reading for months, as I never felt inclined. I should have read it straightaway!
I loved Plunkett's prose almost immediately and his, at times lyrical, description of Dublin. The story is set from 1907 to 1914 in Dublin during the Lockout, a series of strikes during what probably is the most important industrial dispute of Ireland. As others have said, this is a great social and historical novel: the description of the bleak conditions of the working class (together with their sense of community and cohesion) are exceptionally portrayed and it is impossible not to be moved. The critiques moved by the author to the role the clergy played in opposing the strikes and siding with the employers are harsh, but not didactic. Plunkett also showed exceptions in the beautifully sketched characters of Yearling, who belongs to the employers class and is not blind to the conditions of his employees, and Father Giffley, a priest who, despite his addiction, is the most empathic with his parishioners.
This book has deeply moved me and I could not help but admire the cohesion and comradeship of a community, deprived of rights and education, but rich in integrity and tightly clung to its dignity.
I loved Plunkett's prose almost immediately and his, at times lyrical, description of Dublin. The story is set from 1907 to 1914 in Dublin during the Lockout, a series of strikes during what probably is the most important industrial dispute of Ireland. As others have said, this is a great social and historical novel: the description of the bleak conditions of the working class (together with their sense of community and cohesion) are exceptionally portrayed and it is impossible not to be moved. The critiques moved by the author to the role the clergy played in opposing the strikes and siding with the employers are harsh, but not didactic. Plunkett also showed exceptions in the beautifully sketched characters of Yearling, who belongs to the employers class and is not blind to the conditions of his employees, and Father Giffley, a priest who, despite his addiction, is the most empathic with his parishioners.
This book has deeply moved me and I could not help but admire the cohesion and comradeship of a community, deprived of rights and education, but rich in integrity and tightly clung to its dignity.
June 9, 2013
This book details the poverty of inner city Dublin at the turn of the 20th century. It was recently the One City One Book read in Dublin, resurrecting a book that was published in 1969. It is reminiscent of the book about India, though A Fine Balance manages to be more heart-wrenching and even more hopeless. Despite being the story of the Great Lockout of 1913, it lacked some depth regarding the lockout.
Read
April 27, 2013Bleak, but very readable.
January 24, 2023
From August 26 of 1913 until January 18 of 1914 about 20,000 Irish laborers were locked out of their jobs in Dublin by a united business community; backed by angry violent police, the churches, and upperclasses, business leaders conspired to destroy the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union's fight to unionize and improve the wages of their desperately poor, often illiterate men who lived on the verge of starvation. Plunkett's old-fashioned novel captures the beauty and suffering of early 20th century Dublin and recreates a dire picture of the notorious and violent lockout. Plunkett tells his story through the lives of shop foreman and union leader Robert Fitzgerald, his wife Mary, and his union comrades; the dispirited and conflicted priests of St. Bridget who struggle to minister to their mpoverished congregation; Yearling, a well-to-do Anglo-Irishman gentleman; the prosperous middleclass Catholic tenement slumlord Bradshaws ; and the quarrelsome, disabled ballad singer Rashers Tierney and his faithful dog Rusty who barely survive at the very bottom of society. Plunkett contrasts the stark lives of the Fitzgeralds and their neighbors with the comfortable society of the Yearling and Bradshaws, vividly capturing the cruel and capricious fates of the poor. At the heart of his novel are the bravery, compassion, and solidarity of working men and their families. My favorite characters were the ill-starred Rashers and the bitter Mrs. Hennessy. There are no Bernadette Devlins here but Mrs. Hennessy, a harridan with an all too social, lackadaisical, and chronically unemployed spouse, who fought to keep her family afloat and Lily Maxwell, striker Pat Bannister's sweetheart who turnes to prostitution to ward off starvation. These two are given more agency than the deferential good wives both rich and poor. Plunkett, by reports a practicing Catholic, presents divergent views of the Catholic Church, views that resonates today. On one hand, the hierarchy and clergy, viewing the union as a socialist tool of the devil, are at odds with many of its people. Plunkett documents the Church's support of anti-union forces and shows Church's comfortable members and clergy too taken with the concept of the deserving poor. On the other hand, he shows us how the Church's ritual and sacraments remained a source of pride, faith and consolation for both priests and laypeople and individual priests sympathetic to Jim Larkin's union. This classic but little known, novel is a good read for those interested in Irish and labor history. The Irish television miniseries with Peter OToole playing the real-life labor leader Jim Larkin is in my Netflix DVD que.
November 15, 2018
I picked this up in Dublin's peerless Books Upstairs bookshop near to Trinity College as I was in the mood for an historical novel set in the Irish context. There are similarities to The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists given that it is a tale of working class life and strife in the early twentieth century and the book's events are the real life ones of the Dublin lock out in the years before World War I and the Revolution. There are some well drawn characters and it is tightly plotted with some good watershed moments but I found the prose to be lumpen and inexpressive. Although it wasn't so much the fascination at the time, the novel would have benefitted from the deployment of working class argot - at times, one simply forgets that the characters are Irish at all. That it was written in 1969 and hence a hundred years after Dickens and Zola is another comparison from which it doesn't escape favourably. So, a worthy attempt at the 'Great Irish Novel' in realist terms but something of a slog to get through.
June 13, 2020
A bleak portrait of a city in a dark period of Edwardian history. Dublin in the early 20th century was not a good place to be. Poverty in Dublin was worse than a lot of other cities in Europe but somehow the people managed to get along. It was exacerbated by the general lockout of 1913 when a lot of people were out of work due to strikes. People resorted to the soup kitchen or else they went without.
Although it’s a work of fiction, there’s a lot of history in this book. This is the terrible beauty of historical fiction, it paints a grim picture. One individual being found dead at the end and had been for sometime is just testament to the harsh realities people faced. I won’t say as not to spoil the story.
Although it’s a work of fiction, there’s a lot of history in this book. This is the terrible beauty of historical fiction, it paints a grim picture. One individual being found dead at the end and had been for sometime is just testament to the harsh realities people faced. I won’t say as not to spoil the story.
June 25, 2022
A beautifully structured and written novel of the Dublin of 1907 to 1914. Although James Larkin and the Lockout of 1913 are key, it's the wonderful portrayal of a range of lesser characters from several social classes, and their places in the poverty-stricken Dublin of the day, that make this one of the great Irish novels.
August 6, 2012
I’ve recently read three substantial novels dealing with strikes or similar struggles: Frank Noris’ The Octopus, Zola’s Germinal, and now Strumpet City. Strumpet City portrays the lives of several characters affected by labor unrest culminating in a protracted and devastating lockout. The characters are fictional, but the story is based closely on events between the years 1904 and 1914 in Dublin. The characters range from the very poor to the upper-middle-class but they concentrate on the working poor. There's a lot of good writing, vivid and often touching evocation of the city in strife. An important character starves to death. The novel is constructed like the currently fashionable genre of linked short stories. That is, sections of two to six pages follow a character. Each section tends to be artfully constructed with a beginning, middle, and end and a feeling of completion or even illumination at the last. The overall structure is not so good — the book has a feeling of being less than the sum of its parts. Important characters appear two thirds of the way through, and the end rather fritters away. The characters are not stereotypes exactly, but they're not richly endowed with inner life or individuality. You come away with a sense of suffering imposed by capitalist exploitation, and of the painful struggle that has brought us somewhat improved conditions today. The book has a humanity: the author has something good to show about every character and frequently shows how decent human beings can be to one another when you might not expect it. The most interesting characters are two men who have painfully mixed feelings in the class struggle. One is a priest (The official church is very much opposed to the labor movement.) who feels keenly the suffering of his parishioners and is destroyed by his helplessness to act upon his feelings and the unfairness of their treatment. The other is a member of the coupon-clipping class who gradually moves over to the side of the workers.
It is interesting to compare this novel to Ulysses, which takes place in 1904. Something like one third of the population of Dublin was living in dire poverty at that time, but you would never know it from Ulysses, which is mercilessly middle-class. Characters in Ulysses are hard up for money, but it is in a middle-class way, not the edge of starvation. Both novels celebrate the Dublin musical scene. Several characters are deeply involved in playing music, and playing music together in households. Going to light operas and similar performances is constantly in the background. The Lord Mayor of Dublin is mentioned in this book who was also one of Molly's lovers. The time when I thought most often of Joyce was in the sections devoted to any one of the three priests that are important in Strumpet City. Reading their conversations and their concerns about Catholic doctrine and their personal status, I felt I could have been reading Joyce.
It is interesting to compare this novel to Ulysses, which takes place in 1904. Something like one third of the population of Dublin was living in dire poverty at that time, but you would never know it from Ulysses, which is mercilessly middle-class. Characters in Ulysses are hard up for money, but it is in a middle-class way, not the edge of starvation. Both novels celebrate the Dublin musical scene. Several characters are deeply involved in playing music, and playing music together in households. Going to light operas and similar performances is constantly in the background. The Lord Mayor of Dublin is mentioned in this book who was also one of Molly's lovers. The time when I thought most often of Joyce was in the sections devoted to any one of the three priests that are important in Strumpet City. Reading their conversations and their concerns about Catholic doctrine and their personal status, I felt I could have been reading Joyce.
January 12, 2015
Strumpet City, written by James Plunkett, is a historical fiction novel set during the early 1900’s in Dublin before and during World War I. The novel begins by introducing a couple of the supporting characters from one of the main supporting characters Mary’s point of view. Mary is the girlfriend of the protagonist, Bob Fitzgerald – “Fitz”. The King and Queen of England are visiting Dublin as the novel opens immediately with two juxtaposing tones; one of rebellious anarchy and one of love. Mary has the day off for the occasion of the royal’s arrival so she meets her lover, Fitz. They spend the day together on the beach, strolling and picnicking and finally Fitz proposes to her. The underlying problem that presents itself in the future is that Fitz’s wages as a dock worker are only sufficient for day to day. Plunkett explains the horrid work hours, twelve to seventeen hour days with pay only enough to last that day. He goes on to describe scenarios where loyal and hardworking laborers like Fitz work through injuries from furnaces, villainous overseers who demand overtime without compensation, and, most prominently he highlights the conditions under which the laborers work. Working from twelve in the morning to twelve noon the next day, “digging, hauling, loading, dumping, re-loading” (Plunkett 90). Where the air would be so thick with work debris and sleet that the men could barely breathe. The climax of the novel arises when hundreds of transit workers strike and in return, business owners close factories and cut jobs, driving “the whole of Ireland” to the drink and challenging Fitz hopeful future of marriage and a family.
Plunkett’s writing is slightly less wordy but still comparable to that of Charles Dickens’. His extensive use of descriptive words really involves all of the reader’s senses as well as emotionally involves the reader. Plunkett’s use of juxtaposing scenarios and tones in nearly the entirety of the novel maintains the reader’s interest by evoking decision-making. That is to say, which feeling do they agree with or which action should be praised. His consistent juxtaposition of Fitz’ optimism against the atrocities which he faces every day in finding and carrying out labor duties. Plunkett also provides relief in the melancholy tone of the labor through Mary and Fitz’s passionate love for each other and the fact that it never fails although in hardship it might seem to falter.
I would recommend this novel for the history buff who enjoys immersing themselves in the protagonist’s situation. Plunkett’s writing style allow for the reader to become totally engaged in the characters’ emotions and continuously surpasses expectations of what should be written and what was. By maintaining historical accuracy, the novel is even more enjoyable in the sense that not only is it entertaining, but also believable. Once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down.
Plunkett’s writing is slightly less wordy but still comparable to that of Charles Dickens’. His extensive use of descriptive words really involves all of the reader’s senses as well as emotionally involves the reader. Plunkett’s use of juxtaposing scenarios and tones in nearly the entirety of the novel maintains the reader’s interest by evoking decision-making. That is to say, which feeling do they agree with or which action should be praised. His consistent juxtaposition of Fitz’ optimism against the atrocities which he faces every day in finding and carrying out labor duties. Plunkett also provides relief in the melancholy tone of the labor through Mary and Fitz’s passionate love for each other and the fact that it never fails although in hardship it might seem to falter.
I would recommend this novel for the history buff who enjoys immersing themselves in the protagonist’s situation. Plunkett’s writing style allow for the reader to become totally engaged in the characters’ emotions and continuously surpasses expectations of what should be written and what was. By maintaining historical accuracy, the novel is even more enjoyable in the sense that not only is it entertaining, but also believable. Once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down.
September 22, 2013
'Strumpet City' is one of the finest 'historical' novels I have read this year, set in early 20th century Dublin, during the infamous 1913 lock-outs, the book expertly draws the reader into the social upheavals which informed the everyday lives of Dubliners - irrespective of class - during the years 1907-13.
The portrait painted is of a city of extremes, both of poverty (The Inner City) and wealth (Kingstown). As someone who is largely ignorant of the modern social history of Ireland, the novel was most informative and has made me want to find out more about this turbulent period in the city's history. The main personalities of the novel, used to draw the reader into the greater 'historical narrative’ as imagined by author, are fictitious, and the backdrop is based on real events. There are a plethora of references made to genuine historical figures such as Jim Larkin - whose ideological beliefs are used by the author as the key driver for the events which inform the book's narrative.
The writing style is very descriptive which make the book really hard to put down. Additionally, the tendency towards the use of colloquialisms furnishes the book's many dialogues with a genuinely authentic feel. The only fault I could find with this book is rather minor, and is down to my own ignorance of Dublin, as opposed to some shortfall by the author. Naturally, given the narratives historical setting, many of the place/street names have changed considerably after the cessation of British rule. Therefore, I found it quite difficult to orient myself in the cityscape - for example, it took me ages to work out the Sackville Street was present day Dublin's O’Connell Street. So, the only amendment I would make would be to add a map of the city with both its 20th century and present day place/street names.
Overall, Plunkett’s novel can only be accurately characterised as a triumph! I thoroughly enjoyed the read and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the social history of Dublin - despite the fact it is a novel it certainly introduce the reader to the themes which one imagines would have informed the historical events upon which its narrative is based.
Happy Reading,
Gavin
The portrait painted is of a city of extremes, both of poverty (The Inner City) and wealth (Kingstown). As someone who is largely ignorant of the modern social history of Ireland, the novel was most informative and has made me want to find out more about this turbulent period in the city's history. The main personalities of the novel, used to draw the reader into the greater 'historical narrative’ as imagined by author, are fictitious, and the backdrop is based on real events. There are a plethora of references made to genuine historical figures such as Jim Larkin - whose ideological beliefs are used by the author as the key driver for the events which inform the book's narrative.
The writing style is very descriptive which make the book really hard to put down. Additionally, the tendency towards the use of colloquialisms furnishes the book's many dialogues with a genuinely authentic feel. The only fault I could find with this book is rather minor, and is down to my own ignorance of Dublin, as opposed to some shortfall by the author. Naturally, given the narratives historical setting, many of the place/street names have changed considerably after the cessation of British rule. Therefore, I found it quite difficult to orient myself in the cityscape - for example, it took me ages to work out the Sackville Street was present day Dublin's O’Connell Street. So, the only amendment I would make would be to add a map of the city with both its 20th century and present day place/street names.
Overall, Plunkett’s novel can only be accurately characterised as a triumph! I thoroughly enjoyed the read and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the social history of Dublin - despite the fact it is a novel it certainly introduce the reader to the themes which one imagines would have informed the historical events upon which its narrative is based.
Happy Reading,
Gavin
September 21, 2013
Well I finished it but I must admit it was a struggle. It started really well and I found it very interesting but mid-way, it lost it for me. I found it very long, there was no end in sight and I struggled to complete it. It certainly wasn't a book I was itching to pick back up. I finished it as it was nominated as a Book Club read and out of respect to the person who nominated it, I didn't want to give up half way.
I did like the characters, my favourites were Fitz, Rashers and Yearling. The 3 priests were like something out of a Father Ted episode. I really disliked Fr. O'Connor in particular but enjoyed reading about him from his perspective as much as he frustrated me, if that makes sense. Another positive was the historical aspect of the story. It was interesting to read about life in Ireland under English rule, the various events that took place such as the Kings visit, the lives of families in the tenements, how they eeked out a survival. The change in the seasons also came through very well in the book, going from summer to autumn to winter.
I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book as I believe it is an important work. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as don't believe its one that would be to everybody’s taste however.
I did like the characters, my favourites were Fitz, Rashers and Yearling. The 3 priests were like something out of a Father Ted episode. I really disliked Fr. O'Connor in particular but enjoyed reading about him from his perspective as much as he frustrated me, if that makes sense. Another positive was the historical aspect of the story. It was interesting to read about life in Ireland under English rule, the various events that took place such as the Kings visit, the lives of families in the tenements, how they eeked out a survival. The change in the seasons also came through very well in the book, going from summer to autumn to winter.
I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book as I believe it is an important work. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as don't believe its one that would be to everybody’s taste however.
October 12, 2023
An old favourite. Set in Dublin in 1913 and peopled by a memorable cast of characters, in particular the beggar "Rashers" Tierney. Dickensian in its scope and in its portrayal of the class system, but with a very Dublin flavour. Recommended for anyone who enjoyed or .
February 16, 2015
James Plunkett created some of the most well-rounded and true-to-life characters in all of Irish literature. From the frostiness and superiority of the morally superior business class ensconced in Kingstown to the tenement dwellers who eked out an existence in Europe's most miserable slums, this epic saga tells the story of Ireland's struggle to define its destiny, and of the conflicted interests among its clergy, businesspeople and the mass of the working people. Set against the background of the 1913 Lockout we witness the strikers descending into starvation and country teetering on the edge of chaos. A must-read...
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