We have a running joke on this show that big houses and James Joyce feature in nearly every episode...
... in honour of that - this month was our Bloomsday Special! I was joined by the insightful local historian Brian Smith as we delved into the days James Joyce spent in Glasthule's smaller neighbour - Sandycove. Why focus on Glasthule then? Sandycove isn't a townland and as you stroll along the coastline up to Dún Laoghaire you find yourself more so in Glasthule than you thought! Brian has had an interest in history from when he was researching his own family history 40 years ago. Since then, he has published three Genealogy books, numerous local history articles, with the Dún Laoghaire Borough Historical Society and a couple of booklets on items of local interest - which included the brilliant: ‘The Streets of Glasthule'
Here is a link to where you can find some of his work:
Publications | DLBHS.COM – The website of Dun Laoghaire Borough History Society
Dubray Books. The Streets of Glasthule: The Streets of Glasthule, Co. Dublin
From the various theories of the area's namesake to an evening out dining, we questioned the notion of Glasthule being considered a 'sleepy coastal town.' We covered Martello towers, the famous neighbours of Joyce and how Sandycove & Glathule were on the receiving end of a WWII bomb in 1940. What we duly noted about Glasthule is that despite it's reputation, sleepy it is not! Happy Bloomsday! (The radio show epsiode of Dublin's Historic South - Glasthule was aired on June 16th 2021 on Dublin South FM)
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