Dublin's Lost Heroines: Mammies and Grannies in a Vanished City

Kevin C. Kearns · 2004 First Edition · Hardback

Presenting Dublin's Lost Heroines: Mammies and Grannies in a Vanished City, a highly acclaimed first edition hardback by celebrated social historian Kevin C. Kearns, published by Gill & Macmillan in 2004. Drawing on rich, first-hand oral testimony, Kearns movingly documents the lives of Dublin's working-class women from the early 1900s through to the 1970s.

These were the formidable mammies and grannies who held together tenement households and tight-knit inner-city communities through unimaginable poverty, hardship, and rapid social change. Enriched throughout with evocative black-and-white period photographs of women, streets, and inner-city life, this volume provides a vivid, visual context to the incredible oral accounts.

WHY THIS BOOK?

Kevin C. Kearns, author of the seminal Dublin Tenement Life, is widely regarded as the unparalleled chronicler of vanished working-class Dublin. Finding this specific first edition hardback is a wonderful opportunity for anyone deeply interested in Irish social history, Dublin heritage, or women's oral history. It serves not only as a compelling narrative but as an invaluable resource for family historians tracing roots back to Dublin's tenement era.

Key Features

  • First Edition Hardback: Published by Gill & Macmillan, 2004 (ISBN 0717134636).
  • Acclaimed Author: Written by Kevin C. Kearns, the master of Dublin oral history.
  • Social Heritage: Captures the voices of Dublin working-class women from the early 1900s to the 1970s.
  • Visual History: Illustrated throughout with striking black-and-white period photographs.
  • Solid Interior: Pages are beautifully clean, bright, and completely free from foxing or staining.
  • Provenance: Features a small handwritten ownership inscription on the front endpaper, adding genuine history.

Item Details

Title Dublin's Lost Heroines: Mammies and Grannies in a Vanished City
Author Kevin C. Kearns
Publisher Gill & Macmillan
Publication Year 2004 (First Edition)
Format Hardcover with Dust Jacket
Genre Biographies & True Stories / History
Subject Irish History, Women's History, Dublin, Oral History
ISBN 0717134636

Detailed Condition

Used — Good Overall Condition. The dust jacket is present; the front cover is relatively clean, but it shows noticeable wear to the rear panel including creasing, scuffing, and surface marks, along with some rubbing to the spine ends and corners. Beneath the jacket, the hardback boards remain firm and perfectly intact. The interior pages are exceptionally clean and bright with absolutely no foxing or staining. A handwritten ownership inscription ("This book to me, James Smith, Thursday 02.08.05") appears neatly on the front endpaper. There are no other writings or markings present internally. A highly sound, very readable copy.

Questions Buyers Often Ask

Q: Is this a first edition?
A: Yes, the publication details confirm this is the genuine first edition, published by Gill & Macmillan in 2004.

Q: Is the dust jacket included?
A: Yes, the dust jacket is present. While the front presents well, please note the rear panel shows creasing, scuffing, and surface marks, with minor rubbing to the spine ends.

Q: Are the pages clean inside?
A: Yes — the pages are beautifully clean and bright throughout, totally free from foxing, staining, or underlining. The only internal mark is the aforementioned ownership inscription on the front endpaper.

Q: Is the book signed by the author?
A: No, it is not signed by Kevin C. Kearns. The handwritten inscription belongs to a previous owner.

Q: Is it illustrated?
A: Yes, the book is wonderfully illustrated with black-and-white photographs throughout, depicting women, historic streets, and authentic scenes from inner-city Dublin.

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If you'd like more detail on any aspect of this copy — including close-up photos of the dust jacket wear, the spine, or the front endpaper inscription — please feel free to message and I'll be happy to help.