An eclectic and surprising portrait of a forgotten period of Irish history

The 1930s in Ireland is often remembered as a bleak period of economic stagnation and unemployment. But, 1932, hailed by the Irish Press as a ‘new era’, was an early glimmer of the modernity that Ireland would later reach, with key events including Olympic gold medals and the rise of Jack Doyle, the Eucharistic Congress, a so-called gold rush and the election of Éamon de Valera, all hinting at Ireland’s future success.

The soundtrack scoring all this change was the jazz craze, loosening the conservative moral order of the time. Bringing new forms of dress, lifestyle and behaviour, it excited a younger generation for the future, while leaving an older generation wary of such rapid change.

Kevin C. Kearns, PhD, is a social historian, Professor Emeritus at the University of Northern Colorado and the author of 16 books, including Dublin Tenement Life and Ireland’s Arctic Siege. In 2021, he was awarded the Lord Mayor’s Scroll from Dublin City Council, recognising his ‘dedication to preserving Dublin’s social history’.