Dublin's dedicated followers of fashion

With little money but lots of imagination, Dublin's youth culture flourished from the 1950s on. Now it has been documented in a new book, writes SINEAD GLEESON

WRITER ISAAC Bashevis Singer famously remarked “what a strange power there is in clothing”. Beyond the necessity of warmth (and, of course, modesty), for many, clothes retain that power. Clothing and style can be a means of expression, of rebellion, of intent.

Garry O'Neill's new book, Where Were You?documents Dublin's street style and youth culture over a 50-year period. Over ten years, O'Neill gathered hundreds of photos of Dublin's youth.

Taking 1960s O’Connell Bridge shots of passing couples as a starting point, the book shows us everything from the skinheads of the 1970s to the punks and Goths of the 1980s.

But it’s much more than an examination of “alternative” sub-cultures; lurking in the sepia-tinged images are Teddy Boys, Mods, Bikers, New Romantics, Clubbers, Hippies, Breakdancers, Rockers and all the indefinable trends in between.

Alongside the photographs are articles, advertisements, gig tickets and club flyers, making it a compelling social history. Where Were You? is a fashion time-capsule, and retrospectively focuses on a DIY culture where people created their own looks, often with little money and a lot of imagination.

We spoke to five people whose photographs appear in the book.

Stephen Byrne, 1968

"In the 1960s, there was a man with a box camera on O'Connell Street, who took your picture, gave you a ticket and you went to Marlborough Street to buy it if you liked it. Here, I'm on the right with my friend Dave Cox on the left. In the photo I'm 16, and I thought of myself as a Mod. We socialised at Stella House in Mount Merrion, where we'd sit around smoking, which we thought was cool. I liked the Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, the Dave Clarke Five, and The Kinks' Dedicated Follower of Fashionwas something we subscribed to."

Dave Linehan, 1979

“I’m 10 in the photo. I’m in the middle of the photo. I remember going to the Dandelion Market with my older sister in 1978 and it felt like there was something in the air. I was into The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Boomtown Rats and would go into Advance Records (the photo is taken outside it) to buy 7” singles at the weekend.

“There was a shop called No Romance for buying punk clothes, but it was too expensive. My look was completely homemade – I went to Dockrell’s hardware shop and got them to cut me that length of chain I’m wearing. Irish society then was very hostile to anyone who was different, so I got lots of grief for how I looked. It wasn’t just the music: it was a whole new world of pure magic.”

Photograph: Brian Palm

Bróna Uí Loing, 1966

“This photo was taken in 1966, the year before I left school. I’m sitting on the left. I was 16.

“That summer, a friend came over to Ireland from Edinburgh and brought a portable record player. I had never seen one, so we all went to the beach with it, thinking we were the bees knees. All the albums in the photo were mine – when I think of the sand now.

“I’m still friends with that gang of girls. It’s a great photo – even if I cringe – because it’s evocative of the time, it could have been a beach in California, so I’m glad I kept the photos.”

Anthony Mackey, 1984

“The photo was taken by a family friend who knew we dressed that way and wanted to capture that. We went to a derelict warehouse in Dunshauglin. Three of my brothers are in the photo. I’m the one crouching in the middle row.

“At 13, I hadn’t yet joined any bands, but music was always around. We liked to paint band logos on our jackets, rather than buying patches, so you can see AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio. I later used the image as an album cover for my band.”

Photograph: Tom Kelly

Jill Clare, 1985

“When this photo was taken I was 18 and had just done my Leaving Cert. All I remember is that the photographer stopped to ask if he could take our picture. Had I known how much this photo comes popping up in my life, I might have said no!

“It was somewhere behind the old Virgin Megastore and James is about six months old [his father Pado Kenny is also in the photo]. I was a Teddy Girl, and loved the clothes from the 1940s and 1950s. Liz Taylor and Audrey Hepburn were my style icons. It was really hard to find vintage clothes, so I made my own.

“Slowly I started to meet other people who liked rock’n’roll music– like Billy Fury and Roy Orbison – and that whole look. My mam taught me how to do beehive hair and backcombing, but it was trial and error trying to perfect your style. We would go to the Magnet Bar in Pearse Street to see bands play and I loved to dance.

“I don’t dress the same way, but I still wear pencil dresses, 1950s-style make-up and winkle-pickers. For me, was always a whole package of the music and the clothes.”

Photograph: Steve Pyke

Where Were You? Dublin Youth Culture Street Style 1950 - 2000is published by Hi Tone Books. Order from wherewereyou.ie