Me Jewel an' Darlin

Eamonn Mac Thomais, now in his 70th year, spent much of his life conducting tours around Dublin, bringing an unrivalled knowledge…

Eamonn Mac Thomais, now in his 70th year, spent much of his life conducting tours around Dublin, bringing an unrivalled knowledge of the old city to his companions. He has now, as it were, gone indoors at the Tivoli, talking his way through a large selection of projected photos; and it is still a fascinating journey.

The venue was once a cinema where, as a boy, he shouted for the picture to begin; a nice starting point. From there he ranges far and wide over his sacred terrain, including in his commentary people as well as places. A lost society comes again to life as he talks, where poverty was the norm and humour its antidote. Most of the landmarks are still there, and Eamonn probes their history with a scholarship belied by his plain manner, and preserved in his writings. From its early invaders to the present day, the city's history is revealed with an infectious pride. Memory Lane was never so nostalgic.

Our host's frustration at having to compress his knowledge into time snippets is manifest, and occasionally he lingers over a place, or an event, as if tempted to devote the rest of his talk to it. And he clearly could, so deep is his interest in his subject. Dubliners owe it to themselves to sip at his spring while they can, and others will hardly go astray in his company.

Runs on Sunday evenings through September; booking at 01-4544472/3