DublinThe various Dublin enterprises described in this book were all in existence long before the words "entrepreneurship", "market economy" and their fellow travellers became the catch-cries of Dublin commercial life.
The eclectic mix of activity - which, to take just three examples, includes Crowe & Co Monumental Sculptors, McDowell's The Happy Ring House, and Sandford Service Garage - makes you wonder if a particular favourite will be included. For the most part it is, but I suspect many a reader will identify an omission of at least one particular favourite.
Each story of the chosen enterprises is told by their proprietor or a member of the family. Each of their stories is an insight into a nook of Dublin business life. Nostalgia, inevitably, is part of the story, but as Peter Sheridan stoutly proclaims in his evocative foreword, "nostalgia" is not a "dirty word". What is more important is the enthusiasm of these individuals and their creativity in adapting their businesses to the constantly changing commercial demands of Dublin and its citizens. They are dedicated and brave; they have a sense of wisdom about the world in which they live and earn their living. The quality which emerges from these stories is one of honest decency and it is a delight to see it being acknowledged in what must be a demanding commercial environment for many of these enterprises.
The book makes you wish someone had had the sense to compile such a book every 20 years or so - a sort of occasional speaking Thom's Directory. It would be grand to be able now to refer to a book which had an insight into Geary's, May's and Smyth's of the Green, and a host of other establishments around the city; each is now but a fading memory amongst those of us firmly entrenched in our middle years, or a façade, maybe, in a photograph increasingly remote in meaning to the viewer. Imagine the sepia-coloured photographs of Edwardian Dublin today if they were accompanied by a history of each of the establishments photographed, told by their then proprietors. The establishments would be more than mere façades. It is to Rose Doyle's credit that she has heard these quiet stories in our generation, recognised their value and recorded them by letting their story be told by their proprietors.
However, the book, in addition, makes you conscious of the number of establishments which continue to disappear. Recently, Morton's the jewellers, on Nassau Street, closed its doors, and Bewley's of Grafton Street and Westmoreland Street followed this week. If there are to be further editions of this admirable book the source material will have to be there. That means that we all need to remember that these enterprises add greatly to the fabric, colour and pleasure of Dublin. If we, as the citizens of Dublin, choose, for whatever reason, not to use them, we will certainly lose them. They serve us well.
John McBratney is the chairman of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig and a barrister
Trade Names: Traditional Traders and Shopkeepers of Dublin By Rose Doyle New Island, 264pp. €20