The Liberties Community Spirit, Dublin City, Ireland 1975

The sights and sounds of Dublin’s Liberties.
Historian, author and broadcaster Éamonn Mac Thomáis believes,
The whole history of Dublin is based in the Liberties.
The Liberties, located in the south west of the inner city is one of the oldest parts of Dublin. It crystallises much of Dublin’s tradition but the community is under threat from decay, demolition and super highways proposed for the area.
The Liberties Festival takes place from 10 to 19 May 1974 with a programme of concerts, lectures and exhibitions, including an art exhibition in Saint Patrick’s Grammar School. A school girl reads a piece written about Saturday on Meath Street.
Fruit and fish traders ply their wares on Thomas Street. Second hand and new clothes are sold in the Iveagh Market located in Francis Street. folk singer and song collector Frank Harte performs ‘Biddy Mulligan the Pride of the Coombe’.
At a party for elderly members of the community, Larry Dillon, Chairman of the Liberties Festival Committee cuts the second festival cake.
And I hope please God to be around myself when we’re cutting the twenty-first.
The entertainment for this event is by local children and anyone who wishes to take the microphone to perform their party piece.
‘Sweet Liberties’ was broadcast on 17 January 1975. The narrator is Patrick Gallagher.

[@vilamor007]

I was born and bred in the Liberties in the 60s I remember these people in the iveagh market and in Meath st Fr Foley's club ,the murtagh boys singing, great nostalgia,I would love to see more of these brilliant videos of the Liberties in times gone past,👍👍👍

[@benji.B-side]

What a great video to watch, of times gone by, of wonderful people and of song.

[@thiest1205]

kzbin.info/aero/PLfM5Qg2arkpMbp23MBLBkGAK5JX2RSiQV I've saved a lot of Eamons work Enjoy

[@KT-ut9zg]

My dad was born in 1918 and brought up in the Liberties. A place called skinners lane. His mother's side of the family came as a Heugueno from France. They were silk weavers as far as I know. Some time back in the 70's I did my inter cert project on the liberties. He told me about life there in the 30's. No money and a lot of poverty. A highlight of the month was when they used to have sales in the street. Just piles of clothes and stuff and if you were lucky you might get yourself a great-coat or overcoat. He told me a story which I always remember as a story of trust in business. A shoe mender/maker at the time would bring a block of 'leather' wrapped in brown paper to the pawn, with a promise to buy back the leather after he'd made some shoes. The pawn would know that the package contained no leather, but that he'd be using the actual leather to make shoes and buy back the package (with some interest of course). My dad was a fiddle player and educated himself (partly in the Curragh camp) and was a great raconteur. What I'd give to have a pint with him now. Those old bottles of Guinness in the video would do in a pinch :)

[@BaronVonPenguin]

Incredible footage I’m absolutely blown away here. This channel is gold

[@scottblack9213]

In many ways it was a tough auld life back in 1975 Dublin .. but .. I preferred the people, the community, the chat and the people back then. Sorry, but that's how I feel!

[@vilamor007]

Ur comment is most definitely right,I feel the same there was a fantastic community spirit in the Liberties back then,I'm from Francis st I grew up there in the 60s beside Francis st CBS Where I also went to school,back then it was a fantastic community,now the money men are moving in and destroying the Liberties all through Greed.

[@karlbyrne6021]

Gentrification and immigration are killing the area. The barley mow, silken Thomas, Dean swift, carrs, lamplighter, pimlaco tavern, the clock, Bakers and bohans all gone. The pub is the heart of the community.

[@MatthewCyUK]

All my family the Connaughtons, were from the Ross road and are still in the Liberties. A few left of us now like. I wish I'd have gone over from Manchester much sooner than I did.

[@thiest1205]

A very young Eamon MacThomais RIP

[@gilactico]

The beard made him look older than he was.

[@thiest1205]

@@gilactico old or young I've not come across his calibre on tv since, brilliant stories about every nook n cranny, my favourite was 'Misery Hill' .. behind the Bord Gais theatre

[@marymccaffrey48]

Wonderful

[@thiest1205]

@@marymccaffrey48 kzbin.info/aero/PLfM5Qg2arkpMbp23MBLBkGAK5JX2RSiQV Here's my Eamon playlist, you may not have seen some of these, Eamon is my favourite Dublin Historian, I watch these regularly and learn something new every time

[@marymccaffrey48]

Thanks very much Greg. Precious memories

[@tearitloosetearitloose4670]

The bottles of stout were gorgeous. Great stuff.

[@davidplummer4034]

What a great introduction and the Mick oldfeild🤣

[@michaeldineen1098]

Was the fellow with the glasses at the start of the clip' Éamonn Mac Thómais. I wonder.?

[@davidduffy3021]

Brilliant 👏

[@hoptops8627]

Me ma is from Reginald street in the liberties great memories

[@marymccaffrey48]

Hi Hop Tops, would you remember two sisters from the country who lived in Reginald Square, Dote and Babe were their names, cousins of my mother

[@Bodie319]

Gewann Gerry!

[@paddyt4043]

It's a while since I seen red lemonade

[@zenbear4149]

My god what is that nightmare carnival music?

[@joefulham]

No cctv or bus lanes, in the assembly hall no notices on the walls, no cycle lanes or steel poles with signs, not a sign of the infantilisation of adults courtesy of the EU.

[@karlbyrne6021]

I used to get sweets of Ida in the iveagh market.

[@derekstynes9631]

My Family still get Those Rings of White Pudding and the Best Sausages in Dublin , And We where Raised Wearing the Secondhand clothes from The Iveagh Market . Many Saturdays as a very Young Boy I was Dragged up and Down Meath Street as " Me Ma , The Aul Wan " Bargained Her " few Bob " with the Dealers to Buy Food and Fruit to Feed a House Full of Children . They where the Heart of Dublin Those People of the Liberties . When I Travel Home from London all to Rarely My Sisters will have Meath Street White Pudding , Sausages and a Fresh Batch Loaf Ready to Feed Me and the Next Best Thing would be Smoked Cod ! Feck it ! now I have made Myself Hungry for Food I can't have .

[@johngill7776]

Where can you get the Black and white pudding 😂😂😂. Classic line.

[@Morningstar-xz5bl]

What country is this? Unrecognisable they all seem so happy and free

[@deirdremacnamara9885]

Good salt of the earth down to earth people. How times have changed

[@joecarley3997]

Fantastic accents

[@marklockwood8386]

Alot of these people went threw 2 world wars a depression as well and I think you can tell in there faces they had a tough life. But they had respect which is lacking in 2022 the streets are no longer safe to walk

[@kevinnolan1617]

Holy mackerel

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

Now you are talking Back Pudding, The very great Phil Lynott said, wrote and sang I believe in the freedom song , Long live liberties I believe in the freedom song , Doesn't matter what you do to me, Long live liberty, yes Long live liberties

[@spmoran4703]

Black pudding lovely . My dad lived for it.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

@@spmoran4703 Your dear Dad had very great taste. It is the very best especially cooked with eggs,, sausages, and rashers, the food of Kings ,The very great Cú Chulainn had Black Pudding every morning, before going in the battle

[@noelmaher4633]

Richie Ruin...😉

[@johngill7776]

They lived to some age. Drinkers and smokers.

[@spmoran4703]

Aye no health nazis .

[@marklockwood8386]

Yea ace see the faces of born 1890 1895 1900 they went threw 2 word war's

[@tonybroderick4808]

They went through civil war and wars of independence.

[@jacktravers5049]

A free and gaelic Ireland!? Wha? Ethnonationalism? God weren't we awful nazis.

[@freespeechisneverwrong9351]

And better for it.

[@spmoran4703]

Nothing wrong with being Irish.

[@jacktravers5049]

@@spmoran4703 Of course there is, what an anachronism. We are global citizens now who ascribe to an urban monoculture from America. Transatlantean intersectionalists. You must be mad.

[@freespeechisneverwrong9351]

@@jacktravers5049 I almost responded and then I realised “sarcasm”.

[@jacktravers5049]

@@freespeechisneverwrong9351 mad I tells ya! By the by, most my family are from this area a few generations back.