An illustration of a 1930’s Dublin newsboy by Luke Fallon (originally for a piece I wrote in Rabble magazine)
Every year, the good folks in Dublin City Library and Archives organise a series of lunch time lectures. Lasting about 40 minutes, and taking place in the unusual setting of City Hall, these lectures have a common theme. This October, there are a series of lectures running on each Tuesday, all falling within the theme of Dublin in the 1930’s.
Next Tuesday, I will be delivering one of these talks, on the subject of the infamous ‘Animal Gangs’ of the 1930’s. The title of the talk is A Social or Political Problem? Dublin’s Animal Gangs in the 1930’s. While there’s been quite a bit of work on the ‘Animals’ over the years, in the form of oral histories in particular, the issue of their political affiliations (if any) is interesting territory to explore. The ‘Animals’ emerged out a newsboys labour dispute in 1934, but the term entered Dublin folklore for many years afterwards. I’ve recently finished a thesis on the gangs, and I suppose this is a chance to share some of that, including a lot of new information.
The talk runs from 1.10 to 1.50. City Hall is certainly an unusual venue for a talk, and you’re all welcome.
Date: Tuesday 9 October 2012
Topic: A Social or Political Problem? Dublin’s Animal Gangs in the 1930’s.
Venue: Council Chamber, City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2
Time: 1.10-1.50 p.m.
Click on the book for more.
Click on the book for more.
Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
Hi Donal – i am a 5th Year student in Dunshaughlin CC currently finalising my idea for my History project.
I have started researching the Animal Gangs in Dublin in the 1930’s after saw it mentioned by Bob Doyle.
I’d originally wanted to do the project on him- as i am greatly interested in the Spainish Civil war.
I wonder could you help me with sources – i know i could use you as one.
But are there any other books, articles etc that i could use?
Hiya Tadhg, thanks for comment and sorry for slow reply.
Check Ireland the ‘Ireland and the Spanish Civil War’ website, irelandscw.com, they have loads of contemporary newspapers from the time, some on the violence at demonstrations.
National Archives (Bishops Street in town) have the Dept. of Justice files, and there is a file on the ANimal Gang in there. It’d look great on your project if you used a first hand source like that.
Other good sources are Brian Hanley’s work (The IRA 1926-1936, in the National Library) and Fearghal McGarry’s book on Eoin O’Duffy.
Good luck!
Howayiz
I’m writing a book about how Santy came to Dublin once in the summer which concerns the Animal Gang. Santy accidentally gave a kid in Cabra two left-handed boxing-gloves at Christmas and another kid two right-handed ones. He leaves his reindeer in the Phoenix Park and gets Mick from Finglas with his tow-truck to bring his sleigh to the Shelbourne underground carpark. Next day he gets the bus to Cabra to sort out the exchange of boxing-gloves. Lots of other things happen in the book, but one of the main events is his big fight against the Animal Gang where Cuchullain fought Maeve’s army in the Gap of the North. Santy boxes the heads off them! The head of the Animal Gang is the Mahsie Hannigan, one of the roughest females in Ireland.