I grew up in a Dublin suburb and now I live in another one. This isn’t the world of the bustling city – the urban centre. And it isn’t the romanticism of the Irish countryside. It’s a place that doesn’t really have a place in Irish stories about ourselves.
But it is a real place – and lots and lots of people live their lives in the suburbs. Streetlights a bit bent over, estates where kids play out in cul-de-sacs. It can be limiting. But also, it gives a stability and a sense of familiarity.
The sun sets on this Ireland too.
Michael Hurley has written wonderful books about the history of Baldoyle, which include lots of storytelling. Not sure you’d consider this old fishing village the suburbs, but if you do, they’re worth a read. Be on the lookout for Mick Sullivan, the racecourse groundskeeper. There’s a story about a dying horse. I’ll deny my grandfather had any involvement 😉