Documenting our suburbs: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in the ‘60s & ’70s
Drop-in session
Friday 17th April 2026, 1.30–4.30pm
Meeting Room 2, Level 5, dlr LexIcon
To book a place, email: mail@gavinmurphy.info
or Phone/text/WhatsApp message: 087 274 5818
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Did you or your family move into a new housing estate development (either public or private) in the ‘60s or ’70s? Or did you grow up in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in the ‘40s and ’50s and remember the area before these new “garden estates”? These decades brought about huge changes to our suburbs, and a new research project seeks to document this transformation.
We are seeking family photos, or brochures, leaflets, newspaper cuttings, that feature these new estates, as well as hearing about the people and the stories behind the photos. We are also interested in any photos of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown that show areas before new housing estates were built.
Photos and other material brought on the day will be scanned and catalogued. Together with a series of interviews, the material gathered will form a permanent public archive in the Local Studies Collection. In doing so the project will preserve the history of our suburbs for future generations, and inform future arts, heritage and history projects.
Ongoing: Call-out for Interviews
Did you move to a new housing estate in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in the ‘60s or ‘70s? Or did you grow up in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in the ‘40s and ‘50s and witness the emergence of these new estates?
If you did, researchers Gavin Murphy and Deirdre Nuttall would like to speak with you as part of a social history of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown's suburbs. We would like to find out about your memories of this time – your experiences of the houses, estates and wider area, raising families, the communities and friendships that developed, and the activities that you took part in.
It is intended the recorded interviews and any additional material will become part of the Local Studies Archive at the Lexicon Library in Dún Laoghaire, providing a valuable resource for everyone from family members to historians. In addition, the research will inform a wider arts and heritage project.
If you would like to take part, or would like to know more about the project, please get in touch suing the contact details above.
This research project is supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Heritage Office and The Arts Council