Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon

Work

Daily Selection for Dock Work

Dockers seeking work at the Dublin Port gathered at 7:45 am for the Read, a daily selection process where they hoped to be picked by a stevedore.

What people wore

Formal attire for church and social events

Women often wore skirt suits called costumes for Sunday best, while men wore formal suits and shirts for social occasions. Women were expected to wear hats or head coverings when attending church services until the 1970s.

Daily life

Electric light revealed hidden household dirt

Many homes lacked electricity for years, so the arrival of electric light revealed dust and cobwebs that were previously invisible in candlelight, prompting widespread redecorating. Residents often initially installed only a single light per room and one socket near the kitchen door for an iron, kettle, or radio.

Daily life

Empty bottles served as children's currency

Children often played using found items; they could exchange empty glass bottles at local shops for 3d each, or 6d for a large bottle, providing small amounts of cash. For imaginative play, corks and bottle tops were frequently used as currency in make-believe shops.

Music

Traditional house dances in rural Ireland

House dances in kitchens with flagstone floors were common, featuring fiddles, melodeons, concertinas, or wooden flutes, sometimes with 25 to 30 people attending.

At the table

Seasonal Shopping and Preservation

Fresh food was largely seasonal, and families often bought potatoes in quarter-stone (3.5 lbs) bags from local corner shops. Preserving eggs in buckets of isinglass during the summer was a common method to ensure a supply for baking during the winter months.