Hidden Dublin: Deadbeats, Dossers and Decent Skins
by Frank Hopkins

Dublin is a city that has inspired many books but few manage to echo the real atmosphere of our capital city as well as this new book from the pen of Frank Hopkins. Subtitled 'Deadbeats, Dossers, and Decent Skins', this is Hopkins's second volume on his hometown, the first 'Rare Old Dublin' is a worthy precursor to the present volume.

As suggested by the subtitle, the reader is treated to a panorama of sketches relating to Dublin's most interesting characters such as Fighting Fitz, Zozimus, Oliver Bond, Frank Du Bedat, Copper-Faced Jack, Kate Stronge the City Scavenger, Richard 'Boss' Croker and a host of others. We hear of the scandalous and fantastic lives of its most colourful criminals. Hopkins also introduces us to the weird, wonderful and often downright strange customs peculiar to Dublin stretching back to the Middle Ages.

All of this is presented in a well-paced narrative that is a pleasure to read. Take the story of Lieutenant Edward Heppenstall, who became known as the Walking Gallows. In an entry to his diary on the 18 September, the Sham Squire Francis Higgins claimed that Heppenstall was buried in an unmarked grave in St Andrews churchyard and that his headstone should contain an inscription with just two lines: 'Here lies the bones of Hepppenstall - Judge, jury, gallows, ropes and all.'

Hidden Dublin: Deadbeats, Dossers and Decent Skins by Frank Hopkins is currently available online at www.kennys.ie for €19.99.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment