What happened to Community?

Andrew O'Connell in Conversation with two of the Liberties' finest Belles

The Liberties is one of Dublin’s oldest and most character-filled neighbourhoods. Its streets hold centuries of history markets, trades, music, industry, and above all, people.

For many who grew up there, the Liberties is not just a place on the map but a living community built on shared experiences, resilience, and pride.

In a relaxed conversation about community life, Andrew sits down with two amazing women and TV personalities who know the Liberties better than most: Anita Reilly and Tracie Reid. Both proudly call themselves Liberty Girlos born and reared in the area, and between them they have more than twenty-five years of involvement in community work, volunteering, and supporting local initiatives.

Their conversation touches on memories of growing up in the Liberties, the deep sense of belonging that still defines the area, and the challenges the community continues to face today.

This episode is 1hr 28min approx, but worth every minute of your time.

If you would like to get in touch, leave ideas, offer skills and services or just comment.

Drop an email to yuptheflatspodcast@gmail.com

Chris Curran works in the Social Housing sector in Ireland but cut his teeth in his early years developing a career from his home in the Liberties. Educated in James's Street CBS he has mixed the world of Accounting, IT, Politics, and Housing in his current role. In this episode, he talks about the challenges that he faced growing up in the Liberties of the 80's and the struggle to survive.

Ferghal Connolly is the coordinator of the Donore Community Drug & Alcohol Team. He has worked in the

South Inner City around the Liberties and Donore Avenue area for over 40 years working in the area of 

Drug Treatment and support services. 

Oliver Bond Rangers were established in Dublin’s inner city in 1947 but disbanded in the mid-1990s.

Six years ago, Eddie Keogh wanted to do something about that, and give the Oliver Bond residents a new focus and recreational outlet.

Today, the Oliver Bond Celtic team that has just been promoted into the fourth tier of the Leinster Senior League is playing away to Derry City in the FAI Cup.

James Doona (born 15 January 1998) is an Irish professional footballer, currently playing for League of Ireland First Division side Cork City. He started his senior career with the Shamrock Rovers, where he played for three seasons before moving to his hometown club St Patrick's Athletic where he also spent three seasons. In 2021 he played for Athlone Town.

Raised in School Street in The Liberties, Doona started playing football with Lourdes Celtic. His form there earned him moves to two of the country's top schoolboy clubs, Crumlin United and then Stella Maris. Doona's took his first step towards League of Ireland football by signing for Inchicore club St Patrick's Athletic's youth setup. In August 2015 Doona signed for Shamrock Rovers Under 19's squad, where he played for the 2015 short season and the also 2016 season with them. 

On 6 November 2021, Doona signed for fellow League of Ireland First Division club Cork City ahead of the 2022 season. He made his debut for the club in a 6–0 win over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on 18 February 2022. Doona's first goal for the club came on 9 May 2022, when he scored a 25th-minute penalty in a 3–0 win away to Treaty United in the Munster Senior Cup Semi-Final. Cork City won the 1st division and is promoted to the Premier Divison fo the coming 2023 season. 

The Irish Underwater Search and Recovery Unit (IUSRU), we are an organisation that searches for missing persons underwater nationwide across the island of Ireland. We are solely funded by voluntary donations and rely on the generosity of the public to provide our much-needed service.

Moores Chemist Pharmacy started life at 60 Donore Avenue in the early 1950s. A lease was taken out by Mr Michael Moore from Dublin Corporation in the new shops that were built at the front of the newly developed housing estate St.Teresa's Gardens. Soon, Michaels's future wife and mother to their six children would accept a job as a newly qualified pharmacist and sure as they say the rest is history. The Moores family have served the parish of Donore and the Liberties for nearly 70 years. Mrs Moore is a legend in the Liberties up there with the icons of Pharmacology such as the Mushatts, Sweeneys, Boles, and Foley. Tune in as I chat with Rita Moore and her daughter Anne for this episode of the podcast.

William Billy Mooney grew up in Ushers Island lived off Bridge Street and Benburb Street later moved to Oliver Bond House and then settled in the Tenters.

He spent 40 years working for Dublin Corporation photographing life in Dublin in that time. His archive can be found on the Dublin City Council digital archives under his name. He is now 92 years old and is still as interested in photography as the first day he picked up a camera.