- Joseph Jones began working in Dublin docks in 1939 and has shared his memories with the oral history project
- Ron Carthy has recounted stories of Dublin wit from colleagues including James Byrne in the 1960s
- The project has gathered approximately 40 stories since 2019, mainly from dockers
- Lar Joye confirmed the company wants to gather more stories from administration staff and the local community
- Tara Brady said the accounts provide the human and raw side of Dublin Port
Joseph Jones, who began working in the docks of Dublin in 1939, has shared his memories as part of the Dublin Port Memory and Story project launched in 2019. The oral history initiative has gathered approximately 40 stories, mainly from dockers, recounting tales from another era of maritime labour. Ron Carthy, another former worker from the 1960s, has recalled the humour and intelligence of colleagues including James Byrne, known as Mutt, who displayed typical Dublin wit.
The project has documented accounts of daily life in the port, including the hammering and banging of shipyard work that deterred some potential workers. Mr Carthy has recounted how Mutt responded to a foreman’s question about his lateness by pointing at his watch and saying “a watch?” Another story described Mutt’s response to the foreman saying he should have been at work at eight o’clock, with Mutt asking “why? What happened?” The narratives have revealed the intellectual capabilities of workers who left school at 14, with colleagues completing crosswords and exchanging books regularly.
Lar Joye, Port Heritage Director, has confirmed the company wants to gather more stories from dockers, administration staff, and the local community. The project has sought contributions from people who worked in HR, marketing, and other behind-the-scenes roles, as well as residents who experienced the port from the outside. The Docklands area, now associated with American companies, remained port land until the 1980s. Tara Brady, oral historian with Mac Conmara heritage consulting, has said the accounts provide “the human side of Dublin Port” and reveal the pride people felt in working there.
Joseph Jones shared “When we got near the place, the other lad said ‘Oh Jesus! Couldn’t stick the noise down here’.”
Ron Carthy shared “James Byrne, he was known as Mutt, was a typical Dublin wit.”
Lar Joye shared “The stories that we get are the administration, the official stories that are handed down in the paperwork, in the photographs and the maps, and so on.”
