1950s Fashion in Dublin

From pinstripe suits and tweed to polka dot dresses and berets, John Banville’s Christine Falls vividly brings to life the fashion on the streets of Dublin in the 1950s. Join fashion historian Ruth Griffin and fashion editor Deirdre McQuillan to discover the shopping landscape of the city at the time, and to consider how mentions of fashion draw the reader deeper into the story and enrich our understanding of the characters.

Ruth Griffin is a fashion historian, writer, and broadcaster specialising in Irish fashion history and its relationship with the city of Dublin. Trained in Fashion Design at the National College of Art & Design and holding a Master’s degree in the History & Culture of Fashion from London College of Fashion, she brings over a decade of expertise to her work. Ruth regularly speaks at leading cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Ireland and NCAD; has written for RTÉ.ie and Image Magazine; was the fashion curator for RTÉ’s National Treasures television programme; and is a frequent contributor to RTÉ Radio 1 and television documentaries. She also leads popular summer walking tours and loves to research Dublin and Ireland's hidden fashion stories.

Deirdre McQuillan is a long-established freelance journalist and feature writer best known as the fashion editor of The Irish Times. She is the author of seven books including The Aran Sweater, The Irish Country House Table, and Mary Robinson: A President in Progress. In a long career, she has worked as a magazine and lifestyle editor, covered assignments all over Africa and South America and contributed to many publications both at home and abroad. She has won awards for travel writing and in 2010 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Irish Designers.

This event is part of this year's One Dublin One Book initiative, which aims to encourage everyone in Dublin to read a designated book connected with the capital city during the month of April every year. This year's selection is Christine Falls by John Banville. This annual project is a Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

See the full 2026 programme here.

Copies of Christine Falls (Faber) are available to borrow from all Irish public libraries in physical format and in digital format as eBooks and eAudiobooks via the Borrowbox app.

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