A Year of Glory and Gold: 1932 - Ireland's Jazz Age

In the 1930s, Ireland experienced economic stagnation and unemployment, but 1932 was an early glimmer of modernity, with key events such as Olympic gold medals, the rise of Jack Doyle, the Eucharistic Congress, a so-called gold rush, and the election of Éamon de Valera. The jazz craze was the soundtrack to this change, exciting a younger generation while leaving an older generation wary of rapid change. "A Year of Glory and Gold" is an energetic biography of a bright year in Ireland's history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 11 August 2023
Publisher: Gill

The 1930s in Ireland are often remembered as a bleak period of economic stagnation and unemployment. However, 1932, hailed by the Irish Press as a 'new era,' was an early glimmer of the modernity that Ireland would later reach. Key events during this year included Olympic gold medals, the rise of Jack Doyle, the Eucharistic Congress, a so-called gold rush, and the election of Éamon de Valera, all hinting at Ireland's future success.

The soundtrack scoring all this change was the jazz craze, loosening the conservative moral order of the time. Bringing new forms of dress, lifestyle, and behavior, it excited a younger generation for the future while leaving an older generation wary of such rapid change.

A Year of Glory and Gold is an energetic biography of a bright year in Ireland's history, combining deep archival research with spirited storytelling by one of Ireland's best-loved social historians.

Weight: 650g
Dimension: 163 x 242 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780717195619