Book Review: Dublin in Sketches & Stories by Róisín Curé

I bought this book on pre-order last year when they restocked it on Amazon and it arrived in February. I love Róisín’s work and follow her on YouTube and Instagram. I had seen a review of a different book ‘An Urban Sketchers Galway’ on Teoh Yi Chi’s YouTube channel and instantly went in search of the book. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find that one anywhere, but I did find this one, and I’m glad I did!

This book not only documents the year Róisín spent travelling around Dublin through her sketches, but has the addition of both historical and ‘in the moment’ stories of the places she is capturing. It’s fantastic. Róisín has a lovely style of writing, it’s witty and light-hearted and she’s a natural storyteller. The sketches she has included throughout the book are just yummy of course. Her line and wash style is so full of character and has me ogling in amazement at her ability to capture all subject matters. From people to architecture, from landscapes to meat in a butchers window, it’s all there and it’s all so good.

The book is broken up into the seasons which I really enjoyed, and the stories past and present are all fascinating. Those, together with the wonderful imagery, give you a real sense of the place. You can almost smell the air and hear the chatter in the pubs and restaurants. It was such a delight that when my five-year-old spilled tea all over my copy when I was half way through it, I bought another one immediately to replace it.

I thoroughly recommend this book if you like to peek into other people’s sketchbooks but also like to be given some context in a beautiful way. If you don’t know of Róisín’s work yet, please do check her out!

Rebecca x

Ps. If you know where I can find a copy of ‘An Urban Sketchers Galway’, please let me know, I would be eager to add it to my collection!

Pps: Róisín reached out to tell me that a second edition of ‘An Urban Sketchers Galway’ is going to be coming out in the next month or so which is great news. Keep your eyes peeled for that one!

Dublin In Sketches and Stories by Róisín Curé

Published by Merrion Press

Paperback, Hardcover and Kindle Editions

166 Pages