GROWING UP IN the Liberties in Dublin’s inner city, it was only when Richie Power left the area and met people from different backgrounds that he realised the interest and appreciation others had for the communities within Dublin’s flats. 

Now aged 30, Power has launched a series entitled ‘Chats in the Flats’ that aims to showcase the different stories, memories, and talents of working class Dubliners to a wider audience. 

The series, which is posted to Instagram, is comprised of short videos that see Dubliners in flats in different parts of the city reminiscing on a memory, or telling a story from their life, as well as spoken word or song.

“Growing up, I’ve always known and always appreciated and loved this area,” Power told The Journal. “I just love how special it was, and I always felt how special it was.

“But it wasn’t really until I started venturing outside of the area that I realised how much other people were interested in it as well.”

Friends of his from different parts of the country or the UK would come to visit him in the Liberties and were always struck by the sense of community.

“We’d always go to my local bars, we’d be walking through the flats, they’d be meeting the locals just as we’re walking down the street – I’ve seen how much getting to experience the working-class community has meant to them.

“I always knew how special it was myself, but then seeing that people from all walks of life could relate or really enjoyed being in those situations. I was like, this is something that I would like to put out there a bit.”

Power had initially toyed with the idea of conducting the project through the form of a podcast, but eventually settled on short-form video, assisted by videographer Dillon Ward.

Those featured in the series talk from the outside of their flat, with the camera moving further away to show the whole building. Fatherhood, addiction, grief, and happy memories are among some of the topics discussed.

Richie Power Richie Power

“For the format, I just feel like that style of just a slow drone zooming out, I think that kind of coincides better with what I’m going for – taking the working class voice seriously,” he said.

One of the episodes that sticks out to Power is Brian Brannigan, the lead singer of Dublin band A Lazarus Soul, singing the band’s song Black and Amber from the flats.

The series may be showing the stories and arts of Dublin’s working class to a wider audience, but closer to home it’s gotten a good reaction.

“People feel a bit of a sense of pride seeing people that they also respect being showcased,” Power said. “Seeing their voices being taken seriously and seeing how much that is resonating with so many different comments and messages from people that are relating to it.”

He’s received messages from people all over the world – some who grew up in flats in Dublin and moved away, but others who lived in similar communities in places in the UK – commending the stories shared.

From visiting the Gaeltacht to a year spent studying at UCD, Power said mixing with people from different areas showed him that “their perception of my area didn’t match up to my reality and vice versa”.

“If somebody hasn’t got experience with another group, it’s so easy to think of it in a way that you’ve maybe seen online, or you’ve seen a few headlines – so therefore that’s what the whole place is like,” he continued.

With Chats in the Flats he hopes to break down some of the barriers between different groupings in society. 

If Power was to do his own episode and focus on a memory, he said he would maybe talk about the tight-knit nature of working class Dubliners in the flats. If he were to be specific, he said he always loved collecting firewood for bonfires at Halloween.

“You’d be going to local building sites and just asking for pallets and any bit of scrap wood and tyres from tyre factories,” he said, “It was also a community spirit thing, where the whole group is getting together, we’re all helping each other, and we’re all protecting the wood.”

Bonfires are now strictly prohibited by the council, who now put on events in the area, which Power said is a good alternative.

He has big plans for the series, including some live events at local festivals over the summer. The series has received funding from Donore Credit Union, which has agreed to sponsor the first six months.

It can be viewed here.