Review by Noeleen Dowling for the Irish Times, 5 December 2009
Dublin Zoo: An Illustrated History, by Catherine de Courcy is lavishly illustrated with lovely photographs of animals and people – and her text is peppered with interesting stories. What happened to the zoo in the Famine years? Food was scarcer, but only a black bear died from want of it. There were other deaths then, too, but they were by mischance; an African eagle died when the roof of his cage blew off in a high wind, and an Egyptian goose that strayed into the bear’s cage died as a result
Other articles or reviews about zoos
“In 2009 the celebrated author Catherine de Courcy wrote a fairly weighty (356) history of the Dublin Zoo, a book I reviewed in a Zoo Grapevine of the same year. At the time, therefore, the zoo was only three years into its 2006 masterplan. …
The Irish Independent includes Catherine’s Dubin Zoo Elephants in their list of best books for Christmas. Read John Spain’s full review.
“…This book will prove extremely helpful to those interested in animal studies and the history of zoos in particular as it provides access to material which has not previously been published….”
Grainne Cunningham reviews Catherine’s book Dublin Zoo - An Illustrated History. Read the full review from September 2009.
It's an iconic image known to movie fans across the globe, and the lion that roars at the start of all Metro Goldwyn Meyer (MGM) films is probably from Dublin….Paul Melia reviews Catherine’s book for the Irish Independent, October 27 2012
The Zoo began as a place of genteel recreation, with many titled members, and once nearly shut forever, writes CATHERINE DE COURCY in the Irish Times 26 September 2009. Read the full article.
What happened to the zoo in the Famine years? … Read Noeleen Dowlings review of Dublin Zoo: An Illustrated History for the Irish Times