Masterly analysis of a little piece of Dublin

The Island Imagined by the Sea: A History of Bull Island By Kieran McNally Liffey Press, Euro 16.95

Recent years have seen a growth in published studies of Dublin's development. These range from all-encompassing overviews such as Dublin: The Making of a Capital City by David Dickson, to small, self-published local histories which chronicle the major buildings and notable residents of particular parishes or suburbs.

Perhaps the only distinctive area of Dublin not to come under the microscope until now is a part of the city which – although it has ...