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1700s: In I8th Century Dublin the Dolocher is unleashing panic and fear on the streets of the city. Based on a real life legend!
The Dolocher
What you need to know before your trail
The real fear is the fact that the Dolocher – half man, half pig – is something from the supernatural world and is the spirit of a a murderer who has who has cheated the hangman’s noose by taking his own life in his prison cell, depriving everyone of their revenge.
Solomon Fish is a journalist reporting on the case. The paper reports the most gruesome stories imaginable causing sales to grow as they fuel the town’s insatiable hunger for the gory. But when the Dolocher starts killing and Solomon himself is set upon, he realises that there’s more to the story than he could ever have imagined.
Travel Guide
Christchurch cathedral
18th Century Dublin is one dirty, cesspit of fear. The streets are cobbled and smeared in grime from the houses and businesses. Christchurch cathedral stands tall and proud overlooking the city and its bustling market, but this might be the only sign of clarity in a city where suspicion and fear roam free.
Black Dog Prison
The Dolocher is found in the choking stench of the jail here . Due to be hanged on St STephen’s green, two men watch over him. Where those hung are described as “dancing the Kilmainham minuet” The jail is dark, bloody and damp and the horrors there turn the stomach.
The Dolocher is a real life mystery and legend in Ireland – The Black Dog was a prison in Newhall Market, now Cornmarket, in Dublin, Ireland.The Black Dog pub was located in Browne’s Castle, which became a tavern from which the prison got its name. The Black dog may not be there today but the site between Upper Bridge Street and St Augustine Street, north of the Cornmarket is. And of course, is the legend itself.
Fishamble Street
Mis Merriment O’Grady’s apothecary shop is here and where Solomon comes to stay. Merriment takes on a very talkative and quirky girl to help out in the shop – Janey Mack provides the humour amidst the blood and tears. The work at the apothecary is dark and mysterious and soon Merriment is accused of witchcraft and worse.
The Market and docks
Solomon needs a hawker licence to get set up in the market. He’s in search of the Dolocher and gets into the heart of the city in order to immerse himself in the setting. The stench of the fish, the stink of the day and the dirt at the docks create a visual and visceral setting where something very bad is hiding.
Streetview Maps
A) Dublin - the Cathedral
C) Dublin -Fishamble Street - the Apothecary
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
This must be one of the dirtiest books in terms of setting I’ve read in a long while. I even sniffed the book after reading to see if the pages were imbued with some sort of potion from Merriment’s shop to make it even more authentic than it was.
The Dolocher was half man and half beast and I found this really disturbing. I mean what was going on? A few early moments really gave me the creeps as this started to delve into the supernatural. Thank goodness for Janey Mack therefore – a quirky girl who Merriment takes under her wing and starts to work for her. She really brightened things up for me – chatty, quirky and a fun character. How she stayed so bright amongst the dirt and grime I’ll never know.
There were a few stories here with Meriment’s hope being at the heart of the search. When Solomon goes out into the market and inns of the city searching for this Dolocher, the Dolocher stench hangs over every scene – and from that very first scene in the jail, I could sense the dripping water, the grime, the poverty and had to check my face after finishing as I was convinced I’d have dirt smeared across it.
I was intrigued to find out who or what the Dolocher was and it was a smart reveal. With the supernatural element this felt very creepy and gruesome in parts. Jack The Ripper is one thing but this is quite something else.
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