Gemma Jackson

The Ha'penny Place Gemma Jackson

Through hard work and determination, Ivy Rose Murphy has come up in the world. She still begs for discards from the homes of the wealthy which lie only a stone's throw from The Lane, the poverty-ridden tenements where she lives. These discards she repairs and sells around the Dublin markets. But being in the ha'penny place may soon be a thing of the past for Ivy. She is fast turning herself into 'Miss Ivy Rose', successful businesswoman. With her talent for needlework and a team of neighbourhood helpers, she has begun to supply an upmarket shop in Grafton Street with beautifully dressed dolls. Her fiancé Jem's livery business is going from strength to strength, and Emmy, the little girl Jem is raising, is thriving and happy. Then Ivy's wealthy friend Ann Marie Gannon, with her beloved camera, spends a day at the airport photographing planes. Little does she know that her visit can destroy all Ivy's hopes for the future. A fascinating account of life in the tenements of old Dublin with all its harshness, courage, humanity and humour.