Recapturing the Bugsy Malones

Ciara Molloy

Irish Economic and Social History, 2024, vol. 51, issue 1, 113-130

Abstract: In the late 1970s, a criminal-based youth subculture known as the Bugsy Malones emerged in inner-city Dublin. Through the use of oral history interviews, this article avails of ‘proximate voices’ to shed light on the Bugsy Malones’ socio-economic background, their individual and group characteristics, and the rise of a subcultural mythology because of the involvement of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch (a well-known Irish figure linked to organised crime) with the subculture. These proximate voices comprise n = 10 individuals who encountered the Bugsy Malones in a personal or professional capacity and shared lived experiences, physical spaces and/or interests with them. By capturing such voices, the article transcends caricatured press coverage and generates enhanced insight into this largely forgotten subculture.

Keywords: Bugsy Malones; youth subculture; proximate voices; Gerry Hutch; oral history; historical criminology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ieshis:v:51:y:2024:i:1:p:113-130

DOI: 10.1177/03324893231199911

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