‘I found it fascinating – it’s an integral part of the history of Dublin that has been lost to time for too long’ – Rick O’Shea

A feminist history of Europe’s largest red-light district and an examination of the lives of the women who worked there.

Tucked away in Dublin’s north inner city, Monto – purported to be Europe’s biggest red-light district from 1860 to 1925 with up to 1600 sex workers at any one time – made headlines for wild tales of debauchery. However, what happened to the women and girls within its brothels in life and death is less clear.

This account balances the historical origins of Monto’s rise and fall with an investigation into the inhumane and heartbreaking reality of the treatment of the women that worked there, while delving into the impact of class, sexual violence and British colonialism on the women’s survival. West explores the stigma and violence the women and girls of Monto endured, and investigates the shocking claims surrounding their treatment by medial professionals.

Weaving together oral histories, historical records, fashion trends and family memories, this book brings the women of Monto to life within its pages as it explores how they lived, worked, loved, dressed, mourned and built a tight-knit community.