The Days Before Yesterday

The author recounts a series of personal reminiscences and social vignettes from earlier decades, moving from childhood impressions to memories of court presentations and family episodes. He sketches fashionable society and its peculiar dress and manners, profiles public figures including artists and politicians, and recalls encounters with royalty and notable personalities. Travel and sporting episodes appear in accounts of visits to Paris and the Riviera, boat races, and other recreations. Irish residence and public ceremonies are described alongside incidents from the Fenian disturbances and civic hospitality. Interwoven are intimate household stories, artistic anecdotes, and reflections on changing customs and character.