We Used to Dance Here

by Dave Tynan

We Used to Dance Here is a portrait of both Dublin and Dubliners in flux, exploring life on the margins, toxic masculinity and frustrated ambitions. With dog tracks, late-night radio talk shows, pubs, messy break-ups, industrial accidents and the reality of housing precarity, these stories show a darker, edgier side to Dublin and they do so in brilliant, crackling prose.

198 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[John Braine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite collection of short stories that reflect a city and its people that I fully recognise and connect with, which is no mean feat.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you love stories about Irish people with mental health problems struggling to communicate with each other, you will love this book about Irish people with mental health problems struggling to communicate with each other

[Chiara Barone · Rating 3 out of 5]

ghost trails: i was not expecting a collection of poems at the end. Ghost trails because it's all about breakups of some sort --leaving the trails of the ghosts we used to know AND it is at the end of the book leaving us trails of the book we just read. Ugh fucking poetry.
"still making air with the idea of you"
--
I overall really liked this. Some stories were way more engaging than others, and the language was sometimes hard to follow (but it made sense for the specific story). Great attention to detail, great word used to describe specific feelings. I can def see he's a movie director, there's a lot of old cinematic feeling behind most of these.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very different and it's been years since I read a short story collection.The characters are really well drawn. I loved the two stories Forge Worlds and Off Your Chest in particular.

The writing is the standout about the book, it is really gorgeous and I get the sense there is a poetry collection somewhere behind this. However, In places I felt almost felt it got so dense with these nice images or turns of phrase it became difficult to read or follow, but then other stories I think it's more evenly spread out and the imagery really pops and sets the mood really well.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

up the fucking dubs

[Fionnán Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of good premises, but the majority of stories just stopped rather than reaching a proper ending