▁in ▁the ▁first ▁person ▁from ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁Oliver ▁G og art y . ▁ ▁Un like ▁a ▁conventional ▁mem oir , ▁however , ▁the ▁book ▁de als ▁little ▁with ▁events ▁in ▁G og art y ' s ▁personal ▁or ▁professional ▁life , ▁instead ▁using ▁his ▁persona ▁as ▁a ▁vehicle ▁for ▁encounter ing ▁and ▁describing ▁the ▁ge ography ▁and ▁chief ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁Dublin . ▁ ▁In ▁writing ▁S ack ville ▁Street , ▁G og art y ▁sought ▁to ▁give ▁" p ast ▁and ▁present ▁the ▁same ▁value ▁in ▁time "; ▁thus , ▁while ▁the ▁first - person ▁narr ative ▁is ▁continuous ▁and ▁appears ▁to ▁occup y ▁a ▁compact ▁chron ological ▁space , ▁the ▁events ▁detailed ▁span ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 9 0 4 – 1 9 3 2 . ▁ ▁G og art y ▁also ▁re arr anged ▁events ▁into ▁( appro xim ately ) ▁reverse ▁chron ological ▁order , ▁beginning ▁with ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁Irish ▁Free ▁State ▁and ▁moving ▁backwards ▁through ▁the ▁Irish ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁Irish ▁War ▁of ▁Independ ence , ▁and , ▁finally , ▁colonial ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁This ▁structure ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁lo os ely ▁recall ▁that ▁of ▁D ante ' s ▁Div ine ▁Com edy , ▁with ▁the ▁Dublin ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 2 0 s – 1 9 3 0 s ▁standing ▁for ▁In fer no , ▁the ▁Dublin ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s – 1 9 2 0 s ▁for ▁P urg atorio ,