History Ireland

Today James Gandon’s neoclassical masterpiece is one of the most recognizable and well-regarded buildings in Dublin. Its completion in 1791 marked yet another instalment in the movement of the axis of the Georgian city eastwards. Yet over the ten years of its construction it was regarded as a ‘white elephant’, built in what was then a swamp, with substantial cost overruns—even provoking the ire of the Dublin ‘mob’. Why was it so controversial and what was its effect on the long-term planning of the city? Join History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Christine Casey, David Dickson, James Kelly and Sylvie Kleinman. The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell Group. For more information or to subscribe, visit historyireland.com

 This podcast is supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

While not in the vanguard of armed activity during the War of Independence, Wexford has the distinction of being one of the few counties outside Dublin that saw action during the 1916 Rising. On the other hand it was also one of the few places where John Redmond’s (a native of the county) Irish Parliamentary Party maintained a substantial level of support throughout the revolutionary period. To interrogate these apparent contradictions listen to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Bernard Browne, Ida Milne, William Murphy and Kevin Whelan. The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell Group. For more information or to subscribe, visit historyireland.com

 This podcast is supported by Wexford County Council Public Library Service and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative. This podcast is available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-ireland/id1503109266

and https://www.historyireland.com/hedge-schools/ or wherever you get your podcasts. Image: National Army troops in Wexford during the Civil War.

While the constitutional outcomes of the revolutionary period have evolved over time, one has remained constant over the past century—partition. While a previous Hedge School in December 2020 examined how that came about in 1920/21, this discussion will focus on its effects over the following century, up to and including the uncertainly caused by Brexit and growing calls for a border poll on Irish unity. Tune in to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Paul Bew, Brian Hanley, Martin Mansergh, and Margaret O’Callaghan.

 The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell Group. For more information or to subscribe, visit historyireland.com

 This podcast is supported by the National Library of Ireland. Image: A customs post on the border, 1932.

At Crossbarry, Co. Cork, on 19 March 1921 over 100 IRA volunteers, under the command of Tom Barry, were almost surrounded by a combined force of regular British Army and Auxiliaries of at least ten times that number. What happened? What were its consequences? And what does it tell us about the conduct of the War of Independence generally? Listen to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham in discussion with John Borgonovo, Bill Kautt, Eve Morrison and Gerry White.

The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell Group. For more information or to subscribe, visit historyireland.com

This podcast is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Initiative.

Image caption: IRA commander Tom Barry—at Crossbarry his aggressiveness was tempered by his decisiveness in responding to an unfolding situation.

Despite its apparent geographical isolation, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and north, and the River Shannon to the south and east, County Clare has been centre stage in Irish political life, from the election of Daniel O’Connell in 1828, to the equally ground-breaking election of Eamon de Valera in 1917, and was one of the most active counties in the War of Independence.

 Join History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, for a discussion on the ‘revolutionary decade’, with Cécile Gordan, Tomás Mac Conmara, Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc, and Joe Power. The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell Group. For more information or to subscribe, visit historyireland.com

 This Hedge School is supported by Clare County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Community Strand of the Decade of Centenaries programme.

 Image credit: Volunteers of the Mid Clare brigade of the IRA. (Clare County Library)

On the night of the 6/7 March 1921, the Mayor of Limerick, George Clancy, his predecessor, Michael O’Callaghan, and IRA Volunteer Joseph O’Donoghue, were shot dead by an Auxiliary death squad lead by Maj. George Montagu Nathan. How did these killings fit into the wider story of Limerick during the revolutionary decade? Tune in to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in conversation with Brian Hanley, Helen Litton, John O’Callaghan and Tom Toomey. The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell Group. For more information or to subscribe, visit historyireland.com

 This podcast is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Initiative. Image credit: Mayor of Limerick, George Clancy (left), and his predecessor, Michael O’Callaghan (right)—both murdered in the early hours of 7 March 1921 by an Auxiliary death squad.

Author Katharine Simms in conversation with Hiram Morgan (UCC) Gaelic Ulster was once a vigorous, confident society, whose members fought and feasted, sang and prayed. It maintained schools of poets, physicians, historians and lawyers, whose studies were conducted largely in their own Gaelic language, rather than in the dead Latin of medieval schools elsewhere in Europe. This monumental book explores the neglected history of Gaelic Ulster between the eleventh and early sixteenth centuries, and sheds further light on its unique society. 

Gaelic Ulster in the Middle Ages: history, culture and society is published by Four Courts Press, Dublin.

No other woman who never set foot on the island—with the possible exception of Queen Elizabeth I—has had a greater effect on the history of Ireland. But who was Katharine O’Shea (née Wood)? And what if she and Charles Stewart Parnell never met?

Listen to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, discuss this contrafactual with Mary Kenny, Patrick Maume, Daniel Mulhall, and Margaret O’Callaghan. This podcast is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Initiative.

Image: Katharine O’Shea 

One of the most important—and controversial—aspects of the War of Independence was the ‘intelligence war’.  Given the role of spies and informers in defeating previous insurrections, it is not surprising that Michael Collins, the IRA’s Director of Intelligence, was keen to insure that history did not repeat itself.  How successful was he? To shed light on this ‘shadow war’ listen to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Andy Bielenberg, Cécile Gordon, Eunan O’Halpin and Gerry White.

Image: Foyer card for the 1935 film, The Informer. (Movie Stills Database) This podcast is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Initiative.

While not in the vanguard of armed activity during the War of Independence, Kildare was central to the ‘revolutionary decade’ as whole, not only for its strategic importance and proximity to Dublin but in particular as the site of the largest British military establishment at the Curragh and elsewhere. It also has the dubious distinction of being the county worst affected by the flu pandemic of 1918-19. Listen to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with James Durney, John Gibney, Ida Milne and Fionnuala Walsh. This podcast is supported by Kildare County Council’s Decade of Commemorations Programme and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Initiative.

Image: The Curragh camp—(National Library of Ireland)