In this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the life, times and legacy of The Lord of The Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien to mark the 50th anniversary of his death this weekend. He's joined by:John McQuillen. Associate Curator at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York who organised the recent Tolkien exhibition at the MorganDr Barry Houlihan, archivist at the University of GalwayShaun Gunner, chair of the Tolkien SocietyAnd Dr Corey Olsen, 'The Tolkien Professor', President of Signum University and Mythgard Institute.

J.R.R. Tolkien

This unique and lively history show delves into some of the world's most important political, social and cultural events and the intriguing personalities behind them.

Presented by Dr Patrick Geoghegan of Trinity College Dublin, Talking History unravels the gritty, sometimes uncomfortable, side of our past, and what we can learn from it.

History

Society & Culture

In a new mini-series over the next year, Talking History explores the history of Ireland's political parties, from their achievements in office, to their failures, leaders and legacy. In this first episode, we look back the history of Fianna Fáil: the good, the bad and the ugly of the party which has been in power in Ireland for longer than any other. Patrick Geoghegan is joined by Dr Eoin O’Malley, Associate Professor in Political Science at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Prof Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University, Prof Eunan O'Halpin, Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Irish History, Trinity College Dublin, and Senator Lisa Chambers of Fianna Fáil. 

The History of Fianna Fáil

Marking the international touring exhibition 'Imagine: 100 Years of International Surrealism', Patrick Geoghegan finds out what this movement meant to the art world and its global significance still today. Joining him is Dr Felicity Gee, Senior Lecturer in Modernism and World Cinema at the University of Exeter, and Vice President of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism; Dr Matthew Affron, curator for modern and contemporary art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art who is leading the surrealism exhibition there; Professor Alyce Mahon, the University of Cambridge’s Department of History of Art specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art History and Theory; and Dr. Tara Plunkett, Lecturer/Assistant Professor at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, at University College Dublin.

100 Years of Surrealism

In this April Books Special, we'll find out how the Oxford English Dictionary was crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people from astronomers to murderers, with author Dr Sarah Ogilvie, Senior Research Fellow in Linguistics at the University of Oxford; we'll also explore one of the bloodiest periods in English history known as the Anarchy with author and historian Sharon Bennett Connolly; and discuss two centuries of Plantagenet history which included the murder of kings and a devastating pandemic, in the book 'Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State' with Dr Caroline Burt, medieval historian at the University of Cambridge, and Richard Partington, Fellow in History at St John's College, University of Cambridge.

April Books Special

In this episode of Talking History, we're remembering Abba's Eurovision win 50 years ago and finding out how the song Waterloo helped to propel them to global superstardom. Joining Patrick Geoghegan are: Carl Magnus Palm, historian and author of ‘Abba On Record', Ingmarie Halling, Creative Director and Curator at ABBA The Museum, Hedley Swain, CEO of Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, on the Abba exhibition at Brighton Museum, and Dr. Dónal Mulligan, lecturer and researcher at the DCU School of Communication.

Abba: 50 Years Since Eurovision

On this week's Talking History, we're looking at the creation of the Irish courts system 100 years ago and exploring how our legal system came about. On Patrick Geoghegan's panel: Dr Niamh Howlin, Associate Professor at the UCD Sutherland School of Law and main organiser of the Dublin Castle event commemorating the Courts of Justice Act 1924; Dr Donal Coffey, Lecturer and Assistant Professor, School of Law, Maynooth University; Dr Róisin Costello, Assistant Professor of EU and International Law at TCD; Dr Kevin Costello, Senior Lecturer in the Sutherland School of Law at UCD; and Hon. Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan, Ireland’s foremost constitutional lawyer.

J.R.R. Tolkien

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