74 Commemoration & Discontent

On this episode of the Irish History Show we were joined by Dr. Laura McAtackney and Dr. Brian Hanley to discuss the controversies surrounding the Decade of Centenaries. Dr. Laura McAtackney is an associate professor in the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Aarhus University in Denmark. In her work she explores the historical …

73 Tom Barry and the Kilmichael Ambush

On this episode of the Irish History Show we discussed the Kilmichael Ambush. The Kilmichael Ambush occurred on the 28th of November 1920 when a flying column of the IRA, led by Tom Barry, ambushed a company of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary. The Auxiliaries lost 17 members in the engagement, including …

67 Irish republicanism, anti-Semitism and the post-war world

On this episode of the show we were joined by Dr. Brian Hanley to discuss his recent article for Irish Historical Studies entitled ‘The Irish and the Jews have a good deal in common’: Irish republicanism, anti-Semitism and the post-war world. In the episode we discuss the Irish Jewish Community, casual anti – Semitism in …

66 The Disappeared of the Irish Revolution

On this episode of the show Dr. Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc talks about ‘The Disappeared’ who were killed and secretly buried during the Irish Revolutionary Period. This is the fruit of a research project carried out by Pádraig himself and Andy Bielenberg of University College Cork into forcible disappearances during the Irish revolution. Pádraig has previously …

54 Republicans and Crime

On this episode we are joined by Dr. Brian Hanley to discuss Republicans and Crime. We look at the law and order situations in Ireland before the revolutionary period and how the War of Independence meant that the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police were unable to maintain law and order as the war …

52 Belfast, from Pogrom to Civil War

On this episode, we are joined by Kieran Glennon to talk about the sectarian conflict in Belfast from 1920 to 1922, and the Northern IRA and the Civil War. Kieran is the author of From Pogrom to Civil War: Tom Glennon and the Belfast IRA.   Vicious sectarian conflict broke out in Belfast in 1920 during …

48 The Irish Brigade & The Spanish Civil War

After the outbreak of civil war in Spain in 1936 there was widespread support in Ireland for the Francoist insurgents rebelling against the Spanish government. The war was largely presented as a fight to preserve the Catholic religion in Spain from the ‘Reds’ or communists. The Irish clergy and groups such as the Irish Christian Front …

47 The Dáil Courts

On this episode of the show we discuss the Dáil Courts. The Dáil Courts were the judicial branch of the government of the Irish Republic declared in 1919. They operated in tandem to the established legal system and were subject to suppression by the state. They were an integral part of undermining British rule in …

46 Dublin’s Great Wars Richard Grayson

On this episode John Dorney interviews Richard Grayson on his recent book Dublin’s Great Wars, which examines Ireland’s capital city’s experience both of the First World War and nationalist revolution from 1914-1923. They discuss the varied motivations and social backgrounds of the recruits. Their experiences at the battlefronts. How the war came to define rival …

42 Michael Collins

In this episode we are joined by Irish American historian Joseph E.A. Connell Jr. to discuss his new book Michael Collins: Dublin 1916 – 1922. Michael Collins was the Chairman of the Provisional Government set up after the Anglo – Irish Treaty of 1921. Collins was a Gaelic League and GAA activist and served in …