In this episode of Talking History: The social history of death and dying, with historian and bereavement counsellor Molly Conisbee Vietdamned: How the World’s Greatest Minds Put America on Trial, with historian Clive Webb And Alexander The Great: Lives and Legacies, with Stephen Harrison of Swansea University.…

Talking History is searching for white smoke as we explore the history of the most unusual conclaves, including the one that lasted almost three years. Featuring Dr Celeste McNamara, Assistant Professor in Early Modern European History, DCU; Dr Patrick Houlihan, Associate Professor in History at TCD; and Dr Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Historical…

In this episode, we bring you a roundup of history books: we explore how New York was invented in the 17th century, with Russell Shorto, director of the New Amsterdam Project at the New York Historical and senior scholar at the New Netherland Institute; we chart the fall of civilisations with Paul Cooper, podcaster and historian; and discuss why Ma…

This week is the 250th anniversary of the birth of JMW Turner, so we are playing back our show on one of the greatest landscape artists of all time. Joining Patrick is Charlotte Topsfield, Prints & Drawings Curator, National Galleries of Scotland; Anne Hodge, Curator of Prints & Drawings, National Gallery of Ireland; and Niamh McGuinne, Paper Conse…

In this episode, we explore some fascinating new historical exhibitions and curations taking place around the world. The recreation of Anne Frank's annex in New York, with Tom Brink, Head of Collections and Presentations at the Anne Frank House. Bilingual Dublin street signs and what they reveal about our cultural heritage, with Nicole Volmering of…

Second of three workshops held in the Spark, Phibsborough. Recorded on 10 April 2025 and continues the themes of the previous week, looking at historical materialism. Topics include Engels, Mao, Peadar O'Donnell, Brian O'Neill, The Ripening of Time Collective, and Mahdi Amel and the pitfalls of underdevelopment/world systems theory when applied to …

In this episode, we mark 100 years since the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and explore how its themes are still relevant today. Featuring Prof Philip McGowan, School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen's University Belfast; Prof Kirk Curnutt, executive director of the F Scott Fitzgerald Society and Professor and cha…

Recording of the first of three workshops on Irish radical history, held in The Spark, Phibsborough, 3 April 2025. The series will focus in on Marxism and history, Irish class consciousness and class struggle, and pioneer Irish socialists of the 19th century. Slides from the workshop available here - https://conor-mccabe.com/2025/04/04/irish-radica…

In this episode: this month's round-up of history books - 'Travellers in the Golden Realm' by Lubaaba Al-Azami, 'The Brutish Empire' by Des Ekin, and 'Dublin: The Irish Revolution, 1912−1923' by Brian Hughes.

In this episode: our panel reflects on King James I & VI of Scotland - his life and loves - on the 400th anniversary of his death. Featuring historian Gareth Russell, Anna Groundwater, Principal Curator, Renaissance and Early Modern History at National Museums Scotland; Clare Jackson, Honorary Professor of Early Modern History at the University of …

In this episode, we meet the descendant of Arthur Guinness to discuss the early history of the brewery; we speak with Catherine Healy from Epic Irish Emigration Museum to discuss the stories of emigrants who wrote letters home; and how to start building your family tree, with the National Library of Ireland's Steven Skeldon.…

On this episode of Talking History: the history of Ireland's non-political executions, as we bring you the story of Annie Walsh, the only woman executed in independent Ireland.

In this episode of Talking History: The early days of the Oscars, with Cara O'Doherty, film critic and arts reporter In search of Ireland's national poet in the 19th century, with author Bridget Hourican And medieval monasticism, with author Edel Bhreathnach.

We're marking the 40th anniversary of the legalisation of the sale of contraceptives in Ireland in this episode of Talking History. Our panel features: Dr Jennifer Redmond, Associate Professor in 20th Century Irish History, Maynooth University; Dr Mary McAuliffe, historian and Director of Gender Studies at UCD, specialising in Irish women's/gender …

On the 300th anniversary of his death, we'll explore the life and legacy of the man who made Russia - Peter The Great - and how he got that title. Our panellists are Professor Judith Devlin, Emeritus Professor at the School of History at UCD, and Victoria Frede-Montemayor, Associate Professor at the Department of History at the University of Califo…

It's one of the greatest murder mysteries in British history - the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower - and we'll debate whether they were killed by their uncle Richard III or indeed survived, with our guests Philippa Langley (behind the documentary 'The Princes In The Tower: The New Evidence') and Prof Tim Thornton (behind the documentary '…

In this episode: the unhappy early life and dangerous ambition of Eamon De Valera, with Colum Kenny; power and change in Rural Ireland, with editor Tomás Finn; and The Language Puzzle: How We Talked Our Way Out of the Stone Age, with Steven Mithen.

On the 60th anniversary of his death, we're debating whether Winston Churchill was an inspirational hero who led Britain through its darkest hours, or a deeply flawed man whose imperialist views and mistakes left a legacy of suffering. Joining Patrick is Allen Packwood, Director of Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge; Prof Ric…