The Irish History Boys

In the second part of this special series on The Irish History Boys, hosts Tim McGarry and Cormac Moore continue their exploration of the Orange Institution with Dr Jonathan Mattison from the Museum of Orange Heritage. This episode moves beyond the Battle of the Boyne to examine the century of tension that followed, specifically how the unravelling of the Treaty of Limerick and the implementation...

In this special July episode of the Irish History Boys, hosts Tim McGarry and Cormac Moore set aside their usual news archives to explore "orange" history with Dr. Jonathan Mattison from the Museum of Orange Heritage. The discussion uncovers the complex international politics of the Glorious Revolution, including the surprising tactical support William of Orange initially received from Pope Innoce...

This week’s episode of The Irish History Boys explores pivotal moments from 1926 and 1976, focusing on Ireland’s evolving sovereignty and security. We discuss how the Irish Free State and other dominions like Canada began loosening the ties of the British Empire, eventually leading to full independence through agreements like the Statute of Westminster. The episode revisits a biting 1926 critique...

Join Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore for another episode of The Irish History Boys, where they dig into the archives of the Irish News to explore the stories that shaped Ireland 50 and 100 years ago.   In this episode, we dive into the year 1926, a time of historical quirks and radical social shifts. They discuss the surprising reality of the British government funding homes for heroes for W...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys , we delve into the "lost memoir" of Seán Lemass , drawing on newly discovered tapes that provide a blunt and candid look at the man who transformed a failing state.    We reflect on Lemass’s rise as the "power behind the throne" during Éamon de Valera’s final years, a period where he transitioned the country away from an "existential threat" and...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the "lost memoirs" of Seán Lemass, a man widely regarded as the architect of modern Ireland. Joined by author and editor Ronan McGrevy, we explore the significance of the rediscovered 1960s tapes that provide an unprecedented, first-hand account of Lemass’s 50-year public life. We confront the hidden personal tragedies that were long "elided...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we continue our harrowing exploration of the Kincora Boys' Home scandal with award-winning journalist Chris Moore, uncovering the "rotten" truth beneath one of Northern Ireland’s most disturbing institutional cover-ups. We delve into the tragic testimony of survivor Arthur Smith, who recounts his journey from a broken home to Kincora at just 11 years old—...

**WARNING - This episode contains references to child sex abuse** In this episode of the Irish History Boys , we delve into the harrowing and long-suppressed history of the Kincora Boys' Home in East Belfast—a scandal described as "Britain’s Shame" and a profound betrayal of the most vulnerable children in society. We examine the systematic sexual abuse that began in the late 1950s under unqualifi...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we examine a pivotal moment in the Troubles: the 1976 shift in American diplomacy that forever altered the conflict's trajectory. We discuss how John Hume bypassed the "internal UK issue" blockade to engage the "Four Horsemen"—including Ted Kennedy and Tip O’Neill—effectively bringing the weight of Washington D.C. to bear on the search for peace. We refle...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we mark the centenary of a political movement that would dominate the landscape of the southern state for nearly a century: Fianna Fáil . We revisit May 16, 1926, when Éamon de Valera addressed a crowded theater in Dublin to launch a party that promised to move away from animalistic formalism and toward the realities of power. We explore the massive risk...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the momentous and tragic final year of Rory O’Connor , culminating in the "completely illegal" reprisal executions of O’Connor, Liam Mellows, Joe McKelvey, and Dick Barrett in December 1922. We examine these state-sanctioned killings—described as an act of "literal revenge" for the assassination of TD Seán Hales—as a pivotal and controversia...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the life and radicalization of Republican figure Rory O’Connor , drawing on Jerry Shannon’s new biography, To Defend the Republic . We examine O’Connor’s transition from a "wandering spirit" working on Canadian railroads to a central, albeit enigmatic, figure in the Irish Volunteers and the IRB . We explore O’Connor’s surprising personal bac...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we anticipate the historic release of the 1926 Census, a "huge treasure trove of information" becoming available for the first time under the hundred-year rule. We reflect on its immense value for social historians and those tracing family trees, offering a unique "color to that story" of Irish life following a decade of unprecedented upheaval between 191...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the heated 1976 debate surrounding integrated education in Northern Ireland. We examine a scathing letter from a "very concerned" parent to the Irish News, which denounced the burgeoning movement for integrated schools as a threat to Catholic culture and traditions. This correspondence highlights the deep-seated fears and sectarian tensions...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the 1976 assassination of Sinn Féin Vice President Máire Drumm, who was shot dead by loyalist gunmen while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast’s Mater Hospital. We examine the chilling allegations that Secretary of State Merlin Rees "set her up" as a target through a series of unprecedented personal public attacks just months before...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the 1926 Donegal County Council controversy, where a resolution was passed requiring all council officials to reside within the county or face dismissal. We analyze this move—described as a "further slight" to Northern Nationalists—against the backdrop of the Boundary Commission debacle, which left many feeling abandoned by the Free State go...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the shock resignation of British Prime Minister Harold Wilson on St. Patrick’s Day 1976, a move that left the political world reeling and remains shrouded in mystery.    We explore the real reasons behind his departure—from economic exhaustion to private fears for his health—and examine the secret "Doomsday scenario" files that con...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the harrowing 1976 UVF attack on the Golden Pheasant restaurant—a "mass murder attempt" that claimed the lives of brothers Tony and Miles O’Reilly.    We examine these senseless killings within the context of 1976’s grim violence, a year that saw the second-highest death toll of the Troubles and was defined by a "political vacuum"...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the seismic political shift of 1926—the split within Sinn Féin that birthed the Fianna Fáil party. We examine Éamon de Valera’s pragmatic yet controversial move to abandon abstentionism, provided the oath of allegiance was removed, and the pivotal role of his protege Seán Lemass in driving this new movement. We also draw parallels between th...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore reflect on the "obituary" of the 1975–1976 Constitutional Convention, a failed British attempt to find a political solution that instead left Northern Ireland in a "complete political vacuum". We examine how the refusal of unionists to share power led to a period of "violence and stagnation," with 1976 becoming one of the...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the barbaric 1976 murders of Mary Sloan, May Sloan, and Doris McGrath—a tragedy described at the time as a "new low in barbarity".  We examine these senseless killings within the context of 1976's grim violence and the ways in which such horrific events were often "hazed over" by the relentless cycle of conflict during the Troubles. Add...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Frank Stagg’s 1976 hunger strike—a 60-day ordeal that ended in a "cloud of controversy" and left his family deeply divided. We examine the harrowing physiological toll of the strike and the Irish government's extraordinary tactical decision to intercept Stagg's remains via helicopter to prevent the IRA from achieving...

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we examine the poignant death and funeral of Anthony Reavy in 1976—the third brother in one family to perish following a loyalist shooting. We place this tragedy within the broader context of the era's relentless sectarian violence and the prevailing "political vacuum" of the time. Additionally, we highlight the growth of indigenous Irish commercial entit...

his week we explore the fallout of the tripartite agreement of 1926, which led to the release of 33 political prisoners in Northern Ireland—though three "Derry prisoners" remained behind bars due to their roles in a fatal rescue attempt. We examine how political status served as a recurring bargaining chip, tracing the history of Republican resistance from the 1918 "German Plot" to the daring esca...

This week we explore the pivotal year of 1926 for the Gaelic Athletic Association, as delegates from Louth and Tipperary pushed for the removal of the compulsory ban on "foreign games" such as soccer, rugby, cricket, and hockey. We look at the systemic issues regarding the enforcement of these rules, including the 1938 removal of Ireland's first president, Douglas Hyde, as GAA patron and the deplo...