The Irish History Boys

Tim McGarry and Dr Cormac look back at the significant news stories of 1926 and 1976. Regarding 1926, they explore the complexities of the cross-channel postal service and the unionist desire for a "red route" to bypass the Irish Free State, highlighting Northern Ireland's unique status as a "polity". They also examine the legacy of the Belfast boycott—a counterproductive campaign that may have ac...

Tim McGarry and Dr Cormac look back at the significant news stories of 1925 and 1975. Regarding 1925, they delve into the Boundary Commission, which established the permanent border of Northern Ireland and was seen as a "triumph for unionism" under James Craig, alongside social issues like the emancipation of women smoking in public and a largely "forgotten" famine in the West of Ireland. Moving t...

This week we explore the pivotal moment for Northern Catholics following the 1925 London Agreement, which firmly established the six-county border and left many feeling "stuck" and abandoned by the Free State. We look at the systemic issues that followed, including the "factory of grievances" born from gerrymandering, the removal of Proportional Representation, and the stark lack of Catholic repre...

This week we explore the controversial legacy of the Ulster Special Constabulary, tracing its 1920 origins as a multi-tiered force. We look at the the group's involvement in sectarian violence and the subsequent disbandment of the A and C Specials following the 1925 London Agreement, despite vocal protests from members over their severance terms. We also chat about the B Specials long-term surviva...

This week we dive into President WT Cosgrave’s reliance on neighbourly feeling rather than written guarantees for the safety of Northern Catholics and the establishment of customs barriers in 1923 and their controversial persistence for over 70 years. Illicit pig smuggling in the mid-1970s makes an appearance and Tim relives the 11-plus exam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Following the leak of the Boundary Commission's report, the high-stakes Tripartite Agreement of 1925 established that the border would remain unchanged, ensuring Northern Ireland conceded no territory. In exchange for accepting the existing boundary, the Irish Free State was relieved of its crippling obligation to pay a share of the UK's imperial debt, estimated at roughly £150 million. However, W...

This episode centers on the crisis created by the leaked award of the Irish Boundary Commission in November 1925, which was abysmal for nationalists as it suggested the Free State would lose parts of Donegal and Monaghan, leading to the resignation of Free State Commissioner Eoin MacNeill and creating the biggest crisis Cosgrave’s government faced since the Civil War. President Cosgrave rushed to...

This episode concentrates on the 1925 Boundary Commission crisis and its fallout for the Free State, triggered by the dramatic resignation of Free State representative Eoin MacNeill around November 22nd. We also discuss the concurrent debate among anti-Treaty Republicans, including Éamon De Valera, about whether to abandon their abstentionist policy and enter the Free State parliament amidst the p...

The episode explores the immense influence of World War I on Irish history from setting the stage for the Easter Rising and War of Independence to motivating over 200,000 Irish volunteers (Catholic and Protestant) to enlist, often for economic reasons or in anticipation of Home Rule. Tim & Cormac discuss the 1918 anti-conscription campaign, which powerfully united nationalist Ireland against B...

This episode of the Irish History Boys is dedicated to dissecting the political fallout generated by the explosive November 7th, 1925, Morning Post leak—the event described by sources as the climax of the entire Irish Boundary Commission saga. The Morning Post 's forecast, initially met with skepticism, proved almost on the money, revealing that the Commission was planning only rectification on li...

This week, we're uncovering historical drama that still echoes today. We dig into the League of Nations, the toothless tiger whose failures against big bullies like Mussolini's Italy made people question its power—a debate still relevant when looking at the UN today. We also celebrate the Irish Free State's successful 1923 entry into the League as a massive power move to assert its independence, d...

This week on The Irish History Boys, the discussion covers the controversy surrounding the Free State granting major contracts, such as the vital hydro-electric scheme on the Shannon, to foreign companies like the German firm Siemens, instead of British firms. Fast forward to 1975 and the border between North and South Ireland transformed into a security border during the Troubles, complete with p...

This week, the Irish History Boys explore the messiness, the craziness and the unrealism that surrounded the Partition of Ireland. We discuss the intense speculation and rumors surrounding the Irish Boundary Commission's report in October 1925, highlighting the complications caused by duplicated services and the controversial interpretation of Article 12 that ultimately cemented the six-county bor...

This episode of the Irish History Boys explores two significant and controversial events that unfolded in 1975, beginning with the curious, unsanctioned kidnapping of Dr. Tiede Herrema, a Dutch industrialist, in County Limerick by rogue IRA members. The kidnappers, led by Eddie Gallagher, sought the release of Republican prisoners like Rose Dugdale, leading to a massive, internationally cover...

This week explores events spanning a century, including the unexpected death 100 years ago of Sir Dennis Henry and the first Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. Considered an outlier, he faced the gargantuan task of establishing the entire judiciary and legal system of the new jurisdiction following Partition. The episode also turns to 1975, a time of escalating violence during the Troubles, d...

This episode of The Irish History Boys goes back 100 years to examine the high stakes of the 1925 Boundary Commission, which was established following the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to determine the final boundaries between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. We explore the intense hopes in border areas, such as Clones, that large sections of the North would be transferred south. While nationa...

On this episode, we're getting into a really serious part of Irish history. We'll be looking at the sad history of sectarian violence on the streets of Belfast in 1975. Then, we'll fast forward to 1925 and the curious story of Ireland's upper chambers, north and south. Finally, we'll dive into the bizarre case of US heiress Patty Hearst, who was kidnapped in 1974 by the revolutionary Symbionese Li...

Cormac and Tim delve into the deep political divisions within unionism and the significant influence of loyalist paramilitary groups in 1975 Northern Ireland, where anti-power-sharing unionists held sway and paramilitaries publicly backed William Craig's call for talks, contributing to a decade of political stagnation. The discussion also delves into the economic landscape of the 1920s, revealing...

Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore delve into the surprising history of trade barriers and customs forms between Northern Ireland and Great Britain – a century before Brexit and the Protocol! Discover how, in September 1925 , Northern Ireland goods faced "vexatious restrictions and impediments," requiring detailed declarations and even chemical analysis for items like silk and artificial silk, a sta...

This episode of the Irish History Boys offers an in-depth and often critical look at Éamon de Valera, a "titan of Irish political life" and a "very divisive figure" who died 50 years ago on 29th August 1975. Tim and Cormac explore the pros and cons to some of his actions over his long and prolific career, moving beyond simplistic portrayals often seen in popular culture, such as the film Michael C...

Cormac and Tim consider the evils of dancing, yes dancing, as seen by the eyes of the top Catholic churchmen in Ireland a century ago. Drawing from the archives, they discover an editorial reporting on the terrible consequences being threatened on the faithful who allow themselves to be seduced by this new craze including full scale excommunication from the Catholic Church for those who faile...

In this episode of The Irish History Boys, Cormac and Tim turn their attention to one of Ireland’s greatest political giants, Daniel O’Connell. . The lads explore how he became a towering figure on the world stage through his fight against the Penal Laws, securing Catholic Emancipation, and using the power of mass non-violent protest to challenge the British Empire itself. The Lads also discuss th...

In this episode of The Irish History Boys, Cormac and Tim dive into one of the most divisive moments in Irish history: the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 . Would they have signed it given the choice? The lads explore the impossible choices faced by Michael Collins and de Valera, and unpack the deal that split the country and sparked a brutal civil war. Later in the episode, the conversation turns glob...

In this powerful episode of The Irish History Boys , Cormac and Tim revisit one of the most haunting tragedies of the Troubles, the Miami Showband Massacre. They unpack the horrifying night when band members were ambushed at a fake British Army checkpoint, and gunned down in cold bloo d . The guys explore how the attack unfolded, who was responsible, and how it highlighted the bleak reality of the...

In this gripping episode of The Irish History Boys , Cormac and Tim unravel the most daring IRA prison escapes of the Troubles, from the legendary 1983 Maze breakout to the 1975 incident where three priests entered a prison but four walked out . Next, the lads dive into a bizarre 1925 court case where a teacher was nearly sued for punishing a student, a claim the judge swiftly dismissed, sparking...