Three Castles Burning

Vincent Browne's Magill magazine remains one of the most important publications of its kind in Irish history. Joined by Kevin Rafter (author of Fearless, a new history of the magazine published by New Island Books), we journey through some of its important Dublin stories and locations. From the heroin crisis in suburban Dublin to the failures of the Ballymun project, Magill reported truthfully and...

In the Victorian age, the entertainer Dan Lowrey created a truly special theatre, music hall and Palace of Varieties in the laneway of Crampton Court. Today, it has grown into the Olympia Theatre. The story of this theatre involves daredevil antics, the occasional tragedy and visiting celebrities. In this episode we meet characters as diverse as Peadar Kearney and the male impersonator Vesta Tille...

Marking the passing of one of the most significant commentators on the past and present of Dublin city, this episode draws from a different discussion with McDonald from the one that featured in an earlier edition of the show. Reflecting on his own career and friendships, McDonald was in fine flying form as we chatted in Henretta Street. This episode is dedicated to his memory.

Albert Pierrepoint was a household name in his own lifetime, even penning the best-selling memoir Executioner. A hangman who followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle, Dublin was an important part of his story, including both Kilmainham Gaol and Mountjoy prison. In the years of the War of Independence, more than one plan was devised by republicans to keep his uncle Tom from carrying out an...

In the early nineteenth century, Madame Tussaud spent several years in Dublin. Her waxworks and relics of the French Revolution proved a big draw for crowds here, packing out a gallery on Exchequer Street and touring the country. She would even create works honouring the leading Irish politician of the day. Her time in Ireland would shape her later world famous museum, and decades later it acquire...

In Ulysses , the pub we know as J & M Cleary's appears as The Signal House. It seemed a good location to explore food in the time of James Joyce. Ann Marie Duffin's fantastic page Bia Duit has been exploring food history and folklore, and she joins me to talk all things food in 1904.  Ken and Gwen from the brilliant Assassination Custard - a beloved institution on Kevin Street - brought along thei...

At the recent Luke Kelly Festival, I was delighted to speak with Sabina Higgins (née Coyne) all about the Focus Theatre and Deirdre O'Connell. Bringing the Stanislavski acting system to Ireland in the 1960s, Deirdre transformed how young actors felt about the possibility of the theatre. The tiny Focus Theatre - with the support of Luke Kelly and others - had a massive impact on the theatre here, p...

In October 1955, the visit of Yugoslavia to Dublin caused real division in Irish society. A top-class football side on the world stage, opposition to communism led Archbishop McQuaid and others to call for a boycott of the game. In a new book, Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches, Alan McDougall and Tony Shaw examine this match and others like it, weaving Cold War tensions and the excitemen...

There could be nowhere more fitting to discuss the life of Edward Fitzgerald than upstairs in the Lord Edward, as part of Culture Date with Dublin 8. That he was born into privilege is clear, but Fitzgerald also rejected it, his sister recalling that "he was a Paddy and no more; he desired no other title than this." Annie Hughes is a singer and a member of An Góilín Traditional Singers. Fergus Whe...

John Gibney is co-editor of The Story of Us: Independent Ireland and the 1926 Census. On a sunny day, we sat on a bench dedicated in part to a man you'll find in that census, and discussed what is in this extraordinary landmark census. We look at some interesting people, like the writer Dorothy Macardle, the widowed Maud Gonne MacBride and an influential Italian on Pearse Street. An earlier episod...

It would seem everyone in the city has an opinion on the shopping centre at the top of Grafton Street. With that in mind, it seems a good time for a potted history of it and the site it occupies. Controversial in its own day, the project was overseen by the architect James Toomey, though it fell somewhat short of the original vision. What is to be done with this 1988 centre, and why has its propos...

In 1965, the body of Roger Casement was returned to Ireland. No longer condemned to the grounds of Pentonville Prison, he would be buried in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery, where he is one of the first graves a visitor encounters today. There were political questions around Casement's body in the 1960s, and his final request was not honoured. Rory Carroll, author of the bestselling 'A Rebel and a Tra...

Today marks the 120th birthday of Samuel Beckett. Inspired both by this milestone anniversary and by the wonderful new exhibition of the work of photographer John Minihan in the National Gallery of Ireland, this episode explores sites that are important to the story of Beckett and Dublin. Some, like Trinity College Dublin, will be familiar. Others, like the family business on Clare Street where he...

With the 110th anniversary of the Easter Rising upon us, it seems a good time to look at one of the less familiar figures of the story. Somewhat in the shadows, Éamonn Ceannt was a meticulous organiser, vitally important not only to the revolutionary movements of his time but traditional music too. His Dublin centred on Rialto, Dolphin's Barn, Crumlin and the surrounding areas, and in this episode...

In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day formally became a national holiday in Ireland, following a push from the Gaelic League. In the pages of their newspaper, An Claidheamh Soluis, a battle was waged for the closure of public houses on the day. Some publicans stood in opposition to this. This is the story of how a sober St Patrick's Day was achieved, and how it would take until the 1960s for change.

In 1997, David Bowie released Earthling, an album deeply influenced by the sound of drum and bass and industrial electronic music. Spending time in Dublin city, Bowie befriended the Quadraphonic collective, who brought the drum and bass sound to the city at venues like The Globe and The Kitchen. This led to a secret concert at The Factory venue in Ringsend. My guest Ray O'Donoghue is now the Night...

The release of the 1926 census from the National Archives of Ireland is now imminent. These returns should give us fascinating insights into a post-revolutionary Ireland. In this episode, we look at the capital in 1926. It was a defining year in Irish cultural history, with the birth of 2RN and O'Casey's Plough and the Stars, but it was also an austere time. Strikes were plentiful, with the Genera...

SERIES 4, EPISODE 1. Welcome back to a new series. Emmett Grogan was one of the defining figures of American counterculture in the 1960s. Though his name is almost completely unknown in Ireland, the author of  Ringolevio: A Life Played for Keeps  is a man for whom Bob Dylan dedicated an album, and who was described by Abbie Hoffman (who he distrusted greatly) as "the hippie warrior par excellence....

One of Dublin's Historians in Residence, Elizabeth Kehoe has developed a walking tour of Parnell Square which shines a lot on many aspects of its history. Walking around it, we encounter things as diverse as symbolic weapons in the mosaic tiles of the Garden of Remembrance and the coat of arms of the Duke of Rutland. In recognition of the involvement of the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin City Council...

James Earley comes from a family rooted in the story of Irish stained glass. As an artist, his work often pays homage to Earley Studios and those who came before him. As part of Dublin City Council Dublin Winter Lights, he has brought an extraordinary show to James Gandon's Custom House. This offered an opportunity to talk about his career to date, stained glass broadly, and art in the public sphe...

More than just a resident of Oliver Bond House, Gayle Cullen Doyle is a vital voice within her community, advocating for and representing her neighbours. Eoin Ó Broin is the new author (with photographer Mal McCann) of a study on Herbert Simms, which places schemes like Oliver Bond House in context. Recorded in Oliver Bond House, this discussion is one that emphasises the importance of good qualit...

On three occasions, Charles Dickens would speak in Dublin. Each time huge crowds came to hear him speak in the Rotunda, with the crowds spilling out into Sackville Street and well beyond. A Christmas Carol was the highlight of all three tours. Beyond his readings, Dickens also wrote interesting letters from the city, comparing it favourably to London and Edinburgh. There was once a time when Dubli...

Cormac Murray is the author of a new study of the US Embassy in Ballsbridge. A visual feast, it explores one of Dublin's most unusual buildings in its architectural, social, cultural and political contexts. The work of John M. Johansen,described as "a Neoclassical Modernist", the building was something of a never-ending saga. In an edition of just 400, the study is available from Phibsboro Press Y...

The story of Guinness is one of great success, yes, but also turbulence. Together with historian Antonia Hart, Ned Guinness has produced a family history that doesn't shy away from the challenges faced, while shining a spotlight on some of the key figures in the ultimate success of the brand. Our story passes through events like 1798 and 1916, but there is also talk of the future. Please vote for...

Lord Leitrim, John Twiss and the songs of our year (with Michael Steen) This edition of the podcast is dedicated to the memory of Manchán Magan. Singer Michael Steen (a member of  the An Góilín Traditional Singers Club) has developed an intriguing calendar of the year, which creates a journey of song through the seasons. Some of these songs are tied to folklore traditions, others mark key annivers...