This was a particularly special one. The burning by the IRA of Dublin’s Custom House – the seat of British local government in Ireland – on 25th May 1921 was a seminal event of the Irish War of Independence. There have been no two greater champions to help widen understanding…

Had a very enjoyable – and lengthy talk – on the controversial IRA Chief of Staff Seán Russell for the East Wall History Group this evening. Great to be back doing these events, even if it’s just still online. Russell became a random historical interest of mine during lockdowns, and…

In June 2021 I was a guest on The Irish History Show podcast, to discuss the divisive life and legacy of Seán Russell, the former Chief of Staff of the IRA.   On this episode of the Irish History Show we were joined by Gerard Shannon to discuss Seán Russell,…

Great to do another talk for Trasna na Tíre, the brilliant series of online Irish history talks as we still live through Covid-19 restrictions. This time, I do a talk on Mick Fitzgerald, Cork IRA leader and close contemporary of Liam Lynch, (subject of my forthcoming book). Fitzgerald was the…

In a year of unusual restrictions, it’s been great having the chance to continue to history talks by means of line. Here’s one I did this Christmas season on Joseph MacDonagh, one of the most extraordinary figures of the Irish revolutionary period and central to events in 1917-23. At different…

  It was a pleasure to do a talk for UCC’s conference Terence MacSwiney, Cork Men’s Gaol, and the Political Hunger Strike, 1920-2020 marking the hunger strike of republican prisoners in Cork Gaol in 1920. It is remarkable they were able to pull the conference together under the covid-19 restrictions.…

I contributed to this short documentary piece about the death of Muriel MacDonagh    On July 9th, 1917, Muriel Gifford MacDonagh, the widow of executed Easter Rising leader Thomas MacDonagh, drowned off the coast of Skerries. Her death coming just 15 months after that of her husband left the couple’s…