Christina Wade’s new history of Irish beer is a masterclass in social and economic history. In the context of Dublin, it tells us a lot, especially about the challenges that faced breweries in turbulent times. In this episode, we look at her chapter ‘Porter Wars’, and how unfair trade laws and domestic and international politics all shaped the producing and selling of beer in Dublin. Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland is out now.
Jun 13, 2025•34 min•Season 3Ep. 10
The first ever Kilkenny Law Fest took place last weekend. On its bill, a discussion with Superintendent Paul Maher of the Garda Historical Society. Paul did so much in the Decade of Centenaries to involve the force, and it was great to talk to him about the 1925 merging of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and AGS. This discussion takes in early Irish policing, as well as looking at what made Dublin unique in policing.
May 23, 2025•53 min•Season 3Ep. 9
A nice mention for the podcast recently on Crime World inspired me to go back to the subject of the Animal Gang. Seperating fact from folklore, just who made up the so-called Animal Gang of 1930s and 1940s Dublin. Was there one gang, or does the term mean something much broader? What was the relationship between the Animal Gang and the turbulent politics of the time. For more on the Animal Gang, see John Gibney’s Doc On One at https://www.rte.ie/radio/doconone/647163-documentary-podcast-animal-g...
May 09, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Tony Gregory remains one of the most beloved TD’s in the history of the city. Lately, talk of the Molly Malone monument has reminded me of the story of Gregory’s activism on behalf of Dublin’s largely female street traders, and his comments on the statue of Molly in the late 1980s. Is it time to move her to a more fitting location, where Jeanne Rynhart’s monument might finally be respected?
Apr 23, 2025•32 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Historian Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc has just produced Burn Them Out, a history of the Irish far-right. One of its most intriguing chapters studies the Blueshirt movement, tracing its development from an association of veterans into something much broader. Studying intelligence files and reports, Ó Ruairc demonstrates the surprising level of violence associated with this movement around the country. So, was Eoin O’Duffy’s so-called ‘March on Dublin’ ever a serious proposal, and what could have happened...
Apr 02, 2025•33 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Both Patrick Leo Burdock and Ivan Beshoff were revolutionaries, though in very different circumstances. These two names remain stalwarts of the Dublin chipper landscape, but did you know a branch of Leo Burdock’s was raided in 1941, or that Ivan Beshoff lived to be over 100? From the Battleship Potemkin to a tramway strike in Dublin, this is the story of two remarkable men.
Mar 30, 2025•23 min•Season 4Ep. 5
This edition of the podcast contains adult language and themes and is not suitable for younger listeners. This special live edition of the podcast was part of Abair, an annual programme within the Saint Patrick’s Festival. Joining me is Caroline West (author of a recent best selling history about Monto and a sex educator and columnist), Terry Fagan (oral historian and Monto expert), MacDara Yeates (singer and cultural programmer) as well as musical guests Sean Fitzgerald (The Deadlians) and Phel...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In Dublin, just a handful of public houses now open at seven o’clock in the morning. Where did these early houses come from, and what has influenced their decline? On this journey across the city, we visit a pub financed by the Beamish & Crawford Brewery, as well as the historic fruit and vegetable market. Thanks to Brand New Retro for scanning SLATE Magazine!
Feb 28, 2025•32 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Bob Dylan’s 1966 visit to the Adelphi Cinema is a concert on which there is very little agreement. Torn apart by one Dublin reviewer, many who were there describe the gig in different terms entirely. For many in attendance, it was an extraordinary experience. Visiting Dublin in a year when The Clancy Brothers were putting Dublin’s story on the international map, the Dylan concert survives. Support TCB: www.patreon.com/threecastlesburning...
Jan 26, 2025•29 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Described by The Irish Times as 'raucous, bawdy, reflective and wistful in turn', Traditional Singing from Dublin is more than just an album of songs. Inspired by figures as diverse as Liam Weldon and Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, this work has a strong sense of history throughout. Macdara Yeates joins me. You can stream Traditional Singing from Dublin now. Tickets for TradFest are available at www.tradfest.com
Jan 11, 2025•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In Glasnevin Cemetery, James Clarence Mangan’s grave lists him as ‘Ireland’s National Poet.’ Today, he is a curiously overlooked character. His influence on figures as diverse as Philip Lynott and Shane MacGowan is explored in this podcast, where Mangan’s biographer Bridget Hourican explores his life, and historian Warren Farrell discusses his resting place and memory. ‘Finding Mangan’ and ‘So Once Was I’ are both available now.
Dec 20, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 29
In 1898, tens of thousands of people paraded in Dublin for the unveiling of a foundation stone to a Wolfe Tone statue. So why did it not happen? Only in 1967 did Edward Delaney’s tribute to Tone appear on St Stephen’s Green. In this podcast, celebrating the fact the Tone monument is part of Dublin City Council’s Dublin Winter Lights, Delaney’s son and biographer joins me at the memorial to talk about one of my favourite Dublin statues. For more see: https://www.dublinwinterlights.ie/
Dec 17, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 28
These are exciting times at the Collins Barracks branch of the National Museum of Ireland. This week, the first Harry Clarke display at the museum opens, showcasing six works by Ireland's most beloved stained glass artist. The Museum is also taking part in the Dublin City Council 'Dublin Winter Lights' for the first time. Dónal Maguire, Keeper of Art & Industry at the National Museum of Ireland, gave me a sense of the museum and its collections. Tickets and more information from www.dublinwi...
Dec 02, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 27
The story of Michael Healy is one that tells us much about the Dublin of his time. Born into a working class inner-city family in 1873, Healy was shaped by the artistic and cultural movements of the time, becoming a central figure in the stained glass studio An Túr Gloine. The work of that studio is still to be found across Dublin today. His biographer David Caron joined me in Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery to discuss Healy and his time. Be sure to check out the Hugh Lane Gallery's fantastic After H...
Nov 29, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 26
In the heart of Dublin’s north inner-city, the SFX was one of the defining venues of Dublin’s music scene. U2, The Smiths, New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Pogues are just some of the acts to have taken to the stage in the Jesuit hall that enjoyed a remarkable second life. I’m joined by David Bell (who experienced the venue as a fan, reporter, merchman and band manager) and Paul Page (Whipping Boy). Thanks to Laura Williams, Jackie Trulock and all at the Annesley Bridge House.
Nov 08, 2024•41 min•Season 3Ep. 25
Bram Stoker’s life and career was shaped by the strong women around him. Charlotte Stoker, his mother, raised him on folklore and stories of her own youth, while Speranza (Lady Jane Wilde, the mother of Oscar) was a key influence in expanding his knowledge of Ireland’s folklore and mythology. I’m joined by Marion McGarry, author of the acclaimed book Irish Customs and Rituals and an authority on Charlotte Stoker to discuss some of the women central to Stoker’s life and work. Live readings by act...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Irish Food History: A Companion is an extraordinary thing - a moment in Irish publishing history. Coming in around 800 pages, it covers everything from archaeology and food to the pub grub of today. Full of archival images, poetry, recipes and more besides, the book captures the best of what is happening in Irish food research. On this episode, editors Dorothy Cashman and Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire join me to go through this collection. The book is available from: https://booksupstairs.ie/product/i...
Oct 12, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 23
Paula Meehan is a poet for whom history is a constant source of inspiration. In this discussion at the Dublin Festival of History, she reads a number of poems written throughout the Decade of Centenaries, as well as other work shaped by the past. Paula’s collection, The Solace of Artemis, is available from: https://booksupstairs.ie/product/the-solace-of-artemis/
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Lee Miller is best recalled now for her defining images of the Second World War. With Kate Winslet playing the role of Miller in a new film, it seems a good time to explore Miller’s visit to Dublin in the winter of 1946. Sent by Vogue to photograph James Joyce’s Dublin, her images capture scenes like Barney Kiernan’s public house and Belvedere College.
Sep 26, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Catriona Crowe is former Head of Special Projects at the National Archives of Ireland. She is Ireland’s most recognisable archivist, and someone to whom all historians of modern Ireland are indebted. At the recent Seán Corcoran Series ( www.seancorcoranseries.com/ ) we discussed archives, oral history and much more.
Sep 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Clodagh Finn and John Morgan have produced an important history of the involvement of Irishmen and women in the anti-fascist movements of the Second World War. One of the most extraordinary stories they have uncovered is Catherine Crean, a woman in her sixties originally from Dublin’s Moore Street. She would give everything in defence of democracy and in opposition to Hitlerism. The Irish in the Resistance is out now (Gill Books.)
Sep 05, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 19
This year marks four decades of the DART. Along with that, the Luas has turned twenty. These two services have radically changed how we live in Dublin, but where did they come from and how did Dublin's transport history shape them? This episode explores these things and questions of tomorrow.
Aug 31, 2024•34 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Seeing the inevitable headlines on the horizon around the Wolfe Tones performing at Electric Picnic, I decided to reach out to Brian Warfield for a chat about his book, The Ramblings of an Irish Ballad Singer. Amongst other things, Brian spoke to me about his family origins, why the Tones recorded songs like 'The Sash', and the importance of the English folk music revival for his band. (Original image: Richard Walshe, Mindfield Flickr)
Aug 20, 2024•48 min•Season 3Ep. 17
The Liffey Swim is a beloved painting, and one of the most visited works in the National Gallery of Ireland. A century ago, it led to the first Olympic medal of the new Free State. With calls for the creative arts to return as a competitive dimension of the Olympics, this episode explores Jack B. Yeats and the cultural and political context of his win. Support TCB at www.patreon.com/threecastlesburning
Aug 10, 2024•31 min•Season 3Ep. 16
At the Irish Museum of Modern Art, a new exhibition explores the life and work of artist Hilary Heron. Like many, I came away from it amazed that this important modernist sculptor was not better known here. Born in Dublin in 1923, her work achieved international recognition in her own lifetime. Dr. Billy Shortall is the author of an essay on Heron in the exhibition catalogue, and has done great work to bring her back to deserved prominence. An article by Billy on Heron can be read at www.rte.ie/...
Jul 30, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 14
More than just one of Ireland's most beloved musicians, Martin Hayes is also the author of Shared Notes: A Musical Journey. In his memoir he introduces us to a host of brilliant characters, ranging from childhood friends and relations in East Clare to those who would become central to The Gloaming. One figure we meet is Tommie Potts, a Dublin firefighter from the Coombe and a fiddle player. The Liffey Banks remains a beloved record. In this excerpt from a conversation at London's Féile MOTH, Hay...
Jul 12, 2024•19 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Orson Welles made his stage debut in Dublin. To him, The Gate Theatre would always be a part of the story of his own life development and professional career. Later, he returned to scenes of protest against the same theatre for hosting him. In time, all was forgiven and Welles would deliver an astonishing Q and A before a packed Dublin crowd who quizzed him on everything from American politics to the future of cinema.
Jul 07, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 13
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Red Roses For Me, the first album from The Pogues. Borrowing its title from Sean O'Casey, it also carries literary influences like Ulysses and Brendan Behan proudly. As an exhibition on the London-Irish currently runs in Dublin's EPIC emigration museum, what better time to discuss this defining London-Irish band who still mean so much? Here Comes Everybody by James Fearnley (Faber & Faber) is available now.
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 12
We know it as ‘On Raglan Road’, but the journey of the song that began life as a poem tells us a lot about Bohemian Dublin in an earlier time. In the Bailey tent at the Luke Kelly Festival, playwright Jimmy Murphy takes us through the story of the Kavanagh masterpiece Luke Kelly made his own. We also get a great rendition from Fergus Whelan (with a little help from Patrick Kavanagh in the recording!).
Jun 13, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Like his father Jim Hand before him, promoter Brian Hand would build a real and lasting relationship with The Dubliners over many years. For singer and actor Phelim Drew, the band were like an extension of family. In this discussion, recorded live at the Luke Kelly Festival, we get into great personal memories of The Dubliners and what the band still mean today. Contains some bad language.
May 29, 2024•56 min•Season 3Ep. 10
