Fifty years ago today, a series of no-warning car bombs erupted across Dublin and Monaghan. This would prove to be the bloodiest day of the Troubles. Immediately, questions were raised about how this event had come to pass. In a new documentary, director Joe Lee and producer Fergus Dowd explore what happened on 17 May 1974. Warning: This episode is quite graphic in describing the day. This episode of the podcast is dedicated to the memory of Derek Byrne.
May 17, 2024•31 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Temporary interventions into the Dublin streetscape have a curious history. This week, the livestream portal with New York made international headlines. For me, it recalled the CowParade, Bowl of Light and other such things. When you put something out there on the street, there's no way of telling how people will respond. Support TCB: www.patreon.com/threecastlesburning
May 15, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In 1970, the outdoor rock festival was a totally new idea in Ireland. Amidst press coverage of Woodstock and the Isle of Wight, focused on LSD and exagerated crowd trouble, the booking of Mungo Jerry, Thin Lizzy and others for Richmond Park would be the first Dublin experience of such a festival here. Why did this festival fail? And how, just a few short years later, had the festival become such an integral part of Irish youth culture?
Apr 26, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 7
To the Dublin press, the American Civil War veterans in Dublin cut an unusual shape. These ‘Yankee’ characters looked different, but they also behaved differently. Under the direction of Captain Thomas J. Kelly, these men would be centrally important to the Fenian uprising of 1867. While history remembers this as a skirmish on a hill in Tallaght, much more happened in March 1867 than that.
Apr 12, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 6
The story of Mount Jerome Cemetery is the story of Victorian Dublin. There, many of the great innovaters of the city are at rest. If Glasnevin brings to mind the Irish revolution, Mount Jerome instead makes us think of the nineteenth century. Still, there is great diversity in who is (and isn't) buied there. This is a story that touches on everyone from Charles Stewart Parnell to the so-called 'General.' Thanks to Patrons of the podcast whose support made this research possible.
Mar 30, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 5
The labour leader Jim Larkin was international news when he departed Ireland in 1914. In America, Larkin would cross paths with the FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover, landing in prison for 'Criminal Anarchy'. What did all of this mean back in Dublin? My guest is Ronan Burtenshaw, author of a recent piece on Larkin for Jacobin magazine: https://jacobin.com/2024/01/jim-larkin-ireland-labor-150
Mar 12, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 4
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Jim Larkin. In this two-part special, Ronan Burtenshaw (author of a recent piece exploring Larkin for Jacobin magazine) joins me to discuss this important and divisive revolutionary figure. Larkin in Dublin means 1913, but where did he come from? This story brings us from Liverpool Cathedral to the streets of West Belfast. Ronan's piece: https://jacobin.com/2024/01/jim-larkin-ireland-labor-150)...
Feb 23, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc is no stranger to this podcast. While his latest book explores 'The Disappeared' (launching this month from Merrion Press), he has also been undertaking a study of the far-right in Ireland historically. Moving beyond the familiar, like the Army Comrades Association ('the Blueshirts'), Pádraig's study begins with some more overlooked groups. Even before Oswald Mosley, the British Fascisti were a force with surprising connections to Dublin, and an active branch in the city....
Feb 02, 2024•42 min•Season 3Ep. 1
SEASON 3! A recent television debate on the Irish language in schools reminded me of a curious story from history. The Language Freedom Movement touches on many widely known figures in 1960s Ireland, including John B. Keane and the broadcaster Gay Byrne. In the Mansion House, a meeting descended into chaos.
Jan 14, 2024•24 min•Season 3Ep. 1
2023 marks the 200th anniversary of the Royal Hibernian Academy, an institution which has moved across the Liffey owing to the flames of Easter Week, and which has championed the visual arts through an ever-changing Ireland. Cristín Leach is the author of a new creative study of the body, which weaves history and art to tell the story.
Dec 22, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 61
Over five generations, one family have played a unique role in the story of the Phoenix Park. More than that, the Flanagan family have a history that stretches back even earlier in the story of this beloved space. Joyce maintained that in the particular is contained the universal - can we tell the story of a place through this one unique tale? The Lamplighters of the Phoenix Park is available now from all good bookshops.
Dec 19, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Brendan Kelly is the author of a new history of Grangegorman and the asylum located there for generations. This conversation was recorded within the grounds of the site. What was the life of a patient in an asylum really like? Through letters, medical records and doctors' notes, Brendan Kelly gives us a glimpse inside Grangegorman and the lives of those who lived and worked there. Not a particularly easy listen at times - and please note that some of the language, drawn from primary sources, ref...
Dec 14, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Ridley Scott doesn't seem to get on with historians, but here is a nice little story all about Napoleon and his surprising Dublin connections. One of the most revealing and personal insights into Napoleon came from a Dublin doctor who spent time with him on the island of St Helena. My Name Is Napoleon Bonaparte by Dónal Lunny and Frank Harte was released in 2001.
Dec 11, 2023•19 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Nicola Pierce is the author of O'Connell Street: The History and Life of Dublin's O'Connell Street. It is a book as much about people as buildings, which charts the unique story of Ireland's most famous street. Now illuminated in a unique way as part of Dublin Winter Lights, we walked the street together on a busy evening chatting about its statues and landmarks. Thanks to the team at Dublin Winter Lights (www.dublinwinterlights.ie)
Dec 08, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 57
James Morrissey has produced a beautiful and important book exploring the history of Claddagh Records and Garech Browne. 'Real to Reel' explores a record label which championed not only Irish folk and traditional music, but also poetry and the visual arts. Now, the label has returned with great new talents including OXN. Both me and James Morrissey will be appearing at 'Banter' at Other Voices this weekend. Thanks for your patience. We raised thousands of euro towards a good cause, as mentioned ...
Dec 01, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Roger Doyle has made an incredible contribution to Irish music across decades. In this discussion he talks about everything from his own musical beginnings to Operating Theatre, and from The Diceman (Thom McGinty) to James Joyce. Roger Doyle's music is available from https://rogerdoyle1.bandcamp.com/ This edition of the podcast is dedicated to the memory of my friend Hughie Friel. (Image Credit: The cover of 'Spring is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth' by All City Records, image by Amelia S...
Nov 11, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 55
Irish supernatural writing did not begin or end with the great Bram Stoker. Indeed, even within Stoker's own family there were other great writers. In this very special edition of the podcast, actor Kathy Rose O'Brien brings to life four extraordinary authors, while Brian J. Showers of Swan River Press talks us through this genre. www.swanriverpress.ie
Nov 05, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 54
This December - most likely - marks the centenary of the birth of Anthony Cronin. His memoir of Bohemian Dublin, Dead As Doornails (1976), remains a masterpiece. With Jimmy Murphy, I went through the book and its importance. With thanks to Ian Dunphy at the Museum of Literature Ireland for sound. P.S, 'The Lamplighters of the Phoenix Park' is out now!: https://www.kennys.ie/shop/pre-order-category/the-lamplighters-of-the-phoenix-park-donal-fallon-with-james-and-frank-flanagan-9781399722810...
Oct 19, 2023•56 min•Season 2Ep. 48
Did you learn much about yourself in Lockdown times? Dermot Bolger (poet, publisher, playwright and more besides) discovered some of the incredible people who lived in his locality in times gone by. These included the radical Grace Gifford Plunkett, architect Herbert Simms and the writer Patricia Lynch. In Other People's Lives, Dermot honours these people and captures a moment in time beautifully. Available from: https://www.newisland.ie/poetry-drama/other-peoples-lives
Oct 06, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 47
Geographer Joseph Brady is the co-producer of a new study of Dublin in maps. This journey begins with the earliest depictions of the Irish capital, but brings us through some fascinating oddities. Did you know that the Soviet Union produced a map of the city for intelligence purposes, or that mapping Dublin's postcodes has proven surprisingly divisive? Dublin: Mapping the City is available now.
Sep 27, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 47
There are few careers in Irish music as extraordinary as that of Dónal Lunny. His name will forever be connected with the groups Emmet Spiceland, Planxty, The Bothy Band and Moving Hearts. Yet beyond being a defining musician, he has made important contributions on the other side of the sound desk too. In this discusssion, recorded at Another Love Story, we pass through some of the greatest Irish albums of the twentieth century. Three Castles Burning: A History of Dublin in Twelve Streets is ava...
Sep 17, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 46
A real privilege to talk to an artist who first emerged in the 1960s, and who is still making fantastic work today. Any discussion with Jim Fitzpatrick passes through subjects as diverse as Harry Clarke, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Phil Lynott, Sinéad O'Connor and the world of Marvel. Recorded at the Electric Picnic, thanks to those of you who came along. This episode touches on some serious issues including the Dublin bombings, the Troubles and addiction. Visuals can be viewed on Instagram at @three...
Sep 04, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Seán O'Casey had a turbulent relationship with the Abbey Theatre. Now, his Dublin trilogy is back on the stage of the national theatre. Championed with his arrival on the stage in 1923, and denounced in 1926 with The Plough and the Stars, O'Casey remains one of the most inspirational figures of twentieth-century Irish theatre. Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock tried his hand at bringing O'Casey to the world of cinema? TCB book with free P&P in Ireland: https://www.kennys.ie/shop/three-castl...
Aug 30, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Peig McManus was born into a life in tenement Dublin in the late 1930s. In subsequent decades, she became one of Ireland's most recognisable voices for educational reform. In her brilliant memoir, I Will Be Good: A Dublin Childhood and a Life Less Ordinary , she talks about her childhood, her time in school, her activism over many decades and the various campaigns for educational reform. Recorded live at 14 Henrietta Street. Peig's book: https://chaptersbookstore.com/products/peig-mcmanus-i-will...
Aug 16, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 44
The body of Daniel O'Connell is at rest in Glasnevin Cemetery, an institution with which he is eternally linked. His heart? Well, that has been something of a mystery. Dublin artist Claire Halpin joins me this week to talk about her recent show in Rome, and a little intervention she made into the question of just what happened to the heart of 'The Liberator'. https://clairehalpin2011.wordpress.com/
Aug 09, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 45
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Sinéad O'Connor. The Foggy Dew is in itself a historic document. Written in 1919, this story of the Easter Rising and the contrasting World War has gone around the world. This episode of the podcast explores the song and its meaning, and how it came to bring together the incredible talents of The Chieftains and Sinéad O'Connor.
Jul 31, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 45
The National Stadium on the South Circular Road has witnessed some really incredible nights. To some, it is the home of Irish boxing, a story that's connected to the sporting history of the Gardaí as well as the endless enthusiasm of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association. To others, it is a gig venue which recalls names like Planxty, Led Zeppelin and Leonard Cohen. Thanks for your memories!
Jul 09, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 44
In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy arrived into a city in crisis. As Dublin tenements seemed to be collapsing to the touch, the visit of a U.S President was a welcome distraction. In some ways, it was a distraction for him, too. History recalls New Ross, but in Dublin there were significant moments, captured brilliantly by reporters and writers like the poet Louis MacNeice. Support TCB: www.patreon.com/threecastlesburning
Jun 30, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 43
Sincere thanks to the Dalkey Book Festival for the invitation to interview Roddy Doyle. This was a chance to talk about things as diverse as Maeve Brennan, the impact of the 1974 Dublin bombings, Myles na gCopaleen and more. A language warning on this one.
Jun 20, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 42
Bloomsday as we know it owes its existence to Brian O'Nolan, otherwise Myles na gCopaleen, otherwise Flann O'Brien. In 1954, he was the catalyst for gathering together a number of Dublin McDaidsian types who embarked on an epic journey of their own in honour of Leopold Bloom, Buck Mulligan and the cast of Ulysses. They didn't make it too far.
Jun 15, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 41
