Major turning points in Irish history and great shifts in societal attitudes are often associated with progress but can also be mired in violence. Here, historian and creator of the Irish History Podcast, Fin Dwyer looks at pivotal moments in Ireland’s past – separated by time but tied together by one common trait: murder. He will be interviewed by journalist and author David McCullagh.

From the killing of Michael Fleming during the Great Hunger, a time when death was already so pervasive, to the gruesome murder of Mary Hart by her own son at the turn of the 20th century, a death reflective of the nation’s deeply problematic attitudes to mental health, A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is a singular and intriguing chronicle of Ireland’s turbulent past.

David McCullagh is a journalist and presenter with RTE News and author of a history of the first Inter-Party government, ‘A makeshift majority’ (Institute of Public Administration, 1998), a biography of John A. Costello, ‘The reluctant Taoiseach’ (Gill Books, 2010), a recent two-volume biography of Éamon de Valera, Volume 1: Rise, 1882–1932 and Volume 2: Rule, 1932–1975 (Gill, 2017, 2018) and The Great Irish Politics Book (Gill, 2021).

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Please note: There will be seats reserved for the deaf community to attend in-person for better visibility of the ISL interpreter on stage.