Talks

Join us for a conversation and literary event with Irish poet Julie Morrissy and Ukrainian writer Darina Sikmashvili as they delve into their projects about grandmothers. Morrissy will discuss her award-winning project “Certain Individual Women”, which explores womanhood in Ireland over the past 100 years. Sikmashvili will share her novel-in-progress Mariya Petrovna, which spans Georgia,...

In 1986, the maritime historian, John de Courcey Ireland, wrote: ‘The lives of island peoples like Ireland’s been dominated by the seas encircling them. Yet this fact has been largely...

Step into the enchanting world of verse and rhythm at Poetry Reading Nights in The Irish Writers Room, nestled within The National Wax Museum Plus. Immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of words as talented poets breathe life into their works, weaving tales of passion, resilience, and wonder. Join us for an evening of literary...

**Apologies, registration full** This talk is by Dennis McIntyre and will be delivered in two parts. The first part of this discourse gives an account of the life of Bram Stoker from his birth at No. 15 The Crescent Marino, through his Trinity College days, his work as a civil servant in Dublin Castle, to...

A talk on early policing in Ireland, by John F Sheehan, covering the Irish Constabulary to the Royal Irish Constabulary and their role in the first world war and its...

As a result of the bilateral agreement between Turkey and West Germany in 1961, Turks are now Germany's largest minority and Berlin has one of the largest Turkish populations of any city. Since the 1980s, a rich tradition of Turkish-German cinema has developed that not only provides insights into post-war Germany's history, society and cultural...

From Edward Bransfield of County Cork, credited with the discovery of the Antarctic continent in 1820, to Ernest Shackleton, born in 1874 in County Kildare, Irish seafarers hold a special...

**Apologies, registration full** Historian Fergus Whelan will reflect on the life and influence of Tomás Mac Giolla, former Lord Mayor of Dublin, marking the centenary year of his birth. A...

**Apologies, registration full** Aideen O’Connor and Ria Mooney had different backgrounds, ambitions and creative visions. They came of age in an Ireland desperate to control and restrict women: their sexuality;...

Red Umbrella Film Festival will screen two short documentaries: All Work and No Pay, featuring the work of the Wages for Housework campaign, and Dancing Not Washing Dishes which follows...

In the late twenties, as Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky held their final debates before Trotsky’s exile, one of the Kremlin Palace translation teams was led by a middle-aged woman...

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Libraries presents an exhibition of the Charles Hamilton Oswald Collection of glass plate slides from the dlr Local Studies collection, digitised especially by staff. Oswald, from Dún...

*Unfortunately this event is now cancelled* Workplaces are crucial elements of human communities. The presence of paid employment can determine the future of a region, influencing not only economic prosperity...

**Apologies, registration full** How did a rough tackle on a 15 acres football pitch result in the death of 23 year old Sam O'Brien and three young men being charged...

What does it mean to be a hero in the 20th century? Epic Annette: A Heroine’s Tale recounts the extraordinary true story of Annette Beaumanoir, whose involvement with the French...

Urban development has led to the decline of historic sacred spaces in Dublin's Liberties since the eighteenth century. Archbishop William King once noted that a church without a tower is...

Drawing on the National Library of Ireland's collections, including recruiting posters, newspapers and photographs, and on the Library’s online exhibition, World War Ireland, this online talk will discuss the First...

In 1600, Dublin was a walled, medieval town. Housing was basic, of wattle and daub, with cage-work on the main streets. Anglo-Norman Catholics ran the city. By 1700, the gates...

This talk by Dr Livia Hurley charts the rise of porter and how its production influenced the world of the brewery and its immediate context in the city, from the...

To celebrate 100 years of the establishment of its headquarters at Ballsbridge, the RDS Library & Archives will host an illustrated talk on the history of the RDS in Dublin...

**Apologies, registration full** This river of many names, mostly flowing underground, out of sight and often forgotten, has borne witness to all the key events of our shared history. It...

The story of James Connolly is dominated by two locations: Liberty Hall and the GPO. This talk will explore the other aspects of this time in Dublin, in particular the...

**Apologies, registration full** The website on the history of the Poddle River was developed by the Crumlin & Walkinstown History Group to raise awareness of the River and its historic past. The new website will be introduced and demonstrated at the event. This will be followed by Cathy Scuffil's talk. Note: Limited spaces, email walkinstownlibrary@dubllincity.ie...

Driven by a determined hope or the gritty practicalities of lived experiences the resilience of Irish women has been both situational and generational. This panel discussion will showcase original research...

Join Author, Albert Perris, for a history of Tallaght House, one of the finest 19th century residences in Tallaght village. Built in the 1820s by Major James Palmer, Tallaght House then passed to John Lentaigne, before being sold to the Dominican Order in 1855. Albert Perris will explore the milestones, characters and tragedies, beyond the...

In Shakespeare's drama ageing is variably described as, 'when age is in, the wit is out' (Much Ado About Nothing) and 'silver hairs/will purchase us good opinion' (Julius Caesar). This talk confronts the complexities and contradictions associated with growing old in Shakespeare's time. As our population continues to age and incidences of ageism increase, the...

Despite initially warm relations between the Bolsheviks and the underground Dáil administration in 1920, it would be another 54 years before formal diplomatic relations were established, when a Soviet embassy opened on Dublin’s Orwell Road, and Irish diplomat, Jim Sharkey, turned the key in the door of an Irish embassy in Moscow. In conversation with...

Meg Connery was a leading figure in the Irish militant suffragette movement of the early twentieth century, and was prominent in driving the campaign for voting rights for Irish women....

The Dublin launch of James Durney’s new book, ‘Jailbreak, Great Irish Republican Escapes’ will take place in the historical surrounding s of the East Wing of Kilmainham Gaol. James will give a brief presentation about the famous escape from Kilmainham on 14 January 1921 as part of the event.

Join us for this talk ‘Tracking Change and Turmoil: the Paintings of William Orpen (1878-1931)’ with Dr Anne Cormican. The talk explores William Orpen’s work as a continuum which documents...

Discover the vibrant history of Dublin Port with Grainne Shaffrey as she explores the groundbreaking Dublin Port Heritage Conservation Strategy. Shaffrey will delve into her meticulous mapping spanning over three...

This talk by Eunan McKinney, Project Director of The Yeats Sisters Commemoration Project, will explore the neglected creative and entrepreneurial reputations of Susan and Elizabeth Yeats. For almost 50 years...

Dr Elaine Leong (University College London) will give a lecture on ‘Book Cultures and Surgical Training in Early Modern London’. This is the Davis Coakley Memorial Lecture in Medical History....

**Apologies, this event has been CANCELLED** Dublin City Historian in Residence, Mary Muldowney will talk about the outdoor Cabra Baths that was opened by the City Council in the 1940s and other fascinating aspects of the history of the Cabra/Finglas area. The gang wars that plagued Dublin city in the 1940s included the infamous Tolka...

A talk looking back, 50 years on, on the worst day for fatalities of the Troubles, 17 May 1974, when three bombs exploded in Dublin City Centre and one in Monaghan town, resulting in the deaths of 34 with hundreds more wounded. Presented by Dublin City Historian in Residence, Cormac Moore. No booking required.

The secrets the river Poddle holds are key to understanding the basic foundations of the City of Dublin. This river of many names, mostly flowing underground, out of sight and often forgotten, has borne witness to all the key events of our shared history. It creates estate and parish boundaries, illustrates how skilled our Medieval...

**Apologies, registration full** In this illustrated talk, Ruth McManus will take us on a journey charting the evolution of Drumcondra through time. Drawing on historic maps and images we will...

The Library in the Community will host a talk by Bohemian FC's club historian and independent sports historian Gerard Farrell. Initially emerging as a minority pursuit in the city's elite schools and universities in the 1880s, football in Dublin enjoyed spectacular growth as both a game to be played and one to be watched and...

For the first time, a lecture on the role of Dublin 4 in the history of Irish radio broadcasting. Radio historian and chairperson of the Ringsend and District Historical Society, Eddie Bohan will take guests on a journey from Marconi to RTE, Radio Ringsend and Sandymount, Christmas FM, FM 104 to today's RICC Radio Ringsend....

The Library in the Community section will host a talk by James Scannell, current President of the Old Dublin Society. On July 6th 1925, the Dublin United Tramways Company launched...

Join David Dickson (Trinity College Dublin Fellow Emeritus) for an enlightening lecture on the Port of Dublin during the famines of 1740-41 and 1846-48. Explore how maritime trade and port...

In 1784, a small group of Irish surgeons broke ranks with the Guild of Barber-Surgeons to form the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Ever since, RCSI has been at...

The 25th Medieval Dublin symposium, organised by the Friends of Medieval Dublin with support from the Department of History of Trinity College Dublin, will showcase new research in the history...

Research on local government records in Fingal for the period 1870-1910 repeatedly highlighted issues with the water supply in Malahide. This ongoing issue is a case study of how nationalists...

Former Taoiseach Bertie Aherne will launch Professor Stephen Kelly's book, Gerald Boland: A Life. Professor Stephen Kelly will present his paper, 'Poacher turned gamekeeper: Gerald Boland, the IRA and Nazi...

Justine Murphy created a physical and digital timeline of Dublin’s Richmond Barracks and this has offered an opportunity to illustrate it’s long footprint using drawings, newspapers, prints, photographs, audio and...

The historical narrative around the Irish country house has long recognised its place as the epicentre of a community; economically, socially, and culturally. Particularly in Ireland where Industry was less...

Marking fifty years of the founding of an LGBTQ rights movement in Ireland, Reeling in the Queers explores the lesser-known stories of the fight for LGBTQ rights since 1974, beyond...

This talk is about the rise and fall of Kenure House and its estate and the trials and tribulations of the families who lived there. In the mid-17th century the...

A winner at the 2023 An Post: Irish Book Awards, Black & Irish was a landmark publication in Irish history and a celebration of Black Irish identity. Beginning life as...

Howth Castle in North County Dublin was the home of the St. Lawrence family from 1230s until 1909. William St. Lawrence, 4th Earl of Howth died without issue in 1909...

This talk is part of the Marino 100 series of talks, celebrating the centenary of the development of the Marino estate, the first estate built in the Free State after...

**Apologies, registration full** Join Warren Farrell, Donal Fallon and the Kavanagh family for a talk exploring the history of Glasnevin Cemetery and its relationship with its neighbour ‘The Gravediggers’ pub...

*Apologies, registration full* A talk on the history and fate of ten eighteenth-century pictures once installed in the ceiling of the Long Gallery at Rathfarnham Castle. Note: Booking essential.