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...
**Apologies, registration full** This event will centre on the new Atlas of the Irish Civil War, the latest volume in the award-winning Atlas Series. It presents fresh perspectives on, and...
In conversation with authors and journalists Christine Bohan, Sean Murray and Nicky Ryan. A tragic fire at the Stardust nightclub on Valentine’s Day, 1981 in a working-class suburb of Dublin...
The Ballybough and North Strand area of Dublin is a vibrant community rich in history. We are showcasing a small series of free events for all in the community. Sean...
The Irish Boundary Commission was set up to determine the boundary between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. It met for the first time on 6 November 1924. Its...
When Niall McCullough died in 2021, Ireland lost not just one of its pre-eminent architects but also one of the great historians of Dublin. His fascination and love of the...
Kate Summerscale London, 1953. Police discover the bodies of three young women hidden in a wall at 10 Rillington Place, a dingy terrace house in Notting Hill. On searching...
**Apologies, registration full** The Irish Research Council (IRC) will showcase some of the most exciting research in Ireland today. IRC-supported researchers will share insights on their latest projects and join...
**Apologies, registration full** In 1904, Roger Casement became internationally celebrated for unearthing the grotesque violence of the Belgian Congo. Soon after, he won even greater renown and a knighthood for...
As former lead singer with Dublin punk band Chant! Chant! Chant! and founding member of Muted Cupid, Ireland's first LGBT theatre group, Eoin Freeney reflects on the post-punk era of...
Ireland was England's oldest colony. Making Empire revisits the history of empire in Ireland in a time of Brexit, 'the culture wars', and the campaigns around 'Black Lives Matter' and...
**Apologies, registration full** Paula Meehan is one of Ireland's best-known contemporary poets. In this discussion with historian Donal Fallon, she will read and discuss a number of recent works with...
**Apologies, registration full** In eighteenth and nineteenth century Europe everyone lived 'off the land' in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived 'on the land' as well....
Songs have told the story of Ireland and Irish history for centuries. In this special event, musicians and singers Mike Hanrahan and Eleanor Shanley, working with historian Liz Gillis will...
Ag tús an Chéid dheireanaigh bhí dlúthpháirt ag an-chuid dochtúirí i gConradh na Gaeilge, agus i saol na Gaeilge go ginearálta. Sa chomhdháil seo, pléifear Beirt Dochtúirí Muighe Seóla (an...
**Apologies, registrations full** The last 50 years in Ireland present a very turbulent and troubled history. The country has seen terrible violence in Northern Ireland, the collapse of the economy...
Since 1998 the Documents on Irish Foreign Policy (DIFP) series has been publishing archival documents on Ireland's foreign relations since 1919, to make them more accessible. Now, with the fourteenth...
Mary McAuliffe will lead discussion on this nascent and very vibrant area of study in the histories of Irish sexualities. She’ll be talking about Irish female revolutionaries and same-sex relationships....
Nótáil gur eachtra dhá pháirt é seo a bheidh 90 nóiméad in fhad. Gaeil agus Géibheann Eoghan Mac Cormaic Ina leabhar nua fhoilsithe Gaeil agus Géibheann tharraing Eoghan Mac Cormaic...
Clare Mulley tells the incredible story of Elzbieta Zawacka, the World War II female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo. She was the only woman to reach London from Warsaw...
**Apologies, registration full** Clodagh Finn and John Morgan are co-authors of The Irish in the Resistance, a new history which tells some of the untold stories of the ordinary heroes...
Sam Leith and Sarah Carey Do you remember the first time you fell in love with a book? Maybe you tumbled down a rabbit hole, flew out of your bedroom...
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...
**Apologies, this event is now CANCELLED** In his short new biography of Winston Churchill, acclaimed historian Peter Caddick-Adams shows that the recipe for Winston Churchill’s success during his wartime premiership...
ONLINE TALK Is caint í seo ina dtugtar aghaidh ar chuid de na míthuiscintí agus ráflaí is mó faoi shaol agus faoi shaothar Bhriain Uí Nualláin. Cérbh é? Cárbh as...
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...
**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...
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...
Patrick O'Byrne will be giving a talk on the fascinating life of his maternal grandfather Padraig O Caoimh aka Paudeen (1881 - 1973) in Phibsboro Library. Paudeen took part in...
Join Author, Albert Perris, for a visit to the "White Quakers of Newlands House". Newlands House, once home to Lord Kilwarden, was later occupied for a number of years in...
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 place in the history of Antarctic exploration. Beverly Sperry will tell some of their amazing stories, with particular reference to the astounding endurance of Kerryman...
**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 key figure in the story of the Official Republican Movement, Mac Giolla's life touches on everything from the IRA's 1950s Border Campaign to a long...
**Apologies, registration full** Dublin City Historian in Residence, Elizabeth Kehoe will be giving a talk about O’Connell Street based on people's memories and historical records so this will be an eclectic mix about the capital’s main street. This year marks the 100th year anniversary of the naming of this iconic street. Note: Limited spaces, booking...
**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; their careers; their independent lives. They were united by one thing: a devotion to theatre and to Ireland’s National Theatre in particular. Aideen O’Connor joined...
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 Toni, a mother in Ballyfermot, as she works as an exotic dancer in her local pub in 1986. A panel discussion will follow, focusing on...
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 raised in the Wexford coastal village of Ballinesker. In this talk, historian Maurice J. Casey explores the forgotten life of Irish translator and journalist May...
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 Laoghaire, had a special interest in yachting, and either acquired or inherited the collection which mainly depict life in and around Dún Laoghaire Harbour. The...
This talk will be presented by Dr David Sorensen who is a Balbriggan local historian. His presentation will look at the history, development and changes to the street names of Balbriggan town over 200 years. Previous presentations given by him include topics as diverse as the history of national schools in the town, Balbriggan’s famed...
**Apologies, registration full** The river Poddle is key to understanding the foundations of Dublin. This river flowing mostly underground has borne witness to all the key events of our shared history. It creates boundaries, illustrates how skilled our ancestors were at hydro-engineering, it protected our city from invasion and most importantly provided water for thirsty...
Workplaces are crucial elements of human communities. The presence of paid employment can determine the future of a region, influencing not only economic prosperity but also physical development, environmental impact, and the identity of both communities and their residents. Conversely, the loss of paid employment sources can have adverse effects on the individuals involved and...
**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 with murder? But who was Sam O'Brien, who were his family, what happened to them? And what happened to those held responsible for his death?...
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 Resistance and the Algerian FLN cemented her name in history. The Goethe-Institut and the Embassy of France in Ireland will present a conversation with German-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 like a cow without horns, highlighting the importance of grandeur. However, many historic sites, like St James’ Church and the Cabbage Garden, have been repurposed,...
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 World War, the events of 1914-1918, and their impact on Ireland. For more information, visit their website.
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 were gone and the walls crumbling. Government posts were for Protestants only. Fine houses of brick and stone proliferated. In this illustrated talk, we will...
This October the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology is holding a series of events to mark to the 50th anniversary of the commencement of the last Museum excavations Wood Quay, Dublin. The excavations of the waterlogged site by the banks of the River Liffey, became one of the largest urban excavation sites in Europe,...
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 Liberties to the Royal Canal. It explores the collaborative roles of the brewer, the architect and engineer, and how their ambitions for innovation and modernity...
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 and its move from Leinster House to Ballsbridge in 1924. The talk will be followed by a short tour of some of the RDS buildings....
The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is delighted to host a talk by Professor John Turpin HRHA. The RHA in the early 20th century saw itself as modern. This outlook was...
Lafcadio Hearn enjoys great acclaim as a literary genius who brought the folklore of Japan to Westerners. Yet behind the novelist lived Hearn the teacher. As a translator, he saw learning as the source of intercultural understanding. As a mediator, Hearn advocated a cosmopolitan outlook on Japan. Caring about cultural and social tensions, he sought...
**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 creates estate and parish boundaries, illustrates how skilled our Medieval ancestors were at hydro-engineering, it protected our city and citizens from invasion and most importantly...
ONLINE TALK Writer and historian Kieran Connell sheds new light on the experiences of the hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants who made lives for themselves in Britain over the second half of the twentieth century. Drawing on his new book, Multicultural Britain: A People’s History, Connell explores the discrimination the Irish experienced and how...
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 places associated with his political and social activism. Connolly lived, for the most part, in the Liberties and south inner city. He held political meetings...
Writer Nicola Pierce will give an illustrated talk based on her book 'O'Connell Street: The History and Life of Dublin's Iconic Street'. In discussing her research, she will include some of the stories she discovered about the street - formerly a medieval path - that was transformed by the visionary Luke Gardiner in the grandest...
**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...
Sheila O'Flanagan, Jennifer Ryan and Nicola Cassidy will discuss their novels on a theme of War in Fiction, with Hazel Gaynor. The world wars, the Irish civil war and the War of Independence are popular settings for historical novels. This fascinating event will explore why periods of war appeal for writing fiction, the inspiration and...
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 questioning what drove these women to rebound from adversity and to adapt and withstand daunting societal and personal provocations. Note: Booking essential.
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...
An illustrated talk on the history of tourism in Dublin with Dublin City Historian in Residence, Katie Blackwood. Tourism is an industry that packages and sells culture and national identity and this talk will explore these issues while tracing Dublin's own meandering journey as a place to visit. Note: Limited spaces, booking essential.
David Lloyd George boasted that he had 'murder by the throat' in a speech in London in 1920 having swamped Ireland with troops, Black and Tans, Auxilliaries, assassins, touts and informants. Eighteen months later the British left Ireland defeated by counter-espionage. Edward J. Bourke, using information newly investigated, outlines for us a web of espionage,...
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. A contributor to The Irish Citizien newspaper, one of the most iconic images of the revolutionary period shows her confronting Andrew Bonar Law and Edward...
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.
To understand the past of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown is to understand that of all Ireland. Its remarkable diversity of landscapes, occupations, socio-economic status, politico-cultural affiliations, and views create a place...
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 momentous cultural, social and political upheaval, nationally and internationally, during the first quarter of the twentieth century. It examines paintings which pertain to the Irish...
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 centuries of development, highlighting Dublin's rich maritime heritage and its profound impact on the city's urban landscape. This marks the first comprehensive mapping of Dublin...
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 in the first half of the 20th century, the Yeats’ sisters made a lasting contribution to the cultural identity of an emerging new state, the...
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. Note: Limited spaces. To book, email info@edwardworthlibrary.ie
Instead of studying the book as an individual author's work, book historians pay attention to its architecture, and processes of book production. They focus on publication contexts that might impact the meaning contained in the book. Dr Lucy Collins, Professor Porscha Fermanis, Eoin McCarney, and Dr Tapasya Narang will reflect on the importance of holding,...
The long life enjoyed by Dr. T.K. Whitaker parallels the history of the modern Irish state in whose economic, financial, social, constitutional, educational, political and cultural evolution he played a pivotal role. Whitaker’s inspirational blueprint for the regeneration of the Irish economy in the 1960s, guiding Ireland’s path to membership of such bodies as the...
ONLINE TALK Following the return of his Antarctic expedition (1907-1909) aboard SY 'Nimrod', Ernest Shackleton toured Europe delivering lectures to the peoples and learned societies of the great cities. He returned to his native Ireland in December, 1909, and gave a lecture in Dublin to raise funds for the Lady Dudley nurses scheme. This talk...
Cornelius Ryan died in November 1974, aged 54. Once a world famous best-selling author, he is today virtually forgotten. Born in Heytesbury Street, educated in Synge Street, altar boy in...
**Apologies, registration full** 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...
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...
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...
In 1923 the anti-Treaty IRA, in response to the ongoing execution of their prisoners, declared a ban on public entertainments including sports, theatre and cinema during a period of 'national...
**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...
Historical novelist Kate Mosse will discuss Map of Bones the 4th and final novel in her Joubert Family Chronicles. Olifantshoek, Southern Africa, 1688. When the violent Cape wind blows from...
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,...
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...
Our experienced guide Paul, will delve into the life of Lord Charlemont after his return from the Grand Tour, including his involvement with Arts and Culture, Politics, Irish Volunteers and...
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...
Although (AE) George Russell was born in Lurgan, he spent most of his life in Dublin. Of all the major figures, including Joyce, Yeats and Shaw who spent their lives...
The Irish Manuscripts Commission (IMC) was founded in 1928 after the catastrophic fire at the Four Courts in 1922 which destroyed 700 years of Ireland’s documentary heritage. IMC marked the...
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 maps. This talk explores the challenge of telling that story in visual form while at the same time bringing you through the history of the...
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...
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.
The Irish Polish Society presents a talk by distinguished historian, Gabriel Doherty, University College Cork, on a refugee crisis in Ireland,1949-51. On 30 September 1949, the Victory, a WWII ship,...