Highlights From Talking History

On this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the assassination of Henry Wilson with reporter Ronan McGreevy, and also charts the life and times of Maria Theresa, The Habsburg Empress, with author Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, professor of early modern history at the University of Münster in Germany.

On this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the 75th anniversary of the CIA and its achievements and failures. Also featured is a discussion on the 40th anniversary of the first Aids case in Ireland.

On this episode of Talking History, Patrick and his guests reflect on the life and work of Kerry storyteller Peig Sayers and why we as a society may not have the full picture of her - featuring Dr Katie Mischler from the Museum of Literature Ireland and a curator of their Peig exhibition, Lorcán Ó Cinnéide, Manager of the OPW Blasket Centre, and Dr Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh, Director of the National Folklore Collection at UCD.

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan finds out about the life, music and legacy of JS Bach; discusses the last thousand years of female composers like Clara Schumann and why they have been silenced throughout history; and explores the story of a recently discovered self-portrait of Van Gogh. Joining him on the show are musicologist Markus Zepf of the Bach Museum, Classical Women author Dr Noel Culleton, and Professor Frances Fowle, Senior Curator of French Art at the National Galleries of Scotland.

On this week's episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan examines what Irish artefacts mean to us as a nation and what Ireland's most interesting ones are. He's joined by Lynn Scarff, director of The National Museum of Ireland, Trevor White, director of the Little Museum of Dublin, Helen O’Carroll, Curator/Manager of Kerry County Museum and Jill Cousins, director of The Hunt Museum in Limerick.

On this episode of Talking History: a focus on the local history of Clare, Dublin and Kerry - as Dr Patrick Geoghegan hears from "The Scariff Martyrs: War, Murder and Memory in East Clare" author Tomás Mac Conmara; the story of Fr John O'Sullivan and the Famine Poor of Kerry, from Dr Colum Kenny, author of "Kenmare - History and Survival"; the story of Ireland's capital city from "Dublin, 1910-1940: Shaping the city and suburbs" author Dr Ruth McManus; and we discuss The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland with Professor Crawford Gribben.

On this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan explores Ireland's Middle Kingdom. We find out about the history of Rathgar and Churchtown and we hear some great stories about Galway over the centuries.

On this episode of Talking History, to mark the anniversary of JFK's visit to Ireland in June 1963, Patrick Geoghegan speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Fredrik Logevall of Harvard University and author of 'JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956', EPIC Irish Emigration Museum's Nathan Mannion, and longtime Talking History listener Ray Cass who was there on the day when President John F. Kennedy arrived at Dublin Airport.

On this episode of Talking History, we discuss the Irish Civil War on its 100th anniversary - joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin, and author of ‘Between Two Hells: The Irish Civil War’; Dr Sinead McCoole, historian and curator; and co-authors of Cathal Brugha: An Indomitable Spirit, Dr Daithi Ó Corráin, assistant professor in the School of History and Geography at Dublin City University and co-author of The Dead of the Irish Revolution, co-editor of the Irish Revolution, 1912–23 series, and Dr Gerard Hanley of DCU's School of History.

On this episode of Talking History, marking the 75th anniversary of the publication of the diary of Anne Frank, Dr Patrick Geoghegan explores her story and its impact with Karen Bartlett, author of 'The Diary That Changed The World'. He is also joined by the authors of 'Family Histories of World War II: Survivors and Descendants', Róisín Healy and Gearóid Barry of NUI Galway.

As Britain marks Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee this weekend, Dr Patrick Geoghegan is joined by an esteemed panel of experts to discuss the ups and downs of the monarch's 70 years on the throne. Featuring Dr Carolyn Harris, an expert in the history of European monarchy, an instructor in history at the University of Toronto and royal commentator; Professor Philip Murphy, author of ‘Monarchy and the End of Empire: The House of Windsor, the British Government, and the Postwar Commonwealth’ and ‘The Empire’s New Clothes: The Myth of the Commonwealth’, and Director of History and Policy at the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London; and Professor Irene Morra of Cardiff University, currently Visiting Professor in English Literature at the University of Toronto, and author of ‘The New Elizabethan Age: Culture, Society, and National Identity after World War II’.

As the exhibition ‘Tutankhamun: Excavating the Archive’ opens at the University of Oxford, in this episode Patrick Geoghegan discusses the impact of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun 100 years ago, debates the darker legacy of the pharaoh, and spotlights the overlooked Egyptians who contributed to the finding. He's joined by an esteemed panel: Professor Christina Riggs of Durham University's History Department, Dr Hussein Omar of the School of History at University College Dublin, and Dr Daniela Rosenow, co-curator of the exhibition and project officer at the Griffith Institute at Oxford.

Patrick Geoghegan is joined by a host of esteemed guests to discuss the following books: 'For King & Country: The British Monarchy and The First World War' by Heather Jones; '1922: Scenes from a Turbulent Year' by Nick Rennison; 'Belonging & Betrayal: How Jews Made The Art World Modern' by Charles Dellheim; and 'British Romanticism and Religion' by Jeffrey W. Barbeau. Listen and subscribe to Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App. You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for May 2022. Books covered on the show include: Periodicals and journalism in twentieth-century Ireland 2, the editors Mark O'Brien & Felix M. Larkin; The Songs of Elizabeth Cronin, Irish Traditional Singer, by Dáibhí Ó Cróinín; You Will Dye at Midnight: Victorian Threatening Letters, by Donal P. McCracken; Irish Lives in America by Liz Evers and Niav Gallagher; and Legacies of the Magdalen Laundries – Commemoration, gender, and the postcolonial carceral state, which is edited by Miriam Haughton, Mary McAuliffe and Emilie Pine.

Patrick and an esteemed panel of philosophers, writers and biographers discuss the life and intellectual legacy of ancient Greek philosopher and sage Epicurus. Joining Patrick on the panel are: Dr Catherine Wilson, author of 'How to Be an Epicurean: The Ancient Art of Living Well', Professor James Warren, Faculty of Classics, Cambridge, Dr Martin Brady, Head of the Dept of Classics, UCD, Dr John Sellars, Reader in Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London, Professor Monica Gale, Professor in Classics, Trinity College Dublin and Dr Tim O' Keefe, Georgia State University.

Patrick is joined by a number of experts on one of Ireland's most famous mythical figures

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for April 2022. Books covered on the show include: 'Churchill, Master and Commander: Winston Churchill at War 1895–1945', by Anthony Tucker-Jones; 'The Improbable Adventures of Miss Emily Soldene: Actress, Writer and Rebel', by Helen Batten; 'Roscommon. The Irish Revolution, 1912–23', by John Burke; 'We Go Into Action Today At Noon: First-hand Accounts From Ireland's Revolutionary Years, 1913-22', by Eamonn Duggan; and 'Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts', by Nadine Akkerman.

On today's episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, with guests Julie Cook, author of 'The Titanic and the City of Widows it Left Behind', Gareth Russell, historian and author of 'The Ship of Dreams', and Nicola Pierce, author of 'Titanic: True Stories of Her Passengers, Crew and Legacy'.

Talking History reflects on the life and times of African-American abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass, who visited Ireland in 1845. Dr Patrick Geoghegan meets Professor Christine Kinealy, Director of Ireland’s Great Hunger Institute, and author of ‘Frederick Douglass in Ireland: In his own words’; Dr David Blight, Sterling Professor of History, of African American Studies, and of American Studies; Dr Laurence Fenton, Author of 'Frederick Douglass in Ireland, The Black O’Connell', and Professor Robert S Levine, Biographer, Distinguished University Professor in English at the University of Maryland. In this episode, they examine the orator's early life and the impact of slavery, all the way to his relationship with President Abraham Lincoln.

Join Patrick for the best of Irish and International history publications for March 2022. Books covered on the show include: ,  'Illuminating Natural History: The Art and Science of Mark Catesby' with Henrietta Mc Burney, 'Developing Rural Ireland' with Michael O'Fathartaigh, 'Mary Churchill’s War' with Emma Soames,  'Vinegar Hill: The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798' with Ronan O'Flaherty and Jacqui Hynes.