The Irish History Boys

The Irish History Boys

Comedian Tim McGarry and Historian Cormac Moore select the stories from the archives of The Irish News that bring Irish history to life in enlightening and amusing ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    Jimmy Carter’s Triumph, RUC Barracks, and the GAA Ban on English Games

    In this episode of the Irish History Boys, hosts Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore go back to November 1976 to discuss the election of Jimmy Carter as President of the United States and the changing landscape of American politics. Reading from The Irish News, we revisit Carter’s historic victory over Gerald Ford—a former peanut farmer and political outsider who declared "the sun is rising on a beautiful new day for this country". We examine how the shadow of Watergate, Ford's controversial pardon of Richard Nixon, and famous television debate missteps shaped one of the closest-fought presidential races in modern history. Additionally, we explore how Carter broke long-standing US diplomatic precedent by initiating a direct American policy engagement with Northern Ireland. Going back 100 years to November 1926, we examine the controversy surrounding an Irish News headline declaring "Palaces for Policemen". We discuss the Northern Ireland government's proposal to spend £800,000 erecting 90 new Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) barracks and reconstructing 115 others. We dissect the fierce parliamentary opposition led by nationalist MP Joe Devlin, who condemned such massive security expenditure at a time of deep economic recession, severe poverty, and urgent housing shortages for the poor. We also reflect on Unionist security anxieties, the reliance on the B Specials, and the long, contentious history of policing in Ireland. To conclude, we tackle a 1926 sporting dispute from Fermanagh, where the local GAA County Board expressed "great indignation" over reports that schoolboys were being coerced into playing rugby. We unpack the condemnation of forcing boys to embrace a "foreign code," the history and enforcement of the GAA's ban on English games, and the 19th-century invention of Gaelic football under Maurice Davin. Finally, we reflect on how times have changed up to the modern era with the establishment of the PSNI GAA team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Jimmy Carter’s Triumph, RUC Barracks, and the GAA Ban on English Games

  2. Oct 29

    Smugglers, Border Posts & The Mater Hospital Murder

    Join hosts Tim McGarry and Cormac Moore as they dive into the colorful, tragic, and surprising history of the Irish border. In this episode, the team explores the origins of border enforcement following the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty and the rise of border smuggling. From women stuffing heavy "Ulster coats" with goods in 1930s Donegal to cattle swimming across Lough Erne during the Economic War, discover how ordinary citizens outsmarted customs barriers. The episode then turns to one of the darkest moments of 1976: the shocking hospital assassination of Provisional Sinn Féin Vice President Máire Drumm at Belfast's Mater Hospital. Finally, look back at John Hume's groundbreaking 1976 diplomatic mission to Washington D.C., which reshaped American involvement in Northern Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Smugglers, Border Posts & The Mater Hospital Murder

  3. Oct 22

    How 1976 Reshaped the Irish Presidency and RTÉ Broadcasting

    Welcome to this week's The Irish History Boys podcast with Tim and Cormac. On this episode, they discuss the 1976 Irish Presidential Crisis, where President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh referred new emergency powers legislation to the Supreme Court following heightened IRA violence in Dublin, creating severe friction with Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave’s coalition government. They examine how the crisis peaked when Defence Minister Patrick Donegan publicly insulted the President as a thundering disgrace. When the Taoiseach refused to discipline Donegan, Ó Dálaigh resigned to defend the dignity of his office, directly contributing to the government's landslide defeat in 1977. Finally, they cover how the government enforced Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act, banning RTÉ interviews with Provisional Sinn Féin and paramilitary groups, a controversial media prohibition that remained in place until 1994. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How 1976 Reshaped the Irish Presidency and RTÉ Broadcasting

  4. Oct 15

    How Britain Lost Ireland: Prime Minister Asquith’s Fatal Mistakes

    Join Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore on The Irish History Boys as they explore what British policy looked like towards Ireland between 1912 and 1921, including home rule. This episode focuses specifically on the chequered careers and legacies of two consecutive British Prime Ministers: Herbert Henry Asquith and David Lloyd George. They discuss Lloyd George's secret double-dealing with unionists and nationalists, the backfiring 1918 Conscription Crisis, and the passage of the 1920 Government of Ireland Act, which formally partitioned the six Ulster counties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How Britain Lost Ireland: Prime Minister Asquith’s Fatal Mistakes

  5. Oct 8

    Ireland's Sovereignty and the 1926 Imperial Conference

    Join Tim McGarry and Dr. Cormac Moore on The Irish History Boys as they explore Ireland's diplomatic push for co-equality at the 1926 Imperial Conference and the Balfour Declaration. This episode also dives into a 1976 church initiative attempting to tackle 'them and us' politics in Northern Ireland, alongside a look at the 1926 Soviet power struggle that paved the way for Joseph Stalin's rise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ireland's Sovereignty and the 1926 Imperial Conference

  6. Oct 1

    The Darkest Year in Ireland’s History: The Brutal 1798 Rebellion

    In this episode of the Irish History Boys, hosts Cormac Moore and Tim McGarry are joined by Dr Gavin Hughes to examine the bloody, highly complex tragedy of the 1798 Irish Rebellion. We reflect on the brutal counter-insurgency campaign led by General Gerard Lake—exploring horrific tactics like "pitch-capped" burning tar hats, widespread executions, and the sheer terror of the "dragooning of Ulster". We examine this chaotic uprising within the broader context of post-Atlantic radicalism, tracing how the ideals of Thomas Paine and the French Revolution inspired Wolfe Tone to unite "Catholic, Protestant, and Dissenter" in 1791. We unpack the strange paradoxes of the conflict—from Gaelic-speaking Catholic militias fighting for the Crown to soldiers telling "fibs" about their religion to secure army careers. Additionally, we detail the strategic collapse following the arrest of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Wolfe Tone's foiled French invasion at Bantry Bay where ships were so close you could "throw a biscuit box", and Napoleon's fateful decision to head to Egypt instead of Ireland. We also explore the tragic human cost through local eyewitness accounts, including postmistress Mary Ledbetter's memories of the sacking of the pacifist Quaker village of Ballytore, as well as the horrific sectarian atrocities at Scullabogue and Carrick-na-Cessna. To conclude, we trace the campaign from the "Races of Castlebar" to the last stand at Vinegar Hill, examining how an estimated 50,000 casualties paved the way for the 1800 Act of Union and why figureheads like Daniel O'Connell—who served in the Kerry Yeomanry—distanced themselves from the rebellion's bloody legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Darkest Year in Ireland’s History: The Brutal 1798 Rebellion

  7. Sep 24

    The Bloodiest Chapter in Irish History: Drogheda, Wexford & Cromwell in Ireland

    In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on Oliver Cromwell’s brutal 10-month invasion of Ireland in 1649, a devastating campaign marked by the massacres at Drogheda and Wexford that left a 400-year shadow over the island. We examine these horrific sieges within the grim context of 17th-century European warfare, comparing Cromwell's relentless tactics to the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War and exploring how black propaganda surrounding the 1641 Rebellion fuelled sectarian revenge. Additionally, we dissect the paradox of Cromwell himself: was he a ruthless dictator, a cross between Stalin and Napoleon, or a disciplined military strategist who mastered supply lines and logistically bound his army together? To conclude, we tackle the tragic aftermath of the Commonwealth campaign, exploring the catastrophic loss of up to 20% of Ireland’s population, the forced transportation of 50,000 Irish men and women to Barbados, and why Cromwell's legacy continues to walk beside history on the island to this day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Bloodiest Chapter in Irish History: Drogheda, Wexford & Cromwell in Ireland

  8. Sep 17

    The IRA Bombing That Shook Northern Ireland’s Free Press

    In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the September 1976 IRA bomb attack on the Belfast Telegraph offices and the tragic death of 60-year-old print worker Joe Patton. We examine how rival publications—including the nationalist Irish News —stood in unprecedented solidarity to defend a free press against paramilitary intimidation. We analyze this targeted attack within the context of 1976's grim violence, highlighting the rare targeting of journalists during the Troubles and the paper's defiance in publishing its famous four-page "Penny Marvel" edition straight from the rubble. Additionally, we explore Vanguard leader William Craig’s astonishing political U-turn in September 1976. We discuss his controversial proposal for a voluntary power-sharing coalition with the SDLP, his immediate expulsion from the unionist coalition, and the political paralysis that left Northern Ireland in a bleak stalemate. To conclude, we tackle the long history of British political disinterest in Ireland, tracing a pattern of neglect from G.K. Chesterton’s 1918 warnings to border visits in 1924 and modern Brexit confusion.  We also answer listener questions regarding Ireland's World War II defense forces and diplomat Seán Lester's role leading the League of Nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The IRA Bombing That Shook Northern Ireland’s Free Press
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About

Comedian Tim McGarry and Historian Cormac Moore select the stories from the archives of The Irish News that bring Irish history to life in enlightening and amusing ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    The Irish History Boys
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Irish History Boys
  • Show Website
    The Irish History Boys

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