The History Show

4.6 (55)
History
Semiweekly

Bringing the past to life! Discover how Ireland and our world was shaped as Myles Dungan and guests explore events ranging from medieval times to the recent past. Listen live Sundays at 6pm on RTÉ Radio 1.

22h ago

Cathal Brugha Remembered & Two Centuries of Irish Housing

This week: the life and legacy of revolutionary leader Cathal Brugha; and housing expert Lorcan Sirr on 200 years of housing in Ireland. Cathal Brugha Remembered Cathal Brugha was one of the leading figures of the Irish revolutionary period. A veteran of the 1916 Rising, he helped rebuild the Irish Volunteers in its aftermath; presided over the first meeting of Dáil Éireann; and served as Minister for Defence during the War of Independence. But his legacy has often been overshadowed by his bitter clashes with Michael Collins, and his opposition to the Anglo-Irish Treaty. A new publication, Cathal Brugha Remembered, seeks to provide a fuller picture of the man, exploring different aspects of his life, career and legacy. Myles is joined in studio by the co–editors of this collection of articles from the Military Archives, Liz Gillis and Gerard Shannon. You can get hold of a free PDF copy of the book at the Military Archives website. Two Centuries of Irish Housing Housing has been one of the most persistent issues in Irish political and social life, from the great landlord estates of the nineteenth century, to the overcrowded tenements of Dublin, and of course the housing crisis of today. A new book traces more than two centuries of Irish housing history, examining how land ownership, politics, religion and money have shaped where and how we live. It's called Housing a Nation: Seven Generations of Irish Land, Politics and Power. The author is the academic and housing policy analyst, Lorcan Sirr, Senior Lecturer in Housing at Technological University Dublin, who joins Myles in studio. The book is published by Hachette. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 25

Gulliver's Travels

On this week’s programme, we mark 300 years since the publication of one of the most famous books every written – Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. A story of tiny people, giants, flying islands and intelligent horses, it’s also a biting satire of politics, war, scientific ambition and human nature itself. We’ll hear the story of its secretive publication, explore what it has to say about the relationship between Britain and Ireland, and ask why Swift’s strange and unsettling masterpiece still speaks so sharply to the modern world. One of the things being lampooned in Gulliver’s Travels is the genre of travel writing. By the early eighteenth century, travel writing had become enormously popular. Readers looked to travellers for information about distant places – and had to decide whether the extraordinary things they described, could actually be believed. Swift borrowed the familiar style and conventions of factual travel accounts, and pushed them to increasingly absurd extremes. Our reporter Marc McMenamin spoke to Professor Daniel Carey of the University of Galway (an expert on the history of travel writing) about the tradition Swift was drawing upon, and how he turned it against itself. Then, Myles is joined in studio by two guests. Dr Brendan Twomey is an historian, and a researcher of all things Swiftian. Gerry Mullins is a writer and the creator of the new musical And Then There Was Gulliver. Its World Premiere is at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, on Thursday 26th November at 8PM. That’s happening as part of the 2026 Jonathan Swift Festival. Tickets are available here. The manuscript of Gulliver’s Travels arrived at the home of the London publisher Benjamin Motte in the dead of night, on the 8th of August 1726. The story of how the book reached Motte, and how Swift attempted to conceal his authorship, was a decidedly cloak-and-dagger affair. Back in August, at the West Cork History Festival, Myles discussed Gulliver’s Travels with two more expert guests. Adam Tomkins is John Millar Professor of Public Law at the University of Glasgow. Hester Grant is the author of the book The Twitnam Summer: Friendship, Satire and the Writing of Gulliver’s Travels, published earlier this year by HarperCollins. We hear an extract from that discussion, about the unusual circumstances in which the book was published, and some of the many targets of Swift’s satire. Our thanks to Simon and Victoria Kingston for facilitating that interview. And if you want to see the full discussion with Hester and Adam, you can find it on the West Cork History Festival Youtube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 7

The United States at 250

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, Myles Dungan and guests explore the people, the principles, and the institutions that shaped the American Republic. With Daniel Carey, Brian Phillips Murphy, Paul McElhinney and Stewart McLaurin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 31

Glasnevin Cemetery

Myles Dungan takes a tour of Ireland's National Cemetery at Glasnevin. With guests Ultan Moran, Brian Casey and Georgina Laragy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24

Conflict and Coexistence in County Donegal

Marc McMenamin reports. He talks to historian Edward Burke about a violent incident in south Donegal in 1920, and its connection to the family history of a major political figure. Local historian Robert Love joins Myles to talk about Donegal’s minority community and cross-community relations in the county.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24

Full Show Podcast - 24th May 2026

Conflict and coexistence in County Donegal; The life and career of Harry Ferguson; and The Giotto Mission to Halley’s Comet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24

Harry Ferguson

Colm Flynn speaks to John Barron, author of the new book ‘Harry Ferguson: From Birth To The Black Tractor’, about Ferguson’s life and career.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24

The Giotto Mission to Halley’s Comet

40 years after the Giotto mission reached Halley’s Comet, astrophysicist Professor Susan McKenna-Lawlor recalls Ireland’s role in one of the great space missions of the 20th century. Report by Ian Kenneally and Flor MacCarthy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See All (29)

Myles Dungan

Host

4.6

out of 5

55 Ratings

Bad Start to New Series

03/05/2025

Mac an tSionnaigh

I have been looking forward to the new series and this is the topic-The Gaeltacht Civil Rights. Seriously? What is the production team thinking??
Fascinating History Podcast

12/02/2022

Winston Mandolin

I’ve been listening to this gem of a show for years. The show focuses on Irish history and the stories of Irish people both at home and abroad, but does a wonderful job showing the connections to European, American, and world history. As an American, I was surprised by how interesting and relevant these stories are to me. Myles and team always bring fascinating stories to the table, covering both large historical events but also personal, local, and little known stories. Always intriguing and high quality.
Excellent quality

01/17/2022

Always an accountant

I just love this podcast. Stories are detailed. Information is fresh. As an American the stories I hear a different history than I have been used to learning. Myles is a great host. He is always engaging
Fascinating collections of relevant stories

10/14/2020

Grateful History Buff

One of my favorite history podcasts. Miles and team always deliver with varied, interesting, and relevant stories that shed a new light on modern Irish and world history. Each episode is entertaining and unique, and I have found them to be largely focused on the experience of individuals and communities, which I find to be captivating listening.

Bringing the past to life! Discover how Ireland and our world was shaped as Myles Dungan and guests explore events ranging from medieval times to the recent past. Listen live Sundays at 6pm on RTÉ Radio 1.