154 episodes

This unique and lively history show delves into some of the world's most important political, social and cultural events and the intriguing personalities behind them.

Presented by Dr Patrick Geoghegan of Trinity College Dublin, Talking History unravels the gritty, sometimes uncomfortable, side of our past, and what we can learn from it.

Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan Newstalk

    • History
    • 4.7 • 42 Ratings

This unique and lively history show delves into some of the world's most important political, social and cultural events and the intriguing personalities behind them.

Presented by Dr Patrick Geoghegan of Trinity College Dublin, Talking History unravels the gritty, sometimes uncomfortable, side of our past, and what we can learn from it.

    100 Years of Surrealism

    100 Years of Surrealism

    Marking the international touring exhibition 'Imagine: 100 Years of International Surrealism', Patrick Geoghegan finds out what this movement meant to the art world and its global significance still today. Joining him is Dr Felicity Gee, Senior Lecturer in Modernism and World Cinema at the University of Exeter, and Vice President of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism; Dr Matthew Affron, curator for modern and contemporary art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art who is leading the surrealism exhibition there; Professor Alyce Mahon, the University of Cambridge’s Department of History of Art specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art History and Theory; and Dr. Tara Plunkett, Lecturer/Assistant Professor at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, at University College Dublin.

    • 54 min
    April Books Special

    April Books Special

    In this April Books Special, we'll find out how the Oxford English Dictionary was crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people from astronomers to murderers, with author Dr Sarah Ogilvie, Senior Research Fellow in Linguistics at the University of Oxford; we'll also explore one of the bloodiest periods in English history known as the Anarchy with author and historian Sharon Bennett Connolly; and discuss two centuries of Plantagenet history which included the murder of kings and a devastating pandemic, in the book 'Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State' with Dr Caroline Burt, medieval historian at the University of Cambridge, and Richard Partington, Fellow in History at St John's College, University of Cambridge.

    • 48 min
    Abba: 50 Years Since Eurovision

    Abba: 50 Years Since Eurovision

    In this episode of Talking History, we're remembering Abba's Eurovision win 50 years ago and finding out how the song Waterloo helped to propel them to global superstardom. Joining Patrick Geoghegan are: Carl Magnus Palm, historian and author of ‘Abba On Record', Ingmarie Halling, Creative Director and Curator at ABBA The Museum, Hedley Swain, CEO of Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, on the Abba exhibition at Brighton Museum, and Dr. Dónal Mulligan, lecturer and researcher at the DCU School of Communication.

    • 45 min
    The Creation of the Irish Courts

    The Creation of the Irish Courts

    On this week's Talking History, we're looking at the creation of the Irish courts system 100 years ago and exploring how our legal system came about. On Patrick Geoghegan's panel: Dr Niamh Howlin, Associate Professor at the UCD Sutherland School of Law and main organiser of the Dublin Castle event commemorating the Courts of Justice Act 1924; Dr Donal Coffey, Lecturer and Assistant Professor, School of Law, Maynooth University; Dr Róisin Costello, Assistant Professor of EU and International Law at TCD; Dr Kevin Costello, Senior Lecturer in the Sutherland School of Law at UCD; and Hon. Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan, Ireland’s foremost constitutional lawyer.

    • 52 min
    March Books Special: WWII

    March Books Special: WWII

    In this World War Two-themed March Books Special, Patrick Geoghegan meets the nephew of Alan Turing to discuss the enigma traitors. We'll also hear about the travels of Winston Churchill from Robin Cross, and debate why the Luftwaffe lost the aerial war over Germany, with Jonathan Trigg.

    • 52 min
    The Taoisigh Visits To White House For St Patrick's Day

    The Taoisigh Visits To White House For St Patrick's Day

    Happy St Patrick's Day! In this episode, we chart the history of Taoisigh visiting the White House, how the tradition started and evolved, and why Ireland is the only country that gets this special treatment in the United States. Joining Patrick's panel is Marion R. Casey, Clinical Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies and historian at New York University. She is the author of ‘The Green Space: The Transformation of the Irish Image’ and co-editor of ‘Making The Irish American: History and Heritage of Irish in the United States’; Dr Catherine Healy, Historian-in-Residence, EPIC Irish Emigration Museum; Ted Smyth, president of the Advisory Board of Glucksman Ireland House NYU, Chair of the Clinton Institute for American Studies in University College Dublin, and former Irish diplomat; Dr Daniel Geary, Mark Pigott Associate Professor in American History, Trinity College Dublin; and Cian T. McMahon, Associate Professor at the Department of History & Honors College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
42 Ratings

42 Ratings

Moira O'C ,

Always Fascinating

I’m always so impressed by Dr. Geoghegan’s mastery of the diverse subjects he introduces here; It is what makes him a brilliant interviewer. His guests are accomplished and interesting. My “to read” book list is getting very long indeed.

Trappef in Texad ,

Sound Levels Again

Another great show, but the sound balance is terrible. Some of the participants dialing in are so low that I have to jack up the volume to hear but then I get blasted when the show moves on.

Surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man to fix this?

Thanks.

Mallarie121 ,

Dreadful Sound Quality

The dreadful sound quality matches the dreadful show. Phone in guests are barely understandable the quality is so poor.
The presenter certainly enjoys the sound of his own voice and the overall presentation is lack lustre. I find myself drifting…

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