Three Castles Burning

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Tipperary So Far Away: Remembering Seán Treacy on Talbot Street Jul 26, 2025

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Niamh Hassett and Sean Nugent join me in this special edition of the podcast, exploring a wonderful Tipperary tradition on Dublin's Talbot Street. When the Premier County reach an All Ireland Final, hundreds gather to remember Seán Treacy on the morning of the game. What began this tradition, and why is it growing in popularity?

Mohair Suits in the National Ballroom: The Showband Era Jul 15, 2025

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This month brings the fiftieth anniversary of the tragic murders of members of The Miami Showband. This band, drawing its members from both sides of the border, was a defining part of the showband scene that withstood the changing musical tastes of the country from one decade into the next. Where did the Showband Scene come from, and what were its lasting impacts on music in Dublin and beyond?

'A Perfect Prodigy of Moral Horrors' - The Donnybrook Fair Jun 30, 2025

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The Donnybrook Fair is recalled in ballad and memoir as a notorious and chaotic annual event, but what really went on there? Over centuries, the annual fair drew revellers from near and far to Donnybrook, but a combination of social reformers successfully brought about its demise in the 1850s. In this story, we meet characters as diverse as prize fighter Dan Donnelly, and civic reformer James Haughton.

This month marks the twentieth anniversary of the passing of the great Frank Harte, a truly remarkable man and Dubliner, who brought this fair to life in his singing.

Porter Wars: Patriotism and Pints (with Christina Wade) Jun 13, 2025

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Christina Wade's new history of Irish beer is a masterclass in social and economic history. In the context of Dublin, it tells us a lot, especially about the challenges that faced breweries in turbulent times. In this episode, we look at her chapter 'Porter Wars', and how unfair trade laws and domestic and international politics all shaped the producing and selling of beer in Dublin. Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland is out now.

From 'Peelers' to Gardaí: How the Dublin Metropolitan Police and An Garda Síochána merged (with Paul Maher) May 23, 2025

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The first ever Kilkenny Law Fest took place last weekend. On its bill, a discussion with Superintendent Paul Maher of the Garda Historical Society. Paul did so much in the Decade of Centenaries to involve the force, and it was great to talk to him about the 1925 merging of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and AGS. This discussion takes in early Irish policing, as well as looking at what made Dublin unique in policing.

The Animal Gangs: An Irish Peaky Blinders? May 09, 2025

Show notes

A nice mention for the podcast recently on Crime World inspired me to go back to the subject of the Animal Gang. Seperating fact from folklore, just who made up the so-called Animal Gang of 1930s and 1940s Dublin. Was there one gang, or does the term mean something much broader? What was the relationship between the Animal Gang and the turbulent politics of the time.

For more on the Animal Gang, see John Gibney's Doc On One at https://www.rte.ie/radio/doconone/647163-documentary-podcast-animal-gangs-inner-city-dublin-folklore

Streets Broad and Narrow: Tony Gregory and Molly Malone Apr 23, 2025

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Tony Gregory remains one of the most beloved TD's in the history of the city. Lately, talk of the Molly Malone monument has reminded me of the story of Gregory's activism on behalf of Dublin's largely female street traders, and his comments on the statue of Molly in the late 1980s. Is it time to move her to a more fitting location, where Jeanne Rynhart's monument might finally be respected?

Blueshirt Bluster? The March on Dublin Apr 02, 2025

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Historian Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc has just produced Burn Them Out, a history of the Irish far-right. One of its most intriguing chapters studies the Blueshirt movement, tracing its development from an association of veterans into something much broader. Studying intelligence files and reports, Ó Ruairc demonstrates the surprising level of violence associated with this movement around the country. So, was Eoin O'Duffy's so-called 'March on Dublin' ever a serious proposal, and what could have happened on the streets of Dublin in August 1933?

Buy the book: https://chaptersbookstore.com/products/burn-them-out?srsltid=AfmBOop0N2oZXPbSABE-zU5TPnUeajS5-fJ2bJ8TJrNdsMUQYynSN-tM

Support TCB: www.patreon.com/threecastlesburning

Leo Burdock and Ivan Beshoff: Fish, Chips and Revolution Mar 30, 2025

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Both Patrick Leo Burdock and Ivan Beshoff were revolutionaries, though in very different circumstances. These two names remain stalwarts of the Dublin chipper landscape, but did you know a branch of Leo Burdock's was raided in 1941, or that Ivan Beshoff lived to be over 100? From the Battleship Potemkin to a tramway strike in Dublin, this is the story of two remarkable men.

The End of Monto: A Century On Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

This edition of the podcast contains adult language and themes and is not suitable for younger listeners.

This special live edition of the podcast was part of Abair, an annual programme within the Saint Patrick's Festival. Joining me is Caroline West (author of a recent best selling history about Monto and a sex educator and columnist), Terry Fagan (oral historian and Monto expert), MacDara Yeates (singer and cultural programmer) as well as musical guests Sean Fitzgerald (The Deadlians) and Phelim Drew.

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