Three Castles Burning

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Paula Meehan: History and Poetry Oct 06, 2024

Show notes

Paula Meehan is a poet for whom history is a constant source of inspiration. In this discussion at the Dublin Festival of History, she reads a number of poems written throughout the Decade of Centenaries, as well as other work shaped by the past. Paula's collection, The Solace of Artemis, is available from: https://booksupstairs.ie/product/the-solace-of-artemis/

Lee Miller: From Hitler's Bathtub to The Palace Bar Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

Lee Miller is best recalled now for her defining images of the Second World War. With Kate Winslet playing the role of Miller in a new film, it seems a good time to explore Miller's visit to Dublin in the winter of 1946. Sent by Vogue to photograph James Joyce's Dublin, her images capture scenes like Barney Kiernan's public house and Belvedere College.

Catriona Crowe in Conversation (Live at the Seán Corcoran Series) Sep 14, 2024

Show notes

Catriona Crowe is former Head of Special Projects at the National Archives of Ireland. She is Ireland's most recognisable archivist, and someone to whom all historians of modern Ireland are indebted. At the recent Seán Corcoran Series (www.seancorcoranseries.com/) we discussed archives, oral history and much more.

The Moore Street Woman who Fought the Nazis (with Clodagh Finn and John Morgan) Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

Clodagh Finn and John Morgan have produced an important history of the involvement of Irishmen and women in the anti-fascist movements of the Second World War. One of the most extraordinary stories they have uncovered is Catherine Crean, a woman in her sixties originally from Dublin's Moore Street. She would give everything in defence of democracy and in opposition to Hitlerism. The Irish in the Resistance is out now (Gill Books.)

Destination Anywhere: Getting Around the Hibernian Metropolis Aug 31, 2024

Show notes

This year marks four decades of the DART. Along with that, the Luas has turned twenty. These two services have radically changed how we live in Dublin, but where did they come from and how did Dublin's transport history shape them? This episode explores these things and questions of tomorrow.

A Sensation Once Again: Brian Warfield of the Wolfe Tones (Live at Mindfield, EP) Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

Seeing the inevitable headlines on the horizon around the Wolfe Tones performing at Electric Picnic, I decided to reach out to Brian Warfield for a chat about his book, The Ramblings of an Irish Ballad Singer. Amongst other things, Brian spoke to me about his family origins, why the Tones recorded songs like 'The Sash', and the importance of the English folk music revival for his band.

(Original image: Richard Walshe, Mindfield Flickr)

Olympic Glory: Jack B. Yeats and The Liffey Swim Aug 10, 2024

Show notes

The Liffey Swim is a beloved painting, and one of the most visited works in the National Gallery of Ireland. A century ago, it led to the first Olympic medal of the new Free State. With calls for the creative arts to return as a competitive dimension of the Olympics, this episode explores Jack B. Yeats and the cultural and political context of his win.

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Nothing Highfalutin: The Brilliance of Hilary Heron (with Billy Shortall) Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

At the Irish Museum of Modern Art, a new exhibition explores the life and work of artist Hilary Heron. Like many, I came away from it amazed that this important modernist sculptor was not better known here. Born in Dublin in 1923, her work achieved international recognition in her own lifetime. Dr. Billy Shortall is the author of an essay on Heron in the exhibition catalogue, and has done great work to bring her back to deserved prominence.

An article by Billy on Heron can be read at www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0105/1187779-hilary-heron-sculptor-art-ireland/

Support TCB: www.patreon.com/threecastlesburning

On Tommie Potts and The Liffey Banks (with Martin Hayes) Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

More than just one of Ireland's most beloved musicians, Martin Hayes is also the author of Shared Notes: A Musical Journey. In his memoir he introduces us to a host of brilliant characters, ranging from childhood friends and relations in East Clare to those who would become central to The Gloaming. One figure we meet is Tommie Potts, a Dublin firefighter from the Coombe and a fiddle player. The Liffey Banks remains a beloved record. In this excerpt from a conversation at London's Féile MOTH, Hayes discusses Potts and revisits a tune that means much to him.

Adoration and Protest: Orson Welles and Dublin Jul 07, 2024

Show notes

Orson Welles made his stage debut in Dublin. To him, The Gate Theatre would always be a part of the story of his own life development and professional career. Later, he returned to scenes of protest against the same theatre for hosting him. In time, all was forgiven and Welles would deliver an astonishing Q and A before a packed Dublin crowd who quizzed him on everything from American politics to the future of cinema.

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