Year ‘21

Episode 48: The Phoenix Apr 27, 2023

Belfast's streets erupt into bloodshed with 30 dead in the space of 5 days. Historian Éamon Phoenix tells Tara and Declan how his grandfather survived World War I only to come close to being killed in the sectarian violence blighting the city. Please be advised that some listeners may find some of the incidents described in this episode upsetting.

Episode 46: The Presence of the Past Apr 27, 2023

Treaty talks are reaching a critical point in London. In Belfast, Tara and Declan delve into the past at the Linenhall Library, while in Cork listener Robert Bogue has been learning about his grandfather's time in the Irish police. Meanwhile, Declan's hungry...

Episode 25: The District Inspector Jan 31, 2023

Amid death and violence across the island of Ireland at this time, one incident stands out. The McMahon family is targeted one night by a gang believed to have been made up of RIC men, led by DI John Nixon. Tara and Declan hear how the Cavan man came to be linked to a number of killings carried out on Catholic civilians following IRA attacks on police. Please be advised that this episode contains the sound of gunshots.

Episode 12: The Beautiful Game Jan 30, 2023

As Ireland divides, the game of soccer faces its own split. Declan and Tara learn about events which lead to the creation of a new football association in Dublin – and the impact the schism continues to have right up to the present day.

Episode 11: The Barracks Boys Jan 30, 2023

Policing in 1921 is in disarray as the RIC is hit by mass resignations. Enter the Black and Tans, the Auxiliaries and the Ulster Special Constabulary to bolster up policing. Tara and Declan explore how these organisations operate, and learn that reprisals are state sanctioned. And they discuss how the forces have gone down in history, with the help of historians Éamon Phoenix, Brian Hanley, Richard Doherty and Police Museum curator Hugh Forrester. Please be advised that the sound of gunshots is featured in this episode.

Episode 3: The Backstop Jan 30, 2023

The fear of Home Rule led to a split in unionism; Irish Unionists who insisted the whole of the island must stay in the United Kingdom and Ulster Unionists who supported a backstop to protect the north-east. We visit a building considered a spiritual home of Ulster Unionists and delve into the mindset of Unionism then and now.

Episode 18: The Long Fellow Jan 30, 2023

To some people, de Valera was responsible for causing a civil war in Ireland. To others he was instrumental in freeing the country from British rule. A man with a passion for maths and opera, he was known to many as ‘The Long Fellow’ because of his great height. By 1921 he’d become leader of Sinn Fein, taken part in an audacious jail break, and would now oppose the Treaty negotiated between Ireland and Britain. He became Taoiseach (prime minister) three times, and later President of Ireland.

Episode 36: The King's Guard Dec 12, 2021

Her story illustrates how events during 1921 are reflected in the recent Troubles. Meanwhile, 100 years ago, Belfast is struggling under an island-wide boycott of its goods. Crowds are travelling to Armagh to hear Michael Collins address his supporters. And little Annie Watson is playing outside her Belfast home. Warning: this episode contains the sound of gunshots.

Episode 50: The End of the Beginning Dec 10, 2021

The negotiations end and the deal is done. Declan and Tara learn about Ulster Month, during which the Northern government could opt in to a 32-county Ireland. And they ask whether the Treaty really is the document which signs and seals the creation of Northern Ireland.

Episode 49: The Oath of Allegiance Dec 03, 2021

Divisions emerge within the Irish government as Collins and Griffith return to Dublin to regroup following an ultimatum from the British. The split that emerges at this key Cabinet meeting will eventually lead to civil war in Ireland.

Episode 47: The Courting Rituals Nov 19, 2021

The first Lord Chief Justice for the State is Catholic unionist Sir Denis Henry, who faces an enormous task in establishing the framework for a new justice system. Meanwhile, two Belfast women are making legal history in a move that only reaches its conclusion a century later, as Northern Ireland’s first Lady Chief Justice, Siobhan Keegan, explains.

Episode 45: The Food Fight Nov 05, 2021

Meanwhile as pressure grows on the negotiating teams attempting to agree treaty terms, "summit syndrome" takes hold.

Episode 44: The Blacklist Oct 29, 2021

Meanwhile, treaty talks continue in London, with the future of some of Ireland's coastal ports up for discussion.

Epsiode 43: The Talking Begins Part II Oct 22, 2021

The negotiating teams begin treaty talks but the British side includes some of the sharpest operators around, who have a wealth of experience. But both sides have political considerations at home to worry about.

Episode 42: The Talking Begins Oct 15, 2021

Declan and Tara visit the National Archives of Ireland to learn more about the Irish delegation's preparations for negotiations - from breakfast menus to the hiring of Rolls Royce cars.

Episode 41: The Parting of the Ways Oct 08, 2021

Issues thrown up by partition lead to the loss of more than 50% of the rail network across Ireland. Tara and Declan hear why the border led to an increase in road travel.

Episode 40: The National Treasures Oct 01, 2021

What will happen to key artefacts which were discovered in the north, once the new state is created? Tara and Declan head to Dublin, to look at some of the treasures kept in the National Museum of Ireland. The most precious of these were found in the province of Ulster - so why weren't they relocated to Northern Ireland?

Episode 39: The Children of the Revolution Sep 24, 2021

Children were too often victims of the violence which shook Ireland 100 years ago. Historian Liz Gillis compares coverage of their deaths to that of adults who were killed during this period. A listener reveals the deadly rivalry between two brothers - and there's a new kid in town this week, as one of the world's biggest film stars visits County Down.

Episode 38: The Lamplighter Sep 17, 2021

The bitter and bloody sectarian violence continues across Belfast. One man is witness to much of that in East Belfast, as he takes his life in his hands to keep his part of the city out of darkness. Meanwhile Éamon de Valera picks his team to negotiate the treaty with Britain- but why isn’t he on it?

Episode 37: Le Ministre Sep 10, 2021

As term begins in 1921, thousands of children in Belfast still don't have a school place thanks to an education system in desperate need of reform. Enter Lord Londonderry, Northern Ireland's first Education Minister. But he soon hits roadblocks in implementing changes in a deeply divided society.

Episode 35: The Southern Protestants Aug 27, 2021

There’s been debate over why the number of Protestants went down by so much in what would become the Republic of Ireland. Tara and Declan hear how some historians say many Protestants were forced to quit the new State, while others believe they left by choice.

Episode 34: The Religious Divide Aug 20, 2021

Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of All Ireland for the Catholic Church, and the Rev David Bruce, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, tell Tara and Declan about the impact their predecessors had during the War of Independence and in the creation of the new states.

Episode 33: The Other Women Aug 14, 2021

Tara and Declan hear the story of Belfast woman Elizabeth Corr, a library assistant who witnessed history at first hand. And they learn about what happened to women in 1921 who were believed to be consorting with the enemy.

Episode 32: The Spies Aug 06, 2021

Michael Collins recruits an intelligence network of enterprising men and women who find out many of the British government’s secrets. But it’s a dangerous life within the sights of the IRA. Please be advised that this episode contains a depiction of suicide.

Episode 31: The Pharmacist Jul 30, 2021

Not everyone's story makes it to the history books - but everyone has a story to tell. Listener Ian McBurney talks to Declan and Tara about his great-grandfather Matthew McDonald, an upstanding citizen whose life is upended by the troubles in Ireland.

Episode 30: The Prison Camp Jul 23, 2021

Thousands of men are arrested and spend months behind the wire at Ballykinlar. What was life like there? Author Liam O Duibhir draws parallels with the recent past as he tells Tara and Declan about conditions in the camp: how men set up classes to learn Irish, music, shorthand and book-keeping - and how two internees plotted their escape.

Episode 29: The Truce and the Twelfth Jul 16, 2021

After the King’s visit to Belfast, Lloyd George and de Valera finally agree a truce to allow treaty negotiations to get underway. Meanwhile the annual Twelfth parades take place amid a feeling of betrayal from Orange Order members in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan who have been left out of the newly-created Northern Ireland. Tara visits the Orange Order’s museum and hears how the institution is inextricably linked with James Craig and many of those who will go on to wield power in Northern Ireland.

Episode 28: The Bloodiest Day in Belfast Jul 09, 2021

This week also sees the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. Although thousands of Irishmen continue to fight in fields across Europe until the end of the war, it is the sacrifice of hundreds of Ulstermen at the Somme which is being remembered. Tara and Declan hear how the commemorations in 1921 may have helped draw fresh battlelines between nationalists and unionists in the new Northern Ireland.

Episode 27: The Ambush Jul 02, 2021

As soldiers return to their barracks in Dublin after the King’s visit to Belfast, their train is blown up by a group of south Armagh men lying in wait, led by local farmer Frank Aiken. Three officers, a railway guard and at least fifty horses are killed in what would become known as the Adavoyle Ambush. A listener and local historian tells us how his family members were involved in the clean-up operation in the immediate aftermath of the explosion and describes a “gruesome” scene. Please be advised that this episode features the sound of gunshots.

Episode 26: The King's Speech Jun 21, 2021

King George V's speech to Parliament, in which he 'stretched out the hand of forebearance and conciliation', is designed to be heard beyond Northern Ireland. Declan and Tara learn of the crucial role of South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts in this historic and far-reaching address. Warning: this episode contains the sound of gunshots.

Episode 24: The First Sitting Jun 12, 2021

Nationalists, opposed to partition, abstain from taking their seats - so parliament's first sitting at Belfast City Hall is an exclusively unionist affair. Tara and Declan visit Belfast's Theological College, which would become home to the new government, and hear how the promise of a Boundary Commission helped shape the new Northern Ireland.

Episode 23: The Burning of the Custom House Jun 04, 2021

The IRA's burning of the Custom House in Dublin makes headlines around the world, but is it coup or catastrophe? We hear the account of a Lurgan man in the building on the day Ireland's administrative hub was set on fire. And Declan and Tara hear why this dramatic event brought both sides to the negotiating table. Please be advised that the sound of gunshots feature in this episode.

Episode 22: The North Poll May 28, 2021

The first election in Northern Ireland is an early try-out for proportional representation. Unionists take advantage of the system of transferrable votes, and most of the seats in the new Parliament. Ireland is split. Not just politically and geographically – but culturally too. Declan and Tara learn how the two states evolve post-partition.

Episode 21: The Periodicals May 21, 2021

Amid violence and turbulence across the island of Ireland, elections are taking place to establish two new parliaments. Historian Dr Erin Schoepner takes Tara and Declan through a deep dive of archive cuttings to see how newspapers in Britain were reporting “the Irish Question” in 1921.

Episode 20: The Numbers Game May 14, 2021

It’s the first official election south of the new border in Ireland. The largest party is rejecting the notion of partition altogether. So what will happen when candidates are announced, and how will the first sitting of the new Irish parliament go? Politicians aren’t the only players in this episode – Tara and Declan take a quick dash around the sports pitch and learn how the GAA reacts to partition.

Episode 19: The Big Day? May 07, 2021

There are many dates which historians argue could constitute the birth of Northern Ireland, but a panel of government-appointed experts have decided that it came into being on the 3rd of May 100 years ago. As the Queen and others send messages marking the centenary, we look back at a clandestine meeting in which the staunch unionist James Craig travels to Dublin for talks with the Sinn Fein leader Éamon de Valera. Meanwhile, in Mayo, a whole village is kidnapped by the IRA.

Episode 17: The Lawmakers and the Lawbreakers Apr 23, 2021

“The Irish Question” has become the Brexit of its day and as the business of setting up the new administration progresses, there are many in Westminster glad to see what they think will be an end to it being discussed. Meanwhile the IRA has gained expertise in guns and bombs. Tara and Declan visit the police museum to see what IRA weaponry looked like 100 years ago, and see the precursors to the peace walls of today.

Episode 16: The Belfast Pogrom Apr 16, 2021

Over a period of 20 months, hundreds of Catholics are thrown out of their jobs, homes and communities, and many of them are killed. Official records of these events are scarce, but Declan and Tara learn of a Belfast priest who recorded the names of those who died in what he called 'The Belfast Pogrom' - a term which remains contentious to this day. Historians John Regan and Gemma Clark explore the motives behind the attacks, which Eamon Phoenix tells the story of the first victim. Warning: this episode contains sounds of gunshots.

Episode 15: The First PM Apr 10, 2021

Edward Carson may have been the man many associate with the birth of Northern Ireland but behind him all the way was the “granite-faced” figure of Sir James Craig. Once it became clear that Ireland would split, Carson retired from frontline politics. Enter the Ulsterman who reflected the view of many unionists in the new state. Tara and Declan explore how he came to be in that position and how he modelled Northern Ireland in his own image.

Episode 14: The Yard Apr 02, 2021

In 1921 Belfast's mighty shipyard is the economic engine of the city and the envy of the world. Tara and Declan explore how events there just months earlier would lead to a wave of violence across the island and change The Yard forever. Warning: This episode contains sounds of gunshots.

Episode 13: The 'Lost' Counties Mar 26, 2021

During an Ulster Unionist Council meeting in 1920 to discuss partition, attendees from Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan walk out early in disgust.They feel betrayed at the decision to take only six of Ulster’s nine counties forward to be part of Northern Ireland. Tara and Declan find out why these ‘lost' counties were jettisoned from the new state and how that impacts some people living there to this day.

Episode 10: The Big Fellow Mar 05, 2021

History stayed silent on Michael Collins for decades after his murder. The man who directed a brutal guerilla campaign against the British during the War of Independence was also pivotal in securing the Treaty which led to the foundation of the Irish Free State - and which sparked civil war across Ireland. Historians John Regan, William Murphy and Gemma Clark reassess what we know about Collins, and challenge some of the myths surrounding him. And Declan has a chat with his former German teacher about her family's memories of the so-called Big Fellow.

Episode 9: The Doctor and the Lion King Feb 26, 2021

From the gunrunner who was a doctor by day, to the ‘corner boy’ who kept lions in his back garden, Eamon Phoenix and Alan Parkinson talk about some of the people involved in attacks on soldiers and civilians

Episode 8: The Big Picture Feb 19, 2021

This week it’s pomp and propaganda at the pictures. In 1921, the news shown before the main feature was carefully curated, as Ciara Chambers, author of Ireland in Newsreels, explains. We find out how audiences didn’t always take kindly to ‘fake news’.

Episode 7: The Priest Hunter Feb 12, 2021

'Wee Joe' Devlin rose from the streets of Belfast to become a popular MP, noted for his speeches and good works. He took on the Bishop of Down and Connor over who should tell Catholics in Ulster how to vote, and earned himself the nickname 'The Priest Hunter'. But by 1921, his star was on the wane. Tara and Declan look at how his brand of nationalism was eclipsed by others and why his name now doesn't have the same recognition as others from that time.

Episode 6: The Lady Feb 05, 2021

As violence increases in Belfast, women are becoming more politicised. Lady Abercorn visits the city to rally members of the Ulster Women’s Unionist Council. Meanwhile the IRA requests the formation of a Belfast branch of Cumann na mBan (League of Women) whose members help gather intelligence and move weapons. And in 33 Carnan Street, off the Shankill Road, Maria Kirkpatrick raises her six children amid riots and protests. Sociologist Claire Mitchell and historian Margaret Ward look at the role of women in these volatile times.

Episode 5: The Witness Jan 29, 2021

A witness to an IRA attack travels north to testify. That night, four gunmen enter the bar of the hotel he's staying in. What would happen there would lead to a surge in the membership and activity of the IRA in Belfast.

Episode 4: The Uncrowned King of Ulster Jan 22, 2021

Declan and Tara explore the life and leadership of the man who led Ireland as the country split over Home Rule. Edward Carson was born in Dublin, but became leader of the Ulster Unionists and secured a place in the UK for the six counties that would become Northern Ireland. Historians David Hume and Timothy Bowman reflect on his career. Stephen Forde, the Dean of St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast describes the State funeral, and Eileen Paisley, Baroness Bannside, talks about her family's links to Sir Edward while Toby Carson speaks of the love his great-grandfather had for the people of Ulster.

Episode 2: The Midwife Jan 08, 2021

You've probably never heard of Sir Ernest Clark. But this unassuming Englishman was one of the main architects in the creation of a new state as Ireland was divided into 2 separate administrations. Historians Éamon Phoenix and Cormac Moore tell Declan and Tara why Sir Ernest Clark is sometimes described as 'The Midwife' to Northern Ireland.

Episode 1: The Table Dec 23, 2020

Presenters Tara and Declan track down the table which played a formative role in the creation of Northern Ireland. Or did it?

Rules of Engagement Dec 22, 2020

We don’t have all the answers. In fact, that’s the whole point. It’s a journey of discovery helped along the way by historians and personal stories. Brexit has given this 100-year landmark an added significance.

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