Year ‘21

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

'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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

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