Podcasts about irish biography

We explore Ireland's journey through science, engineering, technology and mathematics over the last four centuries.Featuring Dr Eoin Kinsella, managing editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography; Prof Jane Grimson, a Member of the Royal Irish Academy and past president of Engineers Ireland and of the Irish Academy of Engineering; and Turlough O'Riordan, online and digital editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography.

County Clare is represented in Irish STEM Lives, a new publication from the Dictionary of Irish Biography looking at the diversity of STEM in Ireland. The book includes an entry on John Philip Holland from Liscannor, who invented the submarine. Irish STEM Lives has just been published. The Editor of the book, Turlough O'Riordan spoke with Alan Morrissey on Thursday's Morning Focus to tell us more. Photo (c) Editors of Irish STEM Lives, Turlough O'Riordan and Jane Grimson, MRIA.

The Royal Irish Academy is delighted to announce the publication of Irish STEM Lives. The book, the latest in the Dictionary of Irish Biography's (DIB) ongoing Lives series, hits bookshelves on 24 September 2025 and the publication will be followed by a launch event held at The Royal Irish Academy on 8 October 2025. Edited by Turlough O'Riordan and Jane Grimson, Irish STEM Lives retraces the extraordinary work and contributions of natural philosophers, mathematicians, engineers, particle physicists, code breakers and many more, through a selection of forty-six exceptional pioneers from the DIB. This book will take the reader on a journey across artificial intelligence, climate change, food safety, transport and communication, touching all the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that are integral to modern society. A notable theme of the book is the evolution of the pursuit of knowledge over the past four centuries, covering relevant breakthrough events in STEM history, such as the development of the 'scientific method' in the circle surrounding Robert Boyle and the large-scale particle physics experiments undertaken by John Stewart Bell and Anne Kernan at CERN. Another major theme is the representation of diversity within STEM fields in Ireland. Women in STEM are often overlooked and barely mentioned, relegated to the margins of textbooks despite their crucial contributions to scientific and technological advancements. Irish STEM Lives brings their stories to the forefront: from Mary Ward to Anne Kernan, these women played an essential role in shaping the landscape of science and technology. To honour their invaluable contributions and acknowledge their efforts, the only pictures included in the book are those of female STEM practitioners. This decision was made to challenge the conventional norms of STEM representation. The absence of male figures in the visual elements serves as a reminder that scientific progress is not an endeavour exclusive to men and that women have been, and continue to be, fundamental in driving innovation and discovery, which the editors discuss in their introduction as they delve into the issues impacting women in STEM historically. Turlough O'Riordan, digital editor with the Dictionary of Irish Biography, said: 'The volume represents the rich diversity of achievements across Irish STEM history. The lives collected - across science, technology, engineering and mathematics - provide readers with both a fascinating variety of insights into those domains, alongside an understanding of the amazing women and men behind them'. Jane Grimson MRIA, said: 'Ireland is rightly recognised globally for our many wonderful creative writers. However, what is much less well known is the vital contribution which many women and men, who were either born in Ireland or who worked here, have made to the advancement of STEM across a wide range of areas which are still important today. This volume records their achievements.' Ruth Hegarty, Managing Editor of Publications at the Royal Irish Academy said: 'Irish STEM Lives is an important publication because, by looking at the past, it aims to spark future change. The portraits of women in the book are meant to inspire a new generation of young women to see themselves reflected in these roles and to understand that they, too, can be leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.' Irish STEM Lives is available in bookshops and through the RIA Publishing House via www.ria.ie. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote y...

How do we decide who the most significant people in our history are? Whose story is worth telling? In this episode, I'm joined by Eoin Kinsella, managing editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography, to explore how he and the team behind this remarkable resource tell the story of our island through biography. The DIB, a free to access to website has thousands of biographies on figures from Irish History.From Henry McCullough, the only Irish musician at Woodstock, to Ann Lovett, whose tragic death forced a nation to confront uncomfortable truths, and Brendan Hughes, whose life mirrored the turbulence of the Troubles, this conversation delves into the complexities of who gets remembered—and why.People mentioned in the episode. Ann Lovett https://www.dib.ie/biography/lovett-ann-a10324Eamon De Valera https://www.dib.ie/biography/de-valera-eamon-dev-a2472Bang Bang https://www.dib.ie/biography/dudley-thomas-bang-bang-a2803The Dice man https://www.dib.ie/biography/mcginty-thom-diceman-a5672John Mitchel https://www.dib.ie/biography/mitchel-john-a5834John Redmond https://www.dib.ie/biography/redmond-john-edward-a7602Brendan Hughes https://www.dib.ie/biography/hughes-brendan-a9636Dolours Price https://www.dib.ie/biography/price-dolours-a10048Martin McGuinmess https://www.dib.ie/biography/mcguinness-james-martin-pacelli-a10375Michael Collins https://www.dib.ie/biography/collins-michael-a1860Daniel O'Connell https://www.dib.ie/biography/oconnell-daniel-a6555Charles Stewart Parnell https://www.dib.ie/index.php/biography/parnell-charles-stewart-a7199Francis Sheehy Skeffington https://www.dib.ie/biography/skeffington-francis-sheehy-a8105Lady Mary Heath https://www.dib.ie/biography/heath-sophie-mary-lady-heath-nee-peirce-evans-other-married-name-eliott-lynn-a2963Henry McCullough https://www.dib.ie/biography/mccullough-henry-campbell-liken-a10389Eva Gore Booth https://www.dib.ie/biography/booth-eva-selina-gore-a0784 Do you have suggestion for entries. Contact the DIB at Dib@rai.ie Sound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March 1939, James Murphy, a Cork man, became a wanted figure in Nazi Germany. As Europe hurtled towards war, Murphy published an unedited English translation of Hitler's notorious book, Mein Kampf, which revealed Hitler's long-held intentions to invade Eastern Europe. However, Murphy's story is complicated. Often presented as an opponent of the Nazis, he had also, for a time, worked in the Third Reich.The full story behind the translation is intriguing. It reveals how Murphy was manipulated by a secret anti-Nazi group known as the Red Orchestra. It also explores why Murphy, who was aware of many of the darker aspects of the Nazi regime, did not draw attention to them.Sound: Kate DunleaAdditional Narrations: Aidan CroweSupport the show and get an ad-free version of the episode at Patreon.com/irishpodcast.Selected Sources: Maume P. Murphy, James Vincent, Dictionary of Irish Biography https://www.dib.ie/biography/murphy-james-vincent-a6080Barnes, J. & P. James Vincent Murphy: Translator and Interpreter of Fascist Europe, 1880-1946Evans, R. The Hitler Conspiracies The Third Reich and the Paranoid ImaginationMurphy James: Adolf Hitler; the drama of his career https://archive.org/details/Bellerophon5685_yahoo_AHDC/page/n69/mode/2up?q=JewsMurphy, John Why did my grandfather translate Mein Kampf? https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30697262 Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Recorded live on Sunday 29 September 2024, @ The Substation, Alexandra Road, Dublin, D01 H4C6) In 1986, the maritime historian, John de Courcey Ireland, wrote: ‘The lives of island peoples like Ireland's [have] been dominated by the seas encircling them. Yet this fact has been largely ignored by Irish historians'. Is Irish history still ‘sea blind'? To address this question join History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Angela Byrne (Dictionary of Irish Biography), Lar Joye (Heritage Officer, Dublin Port) and Captain Michael McKenna (Dublin Port Harbour Master). This Hedge School is supported by Dublin Port in association with the Dublin Festival of History

In our oldest case yet, Alana tells the story of Queen Medb (pronounced ‘Maeve') of Ireland. We encounter a war over a bull, a steady line of lovers, and an ex-husband as a lifelong antagonist. Buckle up for this truly wild ride and decide for yourself what is myth or legend.Tea of the Day: Peppermint Chocolate Tea Theme Music by Brad FrankFor a full list of sources, go to https://tea-time-crimes.simplecast.com/episodes.Sources:The Tain Bó CúailngeCharlwood, Katie. "100. Queen Medb - Warrior Queen of Ireland." Who Did What Now. Airwave Media PodcastChthonia Podcast. “Queen Medb (Maeve): the Threat of Female Sovereignty”Human Voices Wake Us Podcast. “The Great Myths #12: Queen Medb of Connacht”Gals Guide Podcast. “Queen Medb - Riwo's Irish Gal Pick”O'Floinn, John. "Electronic Text of Cath Ruis na Rígh." CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts [University College Cork]. https://celt.ucc.ie/Mac Eoin, Gearóid (ed.). (2000). Echtra Ferce Fer Fiad [The Adventures of Fergus Son of Fiachra]. Dublin: University College Dublin https://www.001-translations.ie/c_132101/websites-internationaux.htmlBergin, Michael. (2021, May 1). Ladies of Legend: Queen Medb. Beyond the Dreamline. https://mixhart.ca/blog/index.php/queen-medbs-message/Ceawlor, Stewart. Queen Maeve. Queen Maeve.org. https://www.wearemaeve.org/Gerard, Margaret. (2011, May 16). Ancient Irish Mythology: Queen Medb. BlogotheIrish. https://historycooperative.org/medb/History Cooperative. Medb. The History Cooperative. https://historycooperative.org/articles/O'Brien, Lora. The Real Queen Maeve/Medb. Lora O'Brien. https://loraobrien.ie/O'Brien, Lora. Queen Maedbh/Maeve Cheat Sheet. Lora O'Brien. https://www.amazon.com/Irish-Queen-Medb-Tradition-Practice/dp/1913821013Waddell, John. Medb Lethderg. Timeless Myths. https://www.britannica.com/topic/MedbWilde, Robert. (2017, May 1). Irish Folklore: Queen Maeve. Wilderness Ireland. https://www.wildernessireland.com/blog/category/folklore/Brehon Academy. (2023, January 29). Heroic Biography: Maeve of Connacht – The Intoxicating Warrior Queen. https://brehonacademy.org/heroic-biography-maeve-of-connacht-the-intoxicating-warrior-queen/Ó hAodha, Michael. (2017). Medb Chruachna. Dictionary of Irish Biography. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MedbWikipedia. Hill of Tara. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_TaraWikipedia. Medb. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MedbGutenberg Project. (2019, September 3). Lebor Laignech [The Book of Leinster]. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/53793/53793-h/53793-h.htmRoyal Irish Academy. Corpus of Electronic Texts [CELT]. https://celt.ucc.ie/

In this episode of Talking History, Dr Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the careers of some of the most iconic and prolific sports players connected to Ireland, alongside Turlough O'Riordan, online and digital editor for the Dictionary of Irish Biography, and co-editor of ‘Irish Sporting Lives'; Terry Clavin, co-editor of ‘Irish Sporting Lives'; and Helena Byrne, who wrote about soccer player Anne O'Brien (1956-2016), and is a digital archivist and curator of web archives at the British Library, deeply versed in the emerging history of women's soccer in Ireland.

Petronilla de Meath was the first woman to be burned for witchcraft in Europe in 1324, taking the blame for her employer Alice Kyteler. Centuries later in 1895, Bridget Cleary was the last woman burned to death from superstitions involving witchcraft, faeries, and a changeling... but hers has a sad, dark twist that comes from her family trying to help her in a world of superstition. Listen and find out more. Twitter & Facebook: @macabrepediaInstagram: @macabrepediapodEmail us at: macabrepediapod@gmail.com References:  Riddell, W. R. (n.d.). The first execution for witchcraft in Ireland - JSTOR. JSTOR. Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/1133665 Beresford, D. (n.d.). Le Poer, arnold. le Poer, Arnold | Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved January 10, 2022, from https://www.dib.ie/index.php/biography/le-poer-arnold-a4734  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Macabrepedia)

'Irish Lives in America', edited by Liz Evers and Niav Gallagher, documents fifty Irish people featured in the Dictionary of Irish Biography who made an indelible mark on American society, politics and culture. The book was launched by Neville Isdell on 24 November at 6.30 p.m. at EPIC the Irish Emigration Museum. The launch is followed by a panel discussion 'Irish Lives in America: underdogs or overlords?' chaired by Patrick Geoghegan and featuring Miriam Nyhan Grey, Diane Negra, Neville Isdell and Liz Evers. The book is available in all good bookshops or online at https://www.ria.ie/irish-lives-america

On the podcast this week: Eve McDowell on her terrifying stalker ordeal; Clare O'Keeffe on the difficult area of farm succession; David McCullagh on the Dictionary of Irish Biography; And Rosie Mangan on her road to recovery from an acquired brain injury.

Journalist, and anchor of the Six One, David McCullagh joined Oliver in studio to talk about the Dictionary of Irish Biography and some of the fascinating stories of the people contained within it.

Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe!On the Blog:Decoding Dedalus: PretendersDogsbodySocial Media:Facebook|TwitterSubscribe to Blooms & Barnacles:iTunes| Google Play Music| StitcherFurther Reading:Atura, A. & Dionne, L. Proteus - Modernism Lab. Retrieved from https://modernism.coursepress.yale.edu/proteus/Delaney, F. (2012, Dec 18). Episode 132: Barking at Boccaccio. Re:Joyce. [Audio podcast].Gifford, D., & Seidman, R. J. (1988). Ulysses annotated: Notes for James Joyce's Ulysses. Berkeley: University of California Press.Gilbert, S. (1955). James Joyce’s Ulysses: a study. New York: Vintage Books.Joyce, P.W. (1910). A Concise History of Ireland. Retrieved from https://www.libraryireland.com/JoyceHistory/Contents.phpSchama, S. (2011, Feb. 17). Invasions of Ireland from 1170 - 1320. The BBC. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/ireland_invasion_01.shtml#topStolze, D. (2017, Jun. 8). Cold case chronicles: The unsolved mystery of the princes in the tower. Forensic Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/06/cold-case-chronicles-unsolved-mystery-princes-towerWebb, A. (1878). A Compendium of Irish Biography. Retrieved from https://www.libraryireland.com/biography/index.php

Often overshadowed by Countess Markievicz, Cork woman via England, Mary MacSwiney was a revolutionary who was considered to be Ireland's last true Republican.  This week we talk about her contribution to the Irish Republican cause and subsequent potted legacy Notes/ References Royal Irish Academy Dictionary of Irish Biography, Mary MacSwiney by Brian Murphy Ordinary Women in Extraordinary Times: Eleven Cork Women in the Revolutionary Years 1916-1923 by Shandon Area History Group Ireland's Suffragettes by  Sarah Beth Watkins Oireachtas Debates December 1921 Wild Irish Women: Extraordinary Lives from History by Marian Broderick

This week Patrick an a team of historians, economists, researchers and biographers discuss the rise and fall of the East India Company. Joining Patrick on the panel were: Dr Kate O' Malley, Managing Editor of the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of Irish Biography, Dr Nick Robins, Professor in Practice for Sustainable Finance,  the Grantham Research Institute, London and the author of 'The Corporation that Changed the World: How the East India Company Shaped the Modern Multinational', Dr John McAleer, Associate Professor in History at the University of Southhampton, Dr Richard Bourke, Kings College London and John Keay, historian and the author of 'The Honorable Company: A History of the English East India Company'.  

This week Patrick and a high-profile panel of historians, biographers and editors discuss the latest edition of the Dictionary of Irish Biography- Volume 10& 11. On the panel Patrick is joined by Dr James Quinn, the Managing Editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography at the Royal Irish Academy,  Dr Linde Lunney, the Editorial Secretary of the Dictionary of Irish Biography at the Royal Irish Academy,  Dr Brian Hanley, Historian, Writer and Contributor to the Dictionary of Irish Biography,  Dr Patrick Maume, Editorial Assistant of the Dictionary of Irish Biography and Professor James Ivan Mc Guire, Professor Emeritus,  School of History and Archives, UCD and Editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography. Patrick and the panel discuss distinguished personalities  from Irish political, social and cultural life and assess their contribution to Irish life.    

Presented by Dr James Quinn, Royal Irish Academy The Centre for Contemporary Irish History promotes research in recent Irish history. This Seminar Series is intended to act as a forum where those engaged in research in Contemporary Irish History can discuss their work with likeminded people. All lectures take place at 4pm in the Trinity Long Room Hub. Presenters speak for a maximum of 45 minutes, followed by a general discussion. see more details here - https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/

This paper rests conceptually on a borrowing from sociology, principally a 2011  article by Evelyn Nakano Glenn,  'Constructing citizenship: exclusion, subordination and resistance'.  The talk examines examines how, in post-1922 Ireland, southern Irish Protestants approached acquiring a sense of citizenship in the new Ireland.  In this, they had to bridge a potentially disastrous disconnection with Ireland, complicated by a genuine geographical patriotism, an inherent uneasiness with an ascendant 'National Catholicism', and a strong sense of otherness.  It is argued, though, that, culturally, Protestants had a rather generous a la carte menu of 'belongingness' to draw upon.  This allowed them to construct a sense of congenial citizenship through a mixture of 'real' and 'imagined' communities in appropriate and acceptable proportions as circumstances demanded.  In this, it will also be argued that this facility to construct a 'mix-and-match' notion of Irishness gave Protestants a much greater flexibility in determining their own sense of citizenship than those who had perforce to exist within a straitjacket of rigid Catholic-nationalist orthodoxy.  The overspill from this has been a somewhat surprising ability for Protestants to come to a relatively comfortable accommodation with Irishness, and a sense of civitas that has been better able to adapt to the modern world.  Ian d’Alton, MA (NUI), PhD (Cambridge), FRHistS, FRNS is a historian who has been researching southern Irish Protestantism for over forty years, latterly through the medium of the literary. He has given numerous papers to learned bodies He is the author of Protestant Society and Politics in Cork, 1812-1844 (Cork UP, 1980). His latest attempt to synthesise the southern Protestant experience is ‘A first voice: Henry Windsor Villiers Stuart and the agricultural labourers’ in Brian Casey (ed.), Defying the law of the land: agrarian radicals in Irish history (Dublin, The History Press, 2013). He is working on a book about the Royal Historical Society’s Alexander Prize, and its influence on British historiography, 1897-2005 (he was a recipient of the Prize in 1972). He was a contributor and editorial advisor to the Royal Irish Academy/Cambridge University Press Dictionary of Irish Biography (2009), and wrote the entries, amongst others, for Thomas Lipton (he of the tea), the ‘Ponsonby estate’ landlord A.H. Smith Barry, and the writers Elizabeth Bowen, Iris Murdoch and Molly Keane. In 2011-12 he was an honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool; in 2014 a Visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and in 2014-15, a Visiting Research Fellow at Trinity College, University of Dublin. At end-February 2012, he retired from the positon of Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Finance Agency, an Irish state-owned company.

Library Lunchtime Lecture by Lawrence White, Research Assistant and Copy Editor on the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of Irish Biography project. Third lecture in a series on ‘Intellectual life in Ireland 1910-1920.' The writings of Desmond Ryan (1893-1964) were particularly influential in shaping the story of the Easter rising and its participants through the first half of the twentieth century. This talk explores the historiography of the rising through the work of Desmond Ryan. Location: Academy House Date: Wednesday 27 April, 2016 Speaker: Lawrence White is Research Assistant and Copy Editor on the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of Irish Biography project. He is co-editor (with James Quinn) of 1916: portraits and lives (2015), a selection of DIB articles pertinent to the Easter rising. Disclaimer: The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors' own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

Library Lunchtime Lecture series by Dr Linde Lunney, Dictionary of Irish Biography. In Spring 2015 the Library, in collaboration with the Dictionary of Irish Biography (DIB) and Foclóir Na Nua-Ghaeilge (FNG), organised a series of lectures entitled ‘‘1815, 1915: Centenaries and bicentenaries: Celticists, lexicographers and antiquarian scholars.' The series looks at the contributions made by some nineteenth-century scholars to the development of Celtic Studies, the Irish language, lexicography, archaeology and antiquarian research, textual studies and Irish history. Location: Academy House Date: Wednesday 11 March, 2015 Disclaimer: The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors' own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

In a call for the formation of the Irish Republic and independence from the United Kingdom almost 500 people were killed in the Easter Rising of 1916. At this event, historian Deirdre Bryan discusses the importance of the 1916 Easter Uprising and its significance today. Deirdre Bryan has lived in Ireland, England and the US. She received her PhD in Irish History from Boston College and currently teaches in the History Department at UAA. As a historical researcher in Ireland, Deirdre Bryan has contributed more than 70 articles to the Dictionary of Irish Biography (2009, Cambridge University Press) and conducted historical research on behalf of the Irish government, public and private organizations and individuals.