Three Castles Burning

Nov 08 2024 100 ep. 37 mins 3.3k

Three Castles Burning Podcast artwork

Three Castles Burning is a social history podcast, dedicated to the story of the Irish capital. Dublin is a city of many stories, Three Castles Burning tells some of the more forgotten ones.

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Remembering The SFX Hall (with Paul Page and David Bell)

Nov 08 2024 41 mins

In the heart of Dublin’s north inner-city, the SFX was one of the defining venues of Dublin’s music scene. U2, The Smiths, New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Pogues are just some of the acts to have taken to the stage in the Jesuit hall that enjoyed a remarkable second life. I’m joined by David Bell (who experienced the venue as a fan, reporter, merchman and band ma

The Women of Bram Stoker’s Life: Memory, Folklore and Patriotism (with Marion McGarry and Eva Jane Gaffney)

Oct 30 2024 63 mins

Bram Stoker’s life and career was shaped by the strong women around him. Charlotte Stoker, his mother, raised him on folklore and stories of her own youth, while Speranza (Lady Jane Wilde, the mother of Oscar) was a key influence in expanding his knowledge of Ireland’s folklore and mythology. I’m joined by Marion McGarry, author of the acclaimed book Irish Customs and Ritual

Irish Food History: From B.C. Times to the Grogan’s Toastie

Oct 12 2024 62 mins

Irish Food History: A Companion is an extraordinary thing - a moment in Irish publishing history. Coming in around 800 pages, it covers everything from archaeology and food to the pub grub of today. Full of archival images, poetry, recipes and more besides, the book captures the best of what is happening in Irish food research. On this episode, editors Dorothy Cashman and Máirtín

Paula Meehan: History and Poetry

Oct 06 2024 66 mins

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 30 mins

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 61 mins

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 34 mins

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.

Destination Anywhere: Getting Around the Hibernian Metropolis

Aug 31 2024 34 mins

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 47 mins

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 b

Olympic Glory: Jack B. Yeats and The Liffey Swim

Aug 10 2024 30 mins

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. Support TCB at www.patreon.co