Three Castles Burning

Mar 19 2025 100 ep. 38 mins 3.4k
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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The End of Monto: A Century On

Mar 19 2025 83 mins  
This edition of the podcast contains adult language and themes and is not suitable for younger listeners. This special live edition of the podcast was part of Abair, an annual programme within the Saint Patrick’s Festival. Joining me is Caroline West (author of a recent best selling history about Monto and a sex educator and columnist), Terry Fagan (oral historian and Monto exper

The Dawning of the Day: Last Orders at the Early House

Feb 28 2025 32 mins  
In Dublin, just a handful of public houses now open at seven o’clock in the morning. Where did these early houses come from, and what has influenced their decline? On this journey across the city, we visit a pub financed by the Beamish & Crawford Brewery, as well as the historic fruit and vegetable market. Thanks to Brand New Retro for scanning SLATE Magazine!

A Complete Unknown? When Dylan came to Dublin

Jan 26 2025 28 mins  
Bob Dylan’s 1966 visit to the Adelphi Cinema is a concert on which there is very little agreement. Torn apart by one Dublin reviewer, many who were there describe the gig in different terms entirely. For many in attendance, it was an extraordinary experience. Visiting Dublin in a year when The Clancy Brothers were putting Dublin’s story on the international map, the Dylan conce

Traditional Singing from Dublin (with Macdara Yeates)

Jan 11 2025 31 mins  
Described by The Irish Times as 'raucous, bawdy, reflective and wistful in turn', Traditional Singing from Dublin is more than just an album of songs. Inspired by figures as diverse as Liam Weldon and Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, this work has a strong sense of history throughout. Macdara Yeates joins me. You can stream Traditional Singing from Dublin now. Tickets for TradFest are availabl

From The Nation to Shane MacGowan: Finding James Clarence Mangan (with Bridget Hourican and Warren Farrell)

Dec 20 2024 35 mins  
In Glasnevin Cemetery, James Clarence Mangan’s grave lists him as ‘Ireland’s National Poet.’ Today, he is a curiously overlooked character. His influence on figures as diverse as Philip Lynott and Shane MacGowan is explored in this podcast, where Mangan’s biographer Bridget Hourican explores his life, and historian Warren Farrell discusses his resting place and memory. �

Tonehenge: Edward Delaney's Wolfe Tone Monument

Dec 17 2024 31 mins  
In 1898, tens of thousands of people paraded in Dublin for the unveiling of a foundation stone to a Wolfe Tone statue. So why did it not happen? Only in 1967 did Edward Delaney’s tribute to Tone appear on St Stephen’s Green. In this podcast, celebrating the fact the Tone monument is part of Dublin City Council’s Dublin Winter Lights, Delaney’s son and biographer joins me at

Night at the Museum

Dec 02 2024 35 mins  
These are exciting times at the Collins Barracks branch of the National Museum of Ireland. This week, the first Harry Clarke display at the museum opens, showcasing six works by Ireland's most beloved stained glass artist. The Museum is also taking part in the Dublin City Council 'Dublin Winter Lights' for the first time. Dónal Maguire, Keeper of Art & Industry at the National Mus

The Stained Glass Artist From a Dublin Tenement

Nov 29 2024 56 mins  
The story of Michael Healy is one that tells us much about the Dublin of his time. Born into a working class inner-city family in 1873, Healy was shaped by the artistic and cultural movements of the time, becoming a central figure in the stained glass studio An Túr Gloine. The work of that studio is still to be found across Dublin today. His biographer David Caron joined me in Dub

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