Three Castles Burning

Three Castles Burning

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.

Episodes

June 13, 2025 34 mins

Christina Wade’s new history of Irish beer is a masterclass in social and economic history. In the context of Dublin, it tells us a lot, especially about the challenges that faced breweries in turbulent times. In this episode, we look at her chapter ‘Porter Wars’, and how unfair trade laws and domestic and international politics all shaped the producing and selling of beer in Dublin. Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland is o...

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The first ever Kilkenny Law Fest took place last weekend. On its bill, a discussion with Superintendent Paul Maher of the Garda Historical Society. Paul did so much in the Decade of Centenaries to involve the force, and it was great to talk to him about the 1925 merging of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and AGS. This discussion takes in early Irish policing, as well as looking at what made Dublin unique in...

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A nice me...

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Tony Gregory remains one of the most beloved TD’s in the history of the city. Lately, talk of the Molly Malone monument has remind...

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Historian Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc has just produced Burn Them Out, a history of the Irish far-right. One of its most intriguing chapters studies the Blueshirt movement, tracing its development from an association of veterans into something much broader. Studying intelligence files and reports, Ó Ruairc demonstrates the surprising level of violence associated with this movement around the country. So, was Eoin O’Duffy’s so-called ‘March...

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Both Patrick Leo Burdock and Ivan Beshoff were revolutionaries, though in very different circumstances. These two names remain sta...

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March 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 expert), MacDara Yeates (singer ...

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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!

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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 concert survives.

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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 available at www.tradfest.com

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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 M...
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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 the memorial to talk about one of my favourite Dublin stat...

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December 2, 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 Museum of Ireland, gave me a sense of the museum and it...

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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 Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery to discuss Heal...

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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 manager) and Paul Page (Whipping Boy). Thanks to Laura Will...

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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 Rituals and an authority on Charlotte...

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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 Mac Con Iomaire join me to...

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October 6, 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/

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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.

 

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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.

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