The Beatles only ever visited Ireland once as a group, to play two sold-out shows at Dublin's Adelphi Cinema on Middle Abbey Street.  I talked to author and broadcaster Colm Keane about how Beatlemania came to Ireland. 

Originally heard on The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1.

The Beatles in Dublin - The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1

The year 2014 marks the 100th birthday of one George Nissen, an American gymnast and inventor who was best known as the creator of the modern trampoline.  I took a closer look at the life of a true sports pioneer.  Originally heard on The History Show on RTÉ Radio One.

George Nissen, Inventor of the Trampoline - The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1

Almost five hundred years after his death, the ideas of Leonardo Da Vinci continue to inspire painters, engineers and even musicians.  Recently, a Polish musician gave the first public performance of a musical instrument he built based on a design by Da Vinci.  Originally heard on The History Show on RTÉ Radio One.  

The Viola Organista, Da Vinci's Musical Invention - The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1

Children's letters to Santa are usually sent straight to the man himself, who keeps them in his records at the North Pole. In the files of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, there's a letter to Santa that dates from 1933. Written by an eight-year-old boy, it offers a unique insight into the experience of the poor of Belfast at the time. I spoke to historian Georgina Laragy, who discovered the historic letter.

This report was first broadcast on The History Show, 21st December 2014. 

Santa Letter from 1933 - The History Show, RTÉ Radio One

Kilfenora is a small agricultural village in the Burren. To generations of Irish traditional music devotees, the village is known as the birthplace and home of the Kilfenora Céilí Band.  

I found out more about a band that has been continuously active throughout more than a century of Irish history. 

This report originally appeared on The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1, on the 15th March 2015.


The Kilfenora Céilí Band - The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1

Public Service Broadcasting are a London-based musical duo who use historic audio in their music.  They sample sounds from old public information films and archive footage, in an attempt to, as they put it "teach the lessons of the past through the music of the present". 
I found out more about the band, and their new album 'The Race For Space'.

This report originally appeared on The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1, 17th May 2015.

Public Service Broadcasting - The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1

In Celbridge in County Kildare, a team of local boys are researching the impact that the First World War had on the town.  Specifically, they're finding out about the Belgian refugees who spent some time there during the war.  I went to Kildare to find out more.  

This feature was originally heard on The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1, 1st of March 2015

Belgian Refugees in Kildare - The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1

Last weekend, I went to Sligo to find out more about the outdoor theatre productions of Blue Raincoat Theatre Company. The plan was to climb Ben Bulben and see a performance of the play 'Purgatory' by W.B. Yeats at the summit. 

This feature appeared on 'Arena' on RTÉ Radio 1, on Thursday 23rd July 2015

Raincoats Required for Mountaintop Theatre in Sligo - Arena, RTÉ Radio 1

Mahan Esfahani is an internationally celebrated harpsichordist. He's working to take the harpsichord beyond the realm of early music and into the mainstream. I met Mahan when he was in Ireland for the Kilkenny Arts Festival, and found out more about his continuing mission to show us that this musical instrument is still relevant today. 

This report was originally broadcast on Arena on RTÉ Radio 1, Monday 10th August 2015.

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani - Arena, RTÉ Radio 1

As the new film Brooklyn is set to land in cinemas, I caught up with the Colm Tóibín to talk about the themes of historical emigration in his novel.

Colm Tóibín on Brooklyn - The History Show - RTÉ Radio 1

Patrick Pearse was a headmaster, a teacher, a writer and a political activist, and by anyone's standards, an extraordinarily busy man. But in the days leading up to the rebellion, he still took time to wrap up his affairs and take care of some comparatively mundane business. I found out more. 

This report features Dublin historian Donal Fallon, and Willie Doran and Robert Feighery from Doran's Barber Shop. 
It was originally broadcast on The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1 on Easter Sunday, the 27th March 2016. 

Pearse's Last Days - The History Show - RTÉ Radio 1

The 1916 Rising was made of people - not just the leaders and footsoldiers, but also the people who lived in Dublin city as it was engulfed by war. 

Recordings of some of these people have been buried in the National Folklore Collection in University College Dublin for decades. 

I spoke to UCD archivist Críostoír Mac Cárthaigh about the eyewitness accounts of 1916 contained in the National Folklore Collection 
You hear just a small sample of some of these never before heard eyewitness accounts of 1916 - you can listen more by going to ucd.ie/irishfolklore/1916

This report was first broadcast on The History Show on Easter Monday, the 28th March 2016


1916 Eyewitness Accounts - The History Show - RTÉ Radio 1

The Holler House is a corner tavern in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a very special claim to fame. Established in 1908, it's home to the oldest surviving sanctioned bowling alley in the USA. 
I stopped by the Holler House and spoke to the owner of the long-running family business, 92-year-old Marcy Skowronski,
Originally broadcast on The History Show on RTÉ Radio One on the 28th October 2018.

America's Oldest Bowling Alley

A report on the 1927 Bath School Disaster, featuring interviews with Arnie Bernstein, author of the book 'Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing', and Michelle Allen Burnett, whose father and other family members attended the Bath Consolidated School on the day of the tragedy. 

This report was originally broadcast on The History Show on RTÉ Radio One on the 6th January 2019 .

The Bath School Disaster - America's Deadliest School Massacre

In April of 1948, Pan Am Flight 1-10 crashed near Shannon Airport after striking a low stone fence while attempting to land.  The plane, named “The Empress of The Skies” was operating a round-the-world service from San Francisco to New York.  Of the 21 passengers and 10 crew members on board, there was only one survivor.  2013 marks the 65th anniversary of the crash, and to commemorate the tragedy, local historian Tony Cassidy has written a new booklet about the accident which also tells the stories of the people involved.  I spoke to Tony and 90 year old Jack Hogan, who was the first person on the scene of the crash. 

(Pictured is Marc Worst, the sole survivor of the crash) 

This feature was originally heard on The History Show on RTÉ Radio 1.

Lorcan Clancy

Popular tracks