Show Notes
In this episode, to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we’re joined by historian Dr. Brian Hanley to discuss the reaction in the Republic of Ireland to the events in Derry on 30th January 1972, when British soldiers opened fire on civil rights marchers, killing 14 and injuring several others. The reaction in the South saw walkouts and strikes, a national day of mourning, the burning of the British embassy in Dublin, and mass protests around the country. Brian Hanley is the author of The impact of the Troubles on the Republic of Ireland, 1968–79: Boiling Volcano? (Manchester University Press, 2018) which details the effect of the Northern conflict on the South, responses to Bloody Sunday and other events, mobilisations of support, the experiences of refugees, and the debates in the public discourse throughout that period. We recommend the excellent Museum of Free Derry for anyone who wants to explore the history of the events of Bloody Sunday. The museum is run by the Bloody Sunday Trust, which includes victims’ families, and civil society and political representatives in Derry. You can also hear Brian Hanley on these previous episodes of the podcast:
#13: The Lost Revolution - The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers’ Party
#19: Socialist Workers’ Movement, 1980s and 90s
The Irish Left Archive Podcast looks at Left politics in Ireland, talking to activists, writers, historians, politicians and others involved in Left organisations and movements about their experiences of participating in Left parties and campaigns. The podcast is hosted by Ciarán Swan and Aonghus Storey.
View this episode on our website: #35: Bloody Sunday: Reactions in the Republic of Ireland, with Brian Hanley.
More from Irish Left Archive Podcast
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In this episode we talk to Eugene McCartan. Originally from Co. Down, Eugene has been an activist with the Communist Party of Ireland since joining in Dublin in 1974. He served as the party’s Chairperson from 1989 to 2001 and then General Secretary until his retirement from that role in 2023.
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This episode is a round up of the Irish Left Archive project in 2025 and answers to some listener questions. Thanks as always to everyone who has supported and engaged with the archive by sending documents, speaking on the podcast, emailing, commenting, and using the site.
In this episode we talk to Madeleine Johansson of Red Network. Madeleine moved from Sweden to Ireland in the 2000s where she became active with the Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) and People Before Profit (PBP). She was a party organiser and director of elections for the 2016 General Election campaign in Dublin Mid-West, subsequently co-opted on to South Dublin County Council in 2016, and returned in the 2019 and 2024 local elections. Madeleine was a founding member of Red Network, which was formed in 2021 within People Before Profit before becoming an independent party in 2025. She is the author of Class War – Not Culture War (2025) and Reform or Revolution – Sweden, Socialism and The Welfare State (2022), available from the Red Network website.