Belfast: The story of a city and its people

(Recorded live on Tues 29 Sept ’26, National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin)

(Recorded live on 7 Oct ’26, De Valera Library, Ennis) In the 50 years after the Famine, half of those born in Ireland ended up somewhere else, two thirds of them in the USA; more women than men emigrated. What was the experience of those who emigrated from County Clare? Join History Ireland editor Tommy Graham in discussion with Kieran Grace (Mary Immaculate College), Kyle Kusch (Kerby A. Miller Collection, University of Galway), Jane Halloran Ryan (Oral History Archive, Mary Immaculate College) and Bernadette Whelan (University of Limerick).

Captain Bligh—hero or villain? (Recorded live on Saturday 03 October 2026 at Substation, Distributed Museum, Dublin Port) Captain William Bligh, whose draconian discipline provoked mutiny on HMS Bounty in 1789, is one of history’s enduring villains. But how fair or accurate is his depiction in numerous books and films? He is also credited with designing the solution to Dublin harbour’s sand bar problem—the Poolbeg and Bull Walls. How accurate is that? To understand the real Captain Bligh and his significance, join Tommy Graham (editor, History Ireland) in discussion with Rob Goodbody (Dublin’s industrial heritage), Lar Joye (Heritage Director, Dublin Port) and David Murphy (Maynooth University).

A ‘unique relationship’?—Ireland and the USA 1920–present (Recorded live on Fri 28 Aug ’26 @ the Electric Picnic) While the UK claims to have a ‘special relationship’ with the USA, we claim a ‘unique relationship’, exemplified by the now-traditional bowl of shamrock presentation in the White House each St Patrick’s Day. But the relationship hasn’t always been cordial: Dev failed to get recognition of the Irish Republic from the US government in 1920; the biggest threat to our neutrality during the Emergency came not from the Nazis or the British but from the USA; and today by far the biggest source of toxic far-right misinformation and disinformation is the USA.

Dublin Festival of Books presents one of a series of presentations on this year's One City One Book—John Banville’s Christine Falls. While most of the action takes place in the gloomy streets of 1950s Dublin, it intersects with a parallel storyline set in Boston. What does that tell us about the post-war Irish-American experience? What were Irish-American perceptions of the ‘old country’—and vice versa? Join Tommy Graham (History Ireland) in discussion with Dan Mulhall (former Irish Ambassador to the US), Bernadette Whelan (University of Limerick) and Michael Kennedy (Documents on Irish Foreign Policy).