The Irish History Boys

In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the momentous and tragic final year of Rory O’Connor, culminating in the "completely illegal" reprisal executions of O’Connor, Liam Mellows, Joe McKelvey, and Dick Barrett in December 1922. We examine these state-sanctioned killings—described as an act of "literal revenge" for the assassination of TD Seán Hales—as a pivotal and controversial moment in the birth of the Irish state.

We examine O'Connor's role within the context of the Irish Civil War's escalating bitterness, tracing his journey from the IRA's head of engineering to the "most public face" of anti-Treaty opposition. We discuss the "split within a split" that saw former comrades turn their guns on one another and the ways in which the 1916 tradition of martyrdom influenced the fateful decision to occupy the Four Courts.

Additionally, we explore the Irish Free State's struggle to legitimise its authority through the controversial "Army Special Powers Resolution". We discuss the tactical decision to avoid formal legislation—which would have required the British monarch's signature—in favour of a resolution that empowered military courts to hand down death sentences to Republican prisoners. This highlights the stark tension between the burgeoning state’s democratic aspirations and its descent into what some critics viewed as a "military dictatorship".

To conclude, we tackle the deeply personal tragedy of the conflict, specifically the haunting story of Kevin O’Higgins sanctioning the execution of his own best man, Rory O’Connor. We reflect on the "moral" cost of the 81 state executions, debating whether the Free State's pursuit of stability through "vengeance" allowed it to win the war while ultimately "losing the peace".
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In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the life and radicalization of Republican figure Rory O’Connor, drawing on Jerry Shannon’s new biography, To Defend the Republic. We examine O’Connor’s transition from a "wandering spirit" working on Canadian railroads to a central, albeit enigmatic, figure in the Irish Volunteers and the IRB.

We explore O’Connor’s surprising personal background, born into a "castle Catholic" family with a father who supported the British regime. We discuss his elite education and early radicalization at UCD, where he first met key figures like Joseph Plunkett. We also delve into his clandestine work at the Larkfield Chemical Company, ostensibly making aspirin but actually "creating bombs for the volunteers" ahead of the 1916 Rising.

Additionally, we trace O’Connor’s "Damascus conversion" from wanting to join the British army in 1915 to becoming a tireless worker in the shadows of the revolutionary movement. We highlight his role as the Director of Engineering for the IRA and his activities as OC of the IRA in Britain, including spectacular jailbreaks and operations in Liverpool.

To conclude, we explore the deep, complex friendship between O’Connor and Kevin O’Higgins, his former colleague in the Department of Local Government. We reflect on the irony of O'Connor serving as O’Higgins's best man in 1921, set against the backdrop of the looming Civil War and the political fractures that would eventually lead to their tragic estrangement and O'Connor's execution
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In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we anticipate the historic release of the 1926 Census, a "huge treasure trove of information" becoming available for the first time under the hundred-year rule. We reflect on its immense value for social historians and those tracing family trees, offering a unique "color to that story" of Irish life following a decade of unprecedented upheaval between 1911 and 1926.

We examine the 1926 Census as the first taken in a post-partition Ireland and discuss the "awful shame" of the lost Northern records, which were destroyed in the Second World War during the Belfast Blitz. We also explore the dramatic decline of the Protestant population in the South during this period, debating whether this shift was due to "ethnic cleansing," the natural withdrawal of British forces, or the general "upheaval of the War of Independence and the Civil War".

Additionally, we delve into the complex legacy of Seán Lemass, the "pragmatic" Taoiseach often considered the architect of modern Ireland. We trace his extraordinary path from a teenage rebel in the GPO to the founding of Fianna Fáil and his role in dragging the state out of isolationism toward EEC membership. This journey is framed by the profound personal tragedies that shaped him, including the accidental shooting of one brother and the brutal 1923 abduction and murder of another, Noel, by a Free State "murder gang".

To conclude, we reflect on the 1976 commemorations of the Easter Rising at Milltown Cemetery, examining the "long war" rhetoric of the Provisional IRA and the "hollow" promises of being on the "threshold of victory". Finally, we attempt to settle the lighthearted "Snowballgate" debate: was it Seán Lemass or his successor, Jack Lynch, who was targeted by Ian Paisley’s snowballs during the high-stakes cross-border meetings of the 1960s?
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In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we delve into the heated 1976 debate surrounding integrated education in Northern Ireland. We examine a scathing letter from a "very concerned" parent to the Irish News, which denounced the burgeoning movement for integrated schools as a threat to Catholic culture and traditions. This correspondence highlights the deep-seated fears and sectarian tensions of the era, where even the classroom became a battlefield for religious identity, marked by allegations of intolerance and the perceived surrender of "treasured customs".

We also travel back to April 1926 to recount the extraordinary story of Violet Gibson, the Dublin-born daughter of a prominent unionist peer, who attempted to assassinate Benito Mussolini in Rome. We discuss how Mussolini exploited this "lone wolf" attack to consolidate his fascist grip on power and project an image of "coolness" and bravery. The discussion explores Gibson’s complex background—from her conversion to Catholicism to her history of mental health struggles—and her eventual fate of being declared insane and confined to an English asylum for the remainder of her life.

To conclude, we explore the fractures within the Irish trade union movement following partition, specifically the split between the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) and the Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU). We analyse how the constitutional question often trumped "bread and butter" labour issues, leading to a "chasm" between workers of different backgrounds. Finally, we address the removal of Proportional Representation in Northern Ireland, a move that marginalized the labour movement and further cemented the "siege mentality" of the partitionist state.
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In this episode of the Irish History Boys, we reflect on the 1976 assassination of Sinn Féin Vice President Máire Drumm, who was shot dead by loyalist gunmen while recovering from an eye operation in Belfast’s Mater Hospital.

We examine the chilling allegations that Secretary of State Merlin Rees "set her up" as a target through a series of unprecedented personal public attacks just months before her murder.

We place this high-profile killing within the context of the "collective madness" of 1976—historically the second bloodiest year of the Troubles—characterised by devastating 400-pound landmine attacks in South Armagh and a relentless cycle of sectarian violence that seemed to offer no escape.

We also contrast this grim reality with the global hope surrounding Nelson Mandela, discussing the 1976 reports of his potential release from Robin Island and the eventual inspirational "rainbow nation" template he offered for reconciliation.

Additionally, we explore the deep-seated grievances of nationalists "west of the Bann" in 1926, who felt systematically ignored and "neglected" by a Belfast-centric Unionist government in matters of trade, infrastructure, and education.

We discuss the pivotal political dilemma of the era: whether to maintain a policy of abstentionism or enter the Northern Parliament to fight for a "fair crack" for regions like Derry and Newry.

To conclude, we address the "heartless order" of 1926, which saw political exiles barred from returning home for family funerals under the threat of arrest, a striking historical precursor to the modern "On The Run" (OTR) letters controversy.

Finally, we examine the Irish Free State's early experiments with economic protectionism, specifically the struggle to cultivate an indigenous tobacco industry through heavy tariffs and the blending of "fairly good" homegrown leaves with American imports.
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