This episode of the Irish History Boys explores two significant and controversial events that unfolded in 1975, beginning with the curious, unsanctioned kidnapping of Dr.Tiede Herrema, a Dutch industrialist, in County Limerick by rogue IRA members.The kidnappers, led by Eddie Gallagher, sought the release of Republican prisoners like Rose Dugdale, leading to a massive, internationally covered siege.Simultaneously, an infamous trial was concluding across the water regarding the 1974 Guildford and Woolwich pub bombings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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40:44
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40:44
The Outlier Judge and the Legal Paramilitaries
This week explores events spanning a century, including the unexpected death 100 years ago of Sir Dennis Henry and the first Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland. Considered an outlier, he faced the gargantuan task of establishing the entire judiciary and legal system of the new jurisdiction following Partition. The episode also turns to 1975, a time of escalating violence during the Troubles, discussing the political vacuum created when William Craig, leader of the Vanguard Unionist Party, resigned as deputy leader of the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC). This collapse followed his proposal to allow the constitutional nationalist SDLP to share power. In the same crucial week, the Secretary of State, Merlyn Rees, decided to outlaw the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) in October 1975. And finally, an appearance by silent film superstar Charlie Chaplin, who successfully sued an imitator in Los Angeles to protect the rights to his character’s distinctive garb and mannerisms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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48:10
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48:10
Clones Hope and the 1925 Border
This episode of The Irish History Boys goes back 100 years to examine the high stakes of the 1925 Boundary Commission, which was established following the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to determine the final boundaries between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland.We explore the intense hopes in border areas, such as Clones, that large sections of the North would be transferred south. While nationalists were completely in the dark and relied on wild kind of guesses based on rumours of customs posts moving, the unionist leaders appeared a lot more relaxed as they seemed to know what was going on.Additionally, the episode delves into the history of Proportional Representation (PR) in the North, noting its initial introduction as a safeguard for minority representation, but explaining how it was systematically abolished by unionists in local and parliamentary elections to maintain their political dominance and control.Finally, we discuss the mysterious fate of the lost 1926 Northern Ireland census, a significant historical collection that disappeared soon after the boundary settlement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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56:08
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56:08
Belfast 1975: A Bishop's Plea Amidst Sectarian Terror
On this episode, we're getting into a really serious part of Irish history. We'll be looking at the sad history of sectarian violence on the streets of Belfast in 1975. Then, we'll fast forward to 1925 and the curious story of Ireland's upper chambers, north and south. Finally, we'll dive into the bizarre case of US heiress Patty Hearst, who was kidnapped in 1974 by the revolutionary Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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46:38
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46:38
Calling the Shots, Evading Tariffs, Threatening Bombards
Cormac and Tim delve into the deep political divisions within unionism and the significant influence of loyalist paramilitary groups in 1975 Northern Ireland, where anti-power-sharing unionists held sway and paramilitaries publicly backed William Craig's call for talks, contributing to a decade of political stagnation. The discussion also delves into the economic landscape of the 1920s, revealing how Northern Ireland and British companies established factories in the Irish Free State to circumvent new customs duties, highlighting the early economic impacts of partition. Finally, they explore the "spiky spicy language" used by the British press in 1925 to influence the Irish Boundary Commission, even suggesting extreme measures like military action and the "naval bombard" of Belfast if the Northern government resisted its decisions, underscoring the intense political pressure of the era.View the full episode on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Comedian Tim McGarry and Historian Cormac Moore select the stories from the archives of The Irish News that bring Irish history to life in enlightening and amusing ways. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland