Trinity Long Room Hub Podcasts

Recorded February 2026.

In this in-depth conversation, historian and Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub, Prof Patrick Geoghegan, talks with Arthur Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, about his newly published book Guinness: A Family Succession: The True Story of the Struggle to Create the World’s Largest Brewery, co-authored by Dr Antonia Hart.

Lord Iveagh shares insights into the history and legacy of the Guinness family – from their humble beginnings in eighteenth-century Ireland to the creation of one of the world’s most iconic brewing dynasties. They discuss family archives, generational stories of ambition and innovation, and how personal history intersects with wider social and cultural change.

This conversation traces both the business and human side of the Guinness dynasty and is essential listening for lovers of Irish history, biography and cultural heritage.

Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

Recorded 29th January 2026.

Trinity College Dublin marks the 250th anniversary of the establishment of Modern Languages, a historic initiative that led to the creation of some of the oldest continuous Chairs of Modern Languages in the world.

This special event, hosted at the Trinity Long Room Hub and organised by the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, officially launches a year-long programme of commemorative events celebrating the rich legacy and ongoing vitality of Modern Languages at Trinity.

The evening featured an address by Minister Thomas Byrne T.D, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, followed by an address from Pat Cox, President of the Jean Monnet Foundation and former President of the European Parliament. Also speaking at the event was the Provost Linda Doyle, Mary Cosgrove, incumbent 1776 Professor of German and Professor Michael Cronin, Chair of French 1776 at Trinity’s School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies.

Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

Recorded February 11th, 2026

The recent moves on Venezuela and Greenland by US President Donald Trump have left world leaders once more questioning geopolitical norms and a decades-long alliance between the US and the EU.
A direct threat to the territorial integrity of the EU has confirmed for many a move away from a rules-based international order, with some questioning its existence in the first place. In our upcoming ‘Behind the Headlines’ discussion, we will bring together experts from history, law, environmental humanities and political science to discuss the implications of this latest political shock.

Panellists include:
Professor Daniel Geary, Mark Pigott Professor in U.S. History, Trinity College Dublin.
Mairéad McGuinness, Former European Commissioner (2020-2024), and Vice-President of the European People's Party (2025-present).
Michael A Becker, Assistant Professor of International Human Rights Law, Trinity College Dublin.
Poul Holm, Professor of Environmental History, Trinity College Dublin.

Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

Recorded February 11th, 2026.

Continuing our Bridging the Gap series, this seminar explores how researchers, policy-makers and members of the public can work together to translate scientific knowledge into practical, lasting action. Drawing on her experience chairing Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, and more recently her work as Chair of the Independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration, Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin will discuss what insights we can take from examples of deliberative democracy and public engagement. Named a European Young Leader for her work to promote equality, innovation and inclusion in mathematics education, and in light of Ireland preparing to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in July, Dr Ní Shúilleabháin will also explore how academia can best contribute to the development of public policy. The seminar will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and anyone interested in connecting research and public participation.

Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin is an award-winning science communicator and educator and is Associate Professor in the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies at DCU.   She was appointed by the Taoiseach in 2022 to chair the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, and in her role as chair of the Independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration is contributing to the development of Ireland's Nature Restoration Plan.  

Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

Recorded January 27th 2026.

A lecture by visiting research fellow Dr Seçil Yılmaz (University of Pennsylvania) organised by the School of Histories and Humanities. 

Although syphilis had existed in Ottoman society since the sixteenth century, it became a significant public health concern in the latter half of the nineteenth century as a result of increased mobility, particularly among soldiers, Muslim immigrants, and seasonal workers traveling throughout the Ottoman countryside. The disease provoked fear, shame, and secrecy as Ottoman physicians devised socio-medical regulations and prescriptions that reshaped gender roles and sexual norms in the society. This lecture offers an insight into the perspectives of Ottoman physicians and psychiatrists who aspired to bring love, desire, marriage, and family under the aegis of a developing medical expertise and a vernacular form of sexology.

Seçil Yılmaz is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania. She will be based at the Trinity Long Room Hub during her visiting research fellowship in early 2026.

Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub