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History

What Were We Like

by RTÉ
History

Not on the United States charts we track today.

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Latest episodes

  • The Fearsome Ruler of Catholic Ireland: John Charles McQuaid (Part 1)

    June 1, 2026 · 45 min

    The powerful and fearsome John Charles McQuaid was the archbishop of Dublin from 1940 to the early 1970s, and was described as the ruler of Catholic Ireland. He was obsessed with protestants, communists and "moral purity", and ran a huge…

  • By Elections That Shaped Ireland (Part 2)

    May 23, 2026 · 36 min

    More giants of Irish politics feature in this episode. Enda Kenny – was he lucky, was he devoid of strong convictions, was he Fine Gael's most successful Taoiseach? Probably all three. Prickly Des O’Malley won his famous uncle’s seat in a…

  • The By-Elections That Shaped Ireland (Part 1)

    May 18, 2026 · 37 min

    With by-elections in the air, Diarmaid and Catriona look back at some of the most significant ones in Irish history. Part one features big beasts Sean Lemass and Sean MacBride, as well as Ireland's most handsome communist. Lemass succeeded…

  • The History of The Tricolour (Part 3)

    May 11, 2026 · 49 min

    This episode charts the Tricolour's 20th Century evolution: its formal adoption in 1937; getting the Brits to return the Tricolour that flew over the GPO in 1916; all the way up to Italia '90. The gruesome digging up of Roger Casement's…

  • The History of The Tricolour (Part 2)

    May 4, 2026 · 34 min

    Patrick Pearse’s dramatic ‘The fools, the fools’ speech at Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral was a key moment in the story of Ireland’s flag. Pearse made the oration alongside a Tricolour draped across the veteran Fenian’s coffin. The…

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  • The History of The Tricolour (Part 1)

    April 27, 2026 · 29 min

    Who owns The Tricolour? Over the last year it has appeared on polls and lampposts all over Ireland – put there by anti-immigration campaigners, causing fights and debates all over the country. This happened in Catriona’s neighbourhood, and…

  • A President Comes to Town - Reagan in Ireland

    April 20, 2026 · 52 min

    June 1984, and Ronald Reagan, the controversial, transformative Republican President of the United States visits Ireland. Opposition is widespread, and an unexpected alliance of lefties and priests man the barricades, with Reagan’s foreign…

  • Fianna Fáil: "The Devil" Takes Power (Part 3)

    April 13, 2026 · 37 min

    General election campaigns in the early years of the State were utterly vicious, with fresh cow dung, sticks, and nasty insults being hurled about as Fianna Fáil attempted to wrest power from the pro-Treaty Cumann na nGaedheal. Despite the…

  • Fianna Fáil: Take your seats, but no drinking in the Dáil bar (Part 2)

    April 6, 2026 · 33 min

    Having won instant success in their first election, the Soldiers Of Destiny are faced with an intractable dilemma – how to take their Dáil seats while also swearing a mandatory oath to the hated King of England. Cunning old Dev solves this…

  • Fianna Fáil: Hard Men and Blood Sacrifices (Part 1)

    March 30, 2026 · 41 min

    Since the crash, Fianna Fáil has become 'just another political party'. But for nearly a century it was THE leading force in Irish politics, synonymous with power, influence and flash suits; and dominated by outsized personalities like Pee…

  • Political insults: F*ck you Deputy Stagg, F*CK YOU! (Part 2)

    March 23, 2026 · 36 min

    Political insults part 2/2. The civil war is well in the past, but Irish politicians are still roaring at each other. From Paul Gogarty’s viral, foul-mouthed outburst during the economic crash, to Brian Lenihan Sr. being derided as the…

  • Political insults: From Communist to corner boy (Part 1)

    March 23, 2026 · 32 min

    Political insults part 1/2. Diarmaid Ferriter and Catriona Crowe look at the angriest and most bizarre Irish political insults of the last 100 years. In part one of this catalogue of mudslinging, the civil war dominates. Dev is a ‘Spanish…

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About the show

Diarmaid Ferriter and Catriona Crowe bring us on a journey through the hidden histories, humanity and humour of our past.