Michael Collins - Part 3

On the 22nd of August 1922, Michael Collins was shot dead in Béal Na Bláth, County Cork. His death at just 31 ensured he would become one of Ireland’s most iconic figures, forever frozen in time. This week on What Were We Like, we explore the complicated legacy of Michael Collins. We also look a…

Michael Collins - Part 2

Michael Collins is now one of the most powerful men in Ireland. But events that will tear Ireland apart and lead to his brutal assassination in Cork are already set in train. In 1921 he is sent by De Valera to London to negotiate with the British on what will become the Anglo-Irish Treaty. With hi…

Michael Collins - Part 1

On the 22nd of August 1922, Michael Collins, the Commander in Chief of the National Army was shot dead. He was just 31. Almost immediately the myth making around Michael Collins began, starting with the last words he’s alleged to have uttered. But what is the real legacy of Michael Collins? He wa…

Stardust – From national tragedy to national scandal

In the early hours of February 14th 1981, a fire ripped through the Stardust Nightclub in Artane in Dublin. 48 people, aged between 16 and 27, die in the tragedy. It is one of the worst fires, in terms of loss of life and significant injury, in the State’s history. In 1982 a Tribunal controversia…

Sean O’Casey – The Irish Rebel playwright

He was one of Ireland’s greatest and most controversial playwrights. Sean O’Casey’s remarkable life began in the slums of Dublin and took him to the biggest stages in the world, including the Abbey Theatre. His work caused riots in Dublin and caused protests around the world, from Texas to Berlin …

The Ballyseedy Massacre (Part 2)

After committing one of the worst atrocities in the Irish Civil War, the State attempts to cover up its role in the massacre. As “Terror Month” in Kerry continues, further atrocities are carried out with more prisoners blown up by landmines. However, the man who gave the order at Ballyseedy, Padd…

The Ballyseedy Massacre (Part 1)

On the 7th of March 1923, nine anti-Treaty prisoners were taken to a field in Kerry, tied to a landmine and blown up. It was one of the most shocking events of the Irish Civil War and became known as the Ballyseedy Massacre. The State immediately tried to cover it up but incredibly, one man survive…

The Pope's Visit of 1979

John Paul II, the "rock star" Pope took Ireland by storm in 1979, and millions came out to see him. (Everyone except Catriona, who went to Donegal in a sulk but kept an eye on proceedings through the television). This was an iconic moment, and everyone was swept away by his good looks, his "deep ba…

Best of What Were We Like (Part 2)

RTÉ's podcast intern Arran returns with the second instalment of his favourite parts of What Were We Like. This time around, grumpy Patrick Kavanagh, "airhead" Ronald Reagan, and the insertion of the Eighth Amendment into the Constitution all feature. This is Arran's last selection - he's off to El…

Best of What Were We Like (Part 1)

Diarmaid and Catriona are on holidays, so RTE's podcast intern, Arran has selected some of his favourite parts of What Were We Like so far. Bobby Sands, The Contraceptive Train, and John Charles McQuaid all feature in the first part of this "Best of" series. Part 2 of Arran's selections will be out…