Radio interview with Seán Moncrieff

On Bastille Day 2026, I spoke with Seán Moncrieff on his Newstalk radio show about Samuel Beckett and Mary Elmes. These are just two of the Irish people who put themselves in danger in France during World War Two when they helped the French people by being in the Resistance (Beckett) or by providing needed humanitarian assistance (Elmes). You can listen back to the interview here.

In the Newstalk studio with Seán Moncrieff on 14 July 2026. 

Thanks to Seán for the invite and to Simon Tierney of Newstalk who helped arrange it. I am looking forward to the next interview.

 

Radio interview based on article on Irish restaurant in Paris - La Ferme Irlandsaise

I recently did a short radio interview with MJ Clery on the programme 'Country Life' on Midlands 103 about the RTÉ Brainstorm article I wrote on the Irish restaurant in Paris known as La Ferme Irlandaise. You can listen back to the interview here. 

 

It's great to see that there is an interest in this relatively unknown chapter in Irish food history and Franco-Irish relations. Thanks to MJ Clery for the invite to take about my research on the show. 

Short radio piece on Cork City Gaol, Cork, Ireland

The RTÉ (Irish state broadcaster) radio programme, Drivetime, introduced a new slot during the Coronavirus outbreak. It's called the 'Drivetime 2km Local History Challenge' and entails people recording a short piece of audio on a historic building in their neighbourhood. It's supposed to be 2 km from their home (that is the area that people are supposed to stick to while exercising during the government restrictions to limit the spread of the disease).

Gatehouse of Cork City Gaol and outer wall.

I recorded a short piece about Cork City Gaol, which is situated close to where I live. You can listen to it here (from around 1.02 mins). Located on the  northside of the city, it's about 2 km from the center. As you can see from the photograph above, it is an impressive looking stone-built building with enormous outer walls at the perimeter.

The history of the building is fascinating. It opened in 1824 and housed different kinds of prisoners over the years. In the beginning, it held convicts before they were transported to Australia. Young Irelanders and Fenians were imprisoned there in the 1840s and 1860s. From the 1880s, it was designated as a Female Gaol and held women and children.

Aerial view of Cork City Gaol. Image source.

One of its famous residents was Constance Markievicz, who spent four months there in 1919. She praised the people of Cork who were kind to her during her imprisonment and sent her flowers and fruit. See here for more information about this. During the Irish Civil War (June 1922 - May 1923), it held anti-Treaty prisoners, including the Cork-born short story writer, Frank O'Connor. You can find out more here on some of the famous people who were incarcerated in the prison.

The prison closed in 1923 and later housed a radio station which broadcast from there until the 1950s. It then fell into disrepair, until it was renovated in the 1990s. It is now open to the public and is well worth a visit. Check out their website here: https://corkcitygaol.com/your-visit/

'The Irish Whip': Danno O'Mahony - RTÉ's Sunday Miscellany

I recently recorded a short piece on the RTÉ Radio 1 programme 'Sunday Miscellany' about the Irish wrestler, Danno O'Mahony (1912-1950). Born in the townland of Derrenlomane, outside the village of Ballydehob, County Cork, O'Mahony won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1935.

Danno's wrestling move was known as the 'Irish Whip'. He used it to great effect to disarm his opponents. Listen to it here (from 9 min 25 seconds).

 

Photo of Danno's statue on Ballydehob's main street.