The Boundary Commission's Collapse: The 1925 Morning Post Leak
This episode of the Irish History Boys is dedicated to dissecting the political fallout generated by the explosive November 7th, 1925, Morning Post leak—the event described by sources as the climax of the entire Irish Boundary Commission saga.The Morning Post's forecast, initially met with skepticism, proved almost on the money, revealing that the Commission was planning only rectification on lines convenient to both sides and not at any large transfers of territory. This outcome, involving mere tiny little tinkerings with the border, was instantly recognised as a complete unionist victory.Join us as we examine how a single newspaper leak derailed the Boundary Commission and solidified partition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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47:09
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47:09
Irish Independence, League of Nations, & Spanish Dictator Franco
This week, we're uncovering historical drama that still echoes today. We dig into the League of Nations, the toothless tiger whose failures against big bullies like Mussolini's Italy made people question its power—a debate still relevant when looking at the UN today. We also celebrate the Irish Free State's successful 1923 entry into the League as a massive power move to assert its independence, despite attempts by the British to shut it down. Finally, we jump ahead to 1975 to examine the end of the brutal regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who outlived all his wartime peers, before concluding with the shocking, tragic, and often forgotten 1925 story of Irish politician Darrell Figgis TD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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38:31
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38:31
Asserting Irish Independence, Border Incursions and the Guildford Four
This week on The Irish History Boys, the discussion covers the controversy surrounding the Free State granting major contracts, such as the vital hydro-electric scheme on the Shannon, to foreign companies like the German firm Siemens, instead of British firms. Fast forward to 1975 and the border between North and South Ireland transformed into a security border during the Troubles, complete with physical barriers and watchtowers. Tim and Cormac detail the "grave concern at border trespass", focusing on an incident where five British soldiers crossed two miles into the Republic, allegedly raiding a farmhouse and commandeering a car while pursuing men on a tractor. Finally, the episode examines the notorious 1975 conviction of the Guildford Four—three men and a young girl—for the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombings. Judge John Johnson famously warned 21-year-old Paul Hill that "life meant life", a devastating sentence for a crime they did not commit, though their innocence was later supported when the Balcombe Street IRA gang confessed to the bombings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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51:54
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51:54
Ireland's Partition and Saint Oliver Plunkett
This week, the Irish History Boys explore the messiness, the craziness and the unrealism that surrounded the Partition of Ireland. We discuss the intense speculation and rumors surrounding the Irish Boundary Commission's report in October 1925, highlighting the complications caused by duplicated services and the controversial interpretation of Article 12 that ultimately cemented the six-county border. The episode also shifts focus to the 1975 canonization of St. Oliver Plunkett, who became the first Irishman granted this honour in over 700 years. We recount the history of the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, detailing his condemnation in a show trial and his gruesome execution in 1681 by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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51:54
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51:54
Siege and Injustice
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.
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.
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