Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington (1877 - 1946), suffragette, feminist, nationalist, and socialist was born in Kanturk Cork on 24 May 1877. On marrying her husband, Francis Skeffington, in 1903, they took each other's last names as a demonstration of equalit…

William Drennan (1754 - 1820) republican, polemicist, poet, and physician was born in Belfast on May 23, 1754. Inspired by the ideas of the Enlightenment and the American and French revolutions, he was one of the primary movers in the United Irishma…

Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (1852 - 1932) was born in Galway on March 15, 1852. Despite being born into an Anglo Irish family, Lady Gregory would have a profound nationalist impact on Ireland. While a gifted writer, Lady Gregory’s most pro…

James Plunkett author of Strumpet City, one of the best books on Dublin was born on 21 May 1920 in the Hibernian metropolis. Strumpet City details the lives of common Dublin folk and their hero, James Larkin, and is a must-read for anybody that want…

On Christmas Eve 2020,  Jack Byrne reached out to see if we'd be interested in doing an episode on his upcoming book. We had only launched the podcast in October and were chuffed that anyone would actually ask to come on the Stew. Things have c…

Although there are likely many Turloughs in New York City, for those that are active in Gotham’s Irish arts scene, there is only one man who jumps to mind - Turlough McConnell. While cohost John Lee knew Turlough well, I had never had t…

Playwright, Seán O’Casey (1880 - 1964) was born on March 30, 1880, in Dublin into a Protestant family of modest circumstances. O’Casey’s father, Micheal, died when Seán was five years old leaving a family of 13 behind…

Michael Davitt (1846 - 1906), refugee, physically disadvantaged, revolutionary, agrarian agitator, parliamentarian, journalist, author and servant of his people was born in Sraide, Mayo during the Great Hunger to a family of Irish speaking tenant fa…

Podcasting is certainly not a get-rich-quick scheme. In truth, John and I don't podcast for monetary purposes, rather the opportunity to sit down with really interesting Irish people is what drives us. Not that we're averse to making money, so if so…

Mary MacSwiney (1872 - 1942) was born in London on March 27, 1872. She was the oldest of seven children born to a staunchly separatist father and English mother. At age seven the family moved to Cork in 1879 where her younger brother Terence was bor…