logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
28m 1s

Exiled: Irish Writers in the 1930s

FIN DWYER
About this episode


The 1930s stood out as one of the most dramatic decades in modern history. Fascism was on the rise, and Europe was hurtling towards the Second World War.

However, it was a peculiar time in Ireland. The Revolutionary Era was firmly in the rearview, and the optimism and hope it once inspired had long faded. Irish society was increasingly dominated by the Catholic Church and conservative political forces. This podcast delves into life in Ireland during the 1930s by examining the experiences of a series of writers. These writers were critical of Irish society, and due to their political or religious beliefs, they found themselves labeled as outsiders. This podcast tracks their journeys as they left Ireland for London, where they mingled with the most renowned writers of the age, such as T.S. Eliot and George Orwell, and were drawn into the dramatic global politics of the time.


My guest is Katrina Goldstone. Katrina has published a book Irish Writers and the 30s and is available here https://www.routledge.com/Irish-Writers-and-the-Thirties-Art-Exile-and-War/Goldstone/p/book/9780367634995


You can find Katrina’s website https://www.katrinagoldstone.com/



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jan 28
The Mystery of St Brigid
Each February Ireland celebrates St Brigid, one of the most beloved figures in Irish history. She is woven into the landscape, the calendar and the culture, yet a simple question hangs over her story. Did she ever really exist?You may recall a very short episode on this topic las ... Show More
28m 43s
Jan 21
Daily Life in a Medieval Irish Castle: What was it really like?
What was daily life in a medieval Irish castle really like? In this special episode recorded in Barryscourt Castle I explore the reality behind the myths. My guest Jamie O’Callaghan guides you through reconstructed rooms that reveal everything from deadly defenses to secret chamb ... Show More
40m 56s
Dec 17
The Secret Sex Lives of our Ancestors
This episode includes discussion of sex and is not suitable for younger listeners.Sex has always been a key part of Irish life. Yet given its intimate and private nature it often leaves little trace in the historical record. One rare exception comes from the Presbyterian Kirk Ses ... Show More
45m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2008
Yeats and Irish Politics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the poet W.B. Yeats and Irish politics. Yeats lived through a period of great change in Ireland from the collapse of the home rule bill through to the Easter Rising of 1916 and the partitioning of the country. In May 1916, 15 men were shot by the B ... Show More
42m 17s
Mar 2022
A Personal Tour of Modern Irish History
<p>Fintan O’Toole was born in Dublin in 1958, the same year that T.K. Whitaker, a member of the Irish government, published an influential report suggesting that Ireland open its doors economically and culturally to the rest of the world. O’Toole’s new book, <a href="https://www. ... Show More
51m 46s
Jan 2024
The First Irish
<p>Over 10,000 years ago, many believe Ireland was a place where hunter-gatherers roamed. A place where the earliest human communities exchanged prizes of the hunt and crafted primitive tools to aid their survival. But what if their interactions with each other were more sophisti ... Show More
40m 53s
May 2023
336: Ireland: Celts, Conquest and Cromwell (Part 1)
“In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty; six times during the past three hundred years they have asserted it in arms.”  The proclamation of the Irish Republic, delivered by Patrick Pearse in Dublin, marked the beginning ... Show More
55m 45s
Mar 2024
Irish in America: Poverty to Power
<p>At least 23 of the Presidents of the United States can have their ancestry traced back to Ireland.</p><br><p>So why did this diaspora come to America? What was their reception like? And how have they reached the top of the power structure so regularly?</p><br><p>We are finding ... Show More
47m 1s
Jun 2023
Medieval Irish Folklore (Live)
In this special live episode, recorded at the Hay Festival, Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Gillian Kenny and comedian Seán Burke to learn about medieval Irish folklore.We’re focusing on the lore and stories from Gaelic Irish culture. Gaelic culture remained the dominant set of cultu ... Show More
1 h
Mar 2022
Saint Patrick
<p>Man, myth or legend... who was the real Saint Patrick? Did he really banish all the snakes from Ireland? Where does the shamrock tradition come from? And was he even Irish?</p><br><p>In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Lisa Bitel of USC Dornsife to find out more ab ... Show More
38m 45s
Jan 2023
The Irish Rebellion of 1798
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the momentum behind rebellion in Ireland in 1798, the people behind the rebellion and the impact over the next few years and after. Amid wider unrest, the United Irishmen set the rebellion on its way, inspired by the French and American revolutiona ... Show More
55m 25s
Jan 2023
The Irish Rebellion of 1798
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the momentum behind rebellion in Ireland in 1798, the people behind the rebellion and the impact over the next few years and after. Amid wider unrest, the United Irishmen set the rebellion on its way, inspired by the French and American revolutiona ... Show More
55m 25s