David McCullagh

Rise and rule - 50th anniversary of de Valera's death

David McCullagh on Communism's forgotten radicals

'This book is crammed full of stories of fascinating people who led extraordinary lives – and yet one of the main characters is actually a building.'

Book Of The Week • 08 Sep 24

Book Of The Day: Land Is All That Matters by Myles Dungan

The assertion that land is all that matters, and that the struggle over it "shaped Irish history", are big claims to make.

Book Of The Week • 26 Jun 24

Gerald Boland, as pictured on the cover of Stephen Kelly's new biography

Book Of The Week: David McCullagh on the life of Gerald Boland

'Gerald Boland is a significant figure in Irish history who has been neglected too long'. RTÉ's David McCullagh reviews a new biography of a noteworthy figure in Irish politics, one often overlooked in the story of the evolution of the state.

Books • 08 May 24

Taoiseach John Bruton and his wife Finola on stage at the RDS after Bruton gave his speech at the end of the Fine Gael Ard Fheis

John Bruton: An original thinker with strong opinions

Throughout his political career, John Bruton remained an original thinker with strong opinions, and a dedication to public service, writes David McCullagh.

Ireland • 06 Feb 24

ISDL demonstrators gather at Liverpool's Pier Head in August 1920 for the arrival of Archbishop Daniel Mannix. (Photo: Firmin/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

David McCullagh on a story of Irish Nationalism in Britain

After the Decade of Centenaries - ten years of intensively studying the events of a century ago - is there a single new thing to be said about the period from the Third Home Rule Bill to the Treaty?

Books • 16 Jan 24

This controversial act, one of the most controversial things Éamon de Valera ever did, has been regularly resurrected in the decades since, with some using it to suggest that he was pro-Nazi

Why did de Valera offer condolences after Hitler died?

Almost five decades after his death, the legacy of Éamon de Valera is in the news again.

Analysis and Comment • 10 Sep 23

Convicted killer Malcolm Macarthur is the subject of two new books

David McCullagh on the murders that shocked Ireland, 40 years on

David McCullagh reviews a pair of new books exploring a notorious chapter in Irish history.

Books • 22 Jul 23

(L to R) Alan, Paul and David Tilson on summer holidays in Oldcastle, 1949 (Pic: Tilson family)

David McCullagh on a tale of church and state in 1950s Ireland

In December 1941, Ernest Tilson was desperate to get married. His girlfriend, Mary Barnes, was pregnant, and given the social mores of the time, a quick marriage was vital.

Books • 05 Jul 23

US President John F Kennedy with President Eamon de Valera and Taoiseach Sean Lemass at Áras an Uachtaráin in June 1963

'Near riot' at JFK visit to Áras 60 years ago this week

President Joe Biden's visit to Áras an Uachtaráin in April was a triumph - quite the contrast from the first US Presidential visit to the Áras 60 years ago this week, which saw a near riot breaking out on the Áras lawn.

Ireland • 25 Jun 23