The Harlan Strauss Tapes

Tonight, we're going to look at memories of the Irish revolution – and how different media are useful in preserving memory of the War of independence and the Civil War Recently, an extraordinary collection of interviews has come to light – a treasure trove of oral history recorded by a young academic in 1972.

These interviews with prominent Irish revolutionaries were featured in the RTÉ TV series The Silent Civil War, broadcast earlier this year.

Myles is joined on the line from Washington D.C. Harlan J. Strauss, the man who made those recordings as a young PHD student in 1972. With Myles in studio is Jim Dolan – his father James Dolan was active in the War of Independence and Civil War – and, was one of the people Harlan interviewed in 1972.

We also hear from historian Conor Mulvagh, Associate Professor of Modern Irish History at the School of History, University College Dublin with special responsibility for the decade of centenaries.

Also, historian Ultan Courtney discusses the career of Meath revolutionary Michael Hilliard, and the panel compares what he told Harlan Strauss in his 1972 interview with what he told The Bureau of Military History.

If you'd like to contribute to the Civil War Memory Project collection, you can do so by contacting: bealoideas@ucd.ie