This week: The Irish in Multicultural Britain; Dracula, Frankenstein and Ballyshannon; and the convening of the Irish Boundary Commission a century ago

The Irish in Multicultural Britain

Between the end of the Second World War and the early twenty-first century, Britain became multicultural: a process that offers lessons for modern Ireland, which has recently experienced its own transition towards a more diverse society.

Irish immigrants were one of many groups who flocked to Britain during the 1950s and throughout later decades. Like other immigrant groups, they faced persistent hostility and discrimination but, over time, created communities that changed the face of Britain, especially in its cities.

A new book explores the history of multiculturalism in Britain, seeking to explain the contradictions in how that country reacted to immigration. It reveals a story of progress and cultural interchange but also one in which politicians took advantage of anxieties over migrants and race for their own ends.

That book, Multicultural Britain: A People's History, is written by historian Dr Kieran Connell who joins Myles in studio. The book is published by Hurt and Company.

Dracula, Frankenstein and Ballyshannon

As Halloween approaches, we're looking now at two of the most iconic figures in gothic literature: Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Did you know that the authors of these famous works – Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley – both have a familial connection to a small town in County Donegal. Our reporter Marc McMenamin has the story. He speaks to Professor Jarlath Killeen of Trinity College Dublin, and local historian Brian Drummond.

The Convening of the Irish Boundary Commission

Article 12 of the Anglo-Irish Treaty provided for a Boundary Commission, to determine the exact delineation of a border between the new Irish Free State, and Northern Ireland. After independence, it took almost two years for that Boundary Commission to actually meet.

It finally convened about a hundred years ago – holding its first meeting on the 6th of November 1924. The journey to this moment was long and convoluted - delayed by political manoeuvring, legal hurdles and especially Northern Ireland's reluctance to appoint their representative to the Commission.

With the stakes high and divergent opinions swirling, the commission was tasked with a complex mandate: to determine the future of territories with mixed communities, weighing the wishes of the inhabitants against economic and geographic considerations.

To talk about this, Myles is joined by historian Dr Cormac Moore, who’s currently putting the finishing touches on a book on this very subject.