This week: The life of Donegal Storyteller Seumas MacManus; The Lough Ree Monster; and the legacy of T. K. Whitaker.

Seumas MacManus

Born in 1868, Seumus Macmanus immersed himself in the folklore of his home county, Donegal - before bringing those tales to a wider audience, particularly among the Irish diaspora in North America.

His books, like The Story of the Irish Race, magazine articles and lecture tours found a devoted audience, far beyond Irish shores - helping to shape how generations of Irish-Americans understood their heritage.

But while he was a key figure in the cultural revival of the early 20th century, his legacy has been somewhat overlooked in recent years.

Our reporter, Marc McMenamin has been finding out more. He speaks to Brian Ó Conchubhair, Professor of Irish Language and Literature at the University of Notre Dame; and Chris Cusack, Assistant Professor of English and American Literature and Culture at Radboud University in the Netherlands. Then, Marc joins Myles in studio to talk more about the Donegal storyteller.

The Lough Ree Monster

On a calm evening in May 1960, three Catholic priests took a rowing boat across Lough Ree on the River Shannon. They were in the midst of what had been a quiet fishing holiday but as the sun dipped towards the horizon, they saw something unexpected: a dark shape gliding through the water – large, silent and - they thought - alive.

Within hours the media had latched onto their story, and the 'Lough Ree Monster' was born. Newspapers splashed it across their front pages, reporters flocked to Athlone, and a businessman put up a reward for the creature’s capture – dead or alive. Wild theories took hold. Some swore it was a prehistoric animal, others suggested it was a Soviet submarine.

The story would eventually draw in Old IRA men, amateur hunters and a high-powered British investigative team, among many others. To learn more about that story and its eclectic cast of characters, Myles is joined by Ian Kenneally, historian and The History Show researcher.

T.K. Whitaker: Irishman of the 20th Century

T.K. Whitaker is credited with pulling the Irish economy out of the doldrums in the 1950s. He later became Governor of the Central Bank, and in 2001, the then-85 year old former civil servant outpolled historical icons, politicians and celebrities to be voted 'Irishman of the Twentieth Century' by Irish television views.

Born in 1916, he died at the age of 100 in 2017 - a life that spanned the history of the Irish state – making unprecedented contributions to the evolution of the Irish state. As we’ll hear, many aspects of his life and work have particular resonance for Ireland and the world today.

Myles is joined by Whitaker’s biographer, Anne Chambers, whose book T.K. Whitaker: Irishman of the 20th Century was recently republished by Red Stripe Press.