This week: The Papal Conclave; The Fenian Invasion of Canada; and Padraig Yeates on The Truth Recovery Process

The Papal Conclave

We begin this evening with the Papal Conclave. The death of a pontiff triggers a huge transition for the Catholic church. A successor must be chosen to follow Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday. All eyes will be on Rome, where next week, cardinals will gather at the Vatican to begin the process of selecting the next pope.

The process by which a new pope is chosen has evolved through the ages, and is shrouded in centuries-old tradition and secrecy. To talk about this, Myles is joined by Dr Jessica Wärnberg, an historian of the religious and political history of Europe. Jessica is the author of the 2023 book City of Echoes: A New History of Rome, its Popes and its People

The Fenian Invasion of Canada, 1866

Recent suggestions by Donald Trump that Canada should become the 51st state may have been provocative – but the idea is not without historical precedent. In the 19th century, some in the United States viewed British-controlled Canada not as a neighbour, but as unfinished business: a northern frontier that might yet fall under American control.

In this report, Ian Kenneally explores how Irish revolutionaries, operating from US soil, sought to take advantage of that mindset by attacking Canadian territory. They envisioned a transatlantic campaign for Irish independence, one that might gain momentum through American support.

He talks to historians David Doolin and John Gibney to discuss the remarkable story behind the so-called Fenian Invasion of Canada of 1866, when armed members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood crossed the border from the United States in an attempt to seize Canadian territory.

Padraig Yeates on the Truth Recovery Process

More than three and a half thousand people were killed during the Troubles. Over forty-five thousand were seriously injured. It was a devastating loss of life, and for many families, the pain of those years has never gone away.

In the decades since the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland has found peace — but not always resolution. The question of how to deal with the past remains difficult, deeply contested, and often bitter. Should victims' families still hope for justice through the courts? Or has the chance for prosecutions passed, leaving only the possibility of truth, if people are willing to tell it?

One group of campaigners — north and south of the border — is proposing what they call a Truth Recovery Process: an alternative to the legal system, based on voluntary disclosure, mediation, and reconciliation on the facts.

To talk about this, Myles is joined by historian, journalist and trade unionist Padraig Yeates. You can read more about these arguments, and coverage of this debate over truth and reconciliation on the website, truthrecoveryprocess.ie