The Irish Pub

This evening – with the weekend that's in it – we’re turning our attention to perhaps the most enduring institution in Irish social life: the pub. We’re going to explore the social and cultural history of the Irish pub, by delving into two recently published books - books that look at how pubs evolved, and how they’re woven into everyday life.

These publications also look at how the Irish pub became a worldwide cultural phenomenon, and how their portrayal in drama (like Seán O’Casey’s play The Plough and the Stars) reflects their role in Irish society.

Myles is joined by three guests.

Historian Donal Fallon is author of The Dublin Pub: A Social and Cultural History

We also hear from the two editors of the book The Irish Pub: Invention and Re-Invention

On the line from Hong Kong is MoonYoung Hong, Assistant Professor at the School of English at the University of Hong Kong. And in the RTE Sligo studio is Perry Share, Head of the School of Social Science and Humanities at Atlantic Technological University in Sligo.

The Academy Awards

Tonight is Oscar Night. The 98th edition of the annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, takes place this evening at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Tonight’s ceremony is historic in a number of ways. It sees the debut of a brand new award - achievement in casting, which is the first new category in decades. Also, thanks in part to that new category, the film Sinners has smashed the record for number of nominations – with 16.

To talk about all this, and to explore how the Oscars developed into the institution we know today – Myles is joined in studio by Dr Harvey O’Brien, lecturer in Film Studies at University College Dublin.