On this week's programme - we remember and pay tribute to the extraordinary life of Dr Margaret MacCurtain; and we hear about a new book on the history of women in Irish foreign affairs.

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We begin this evening with Dr Margaret Mac Curtain, the distinguished historian, educator and human rights activist who died recently at the age of 91.

We look back on her life through the reflections and memories of historians who knew her, and of course, through her own words. Myles is joined by Sinead McCoole, Margaret Kelleher and Diarmaid Ferriter.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs is among the oldest of the ministries, as you can trace its origins all the way back to the First Dáil, a century ago. And prior to independence in 1922, there were women working for the department in those early days.

But women embarking on a career in the department in a newly independent Ireland faced numerous challenges - like the Marriage Bar in the Civil Service, equal pay for equal work, and negotiating a traditionally male-dominated field. They faced these challenges while carrying on their work on the international stage.

So who were these women and what did they achieve? Joining Myles to talk about it is Dr Ann Marie O'Brien, lecturer at Maynooth University and author of the new book The Ideal Diplomat? Women and Irish Foreign Affairs, 1946 to 1990 which is published by Four Courts Press.