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Episode Notes
On this week's programme: The complex and contested centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland; and a look back at Eurovision 1990.
We begin this evening with Northern Ireland, and the one hundredth anniversary of its creation. As we'll hear a little later, there are many specific dates on the calendar you could choose to mark this particular centenary. But first, we're going to look at a date, and an event, you may not know about.
On the 5th of May 1921, a meeting took place between Eamon De Valera, President of Sinn Fein and James Craig, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. It was first and only time the two men met. It happened a few weeks before the 1921 Irish elections, which were explicitly fought on the issue of partition.
Joining Myles to talk about this historic meeting is historian Cormac Moore, author of the book Birth of the Border: The Impact of Partition in Ireland.
The tête-à-tête between the two leaders, north and south, led to some media speculation on its significance – and some hope that it might finally bring about peace on this island.
Now, partition has been a fixed reality for *about* one hundred years, and this has proved to be one of the most controversial centenaries on the commemorative calendar. To talk about this, Myles is joined by two guests.
Dr Laura McAtackney is associate professor in the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Aarhus University in Denmark.
And Dr Éamon Phoenix is a Political Historian and a member of the Taoiseach’s Expert Advisory Group on Centenaries.
Well this Tuesday, Ireland's Eurovision hopeful Lesley Roy will be competing in the Semi-Final of the 2021 Eurovision song contest, with her song Maps. The event will be the 65th edition of the long-running song competition.
We're going to look back now to 1990, and the 35th edition of the contest – the only time it was hosted by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In this piece, Martina Relihan explains how that particular contest reflected the changing political tides in Europe.
Pictured is Toto Cutugno, winner of the 1990 contest.