In a new mini-series over the next year, Talking History explores the history of Ireland's political parties, from their achievements in office, to their failures, leaders and legacy. In this first episode, we look back the history of Fianna Fáil: the good, the bad and the ugly of the party which has been in power in Ireland for longer than any other.

Patrick Geoghegan is joined by Dr Eoin O’Malley, Associate Professor in Political Science at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Prof Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University, Prof Eunan O'Halpin, Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Irish History, Trinity College Dublin, and Senator Lisa Chambers of Fianna Fáil.

Marking the international touring exhibition 'Imagine: 100 Years of International Surrealism', Patrick Geoghegan finds out what this movement meant to the art world and its global significance still today. Joining him is Dr Felicity Gee, Senior Lecturer in Modernism and World Cinema at the University of Exeter, and Vice President of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism; Dr Matthew Affron, curator for modern and contemporary art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art who is leading the surrealism exhibition there; Professor Alyce Mahon, the University of Cambridge’s Department of History of Art specialist in Modern and Contemporary Art History and Theory; and Dr. Tara Plunkett, Lecturer/Assistant Professor at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, at University College Dublin.

In this April Books Special, we'll find out how the Oxford English Dictionary was crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people from astronomers to murderers, with author Dr Sarah Ogilvie, Senior Research Fellow in Linguistics at the University of Oxford; we'll also explore one of the bloodiest periods in English history known as the Anarchy with author and historian Sharon Bennett Connolly; and discuss two centuries of Plantagenet history which included the murder of kings and a devastating pandemic, in the book 'Arise, England: Six Kings and the Making of the English State' with Dr Caroline Burt, medieval historian at the University of Cambridge, and Richard Partington, Fellow in History at St John's College, University of Cambridge.

In this episode of Talking History, we're remembering Abba's Eurovision win 50 years ago and finding out how the song Waterloo helped to propel them to global superstardom. Joining Patrick Geoghegan are: Carl Magnus Palm, historian and author of ‘Abba On Record', Ingmarie Halling, Creative Director and Curator at ABBA The Museum, Hedley Swain, CEO of Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, on the Abba exhibition at Brighton Museum, and Dr. Dónal Mulligan, lecturer and researcher at the DCU School of Communication.

On this week's Talking History, we're looking at the creation of the Irish courts system 100 years ago and exploring how our legal system came about. On Patrick Geoghegan's panel: Dr Niamh Howlin, Associate Professor at the UCD Sutherland School of Law and main organiser of the Dublin Castle event commemorating the Courts of Justice Act 1924; Dr Donal Coffey, Lecturer and Assistant Professor, School of Law, Maynooth University; Dr Róisin Costello, Assistant Professor of EU and International Law at TCD; Dr Kevin Costello, Senior Lecturer in the Sutherland School of Law at UCD; and Hon. Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan, Ireland’s foremost constitutional lawyer.

In this World War Two-themed March Books Special, Patrick Geoghegan meets the nephew of Alan Turing to discuss the enigma traitors. We'll also hear about the travels of Winston Churchill from Robin Cross, and debate why the Luftwaffe lost the aerial war over Germany, with Jonathan Trigg.

Happy St Patrick's Day! In this episode, we chart the history of Taoisigh visiting the White House, how the tradition started and evolved, and why Ireland is the only country that gets this special treatment in the United States. Joining Patrick's panel is Marion R. Casey, Clinical Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies and historian at New York University. She is the author of ‘The Green Space: The Transformation of the Irish Image’ and co-editor of ‘Making The Irish American: History and Heritage of Irish in the United States’; Dr Catherine Healy, Historian-in-Residence, EPIC Irish Emigration Museum; Ted Smyth, president of the Advisory Board of Glucksman Ireland House NYU, Chair of the Clinton Institute for American Studies in University College Dublin, and former Irish diplomat; Dr Daniel Geary, Mark Pigott Associate Professor in American History, Trinity College Dublin; and Cian T. McMahon, Associate Professor at the Department of History & Honors College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

On this week's episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan traces the highs and lows of The Oscars, the underrated and underwhelming nominations of the past, and the trailblazers for Irish cinematic success.

He's joined by Prof Mark Glancy, Professor of Film History, Queen Mary University of London; Dr Conn Holohan, Director of the Centre for Creative Technologies and lecturer in film and media studies at the University of Galway; Prof Ruth Barton, Professor in Film Studies, Trinity College Dublin; and Prof Kevin Rockett, Fellow Emeritus and former Professor in Film Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and former Chairman of the Irish Film Institute.

In this episode of Talking History, we're looking at FDR and the New Deal as we debate the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his attempts to tackle the Great Depression. Joining Patrick Geoghegan is Iwan Morgan, Emeritus Professor of US Studies at UCL and author of FDR: Transforming the Presidency and Renewing America; Dr Bernadette Whelan, professor emeritus in the Department of History, University of Limerick; Michael Cullinane, the Lowman Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University, Public Historian for the Theodore Roosevelt Association, and author of 'Remembering Theodore Roosevelt'; and Jonathan Darman, former political correspondent for Newsweek and author of ‘Becoming FDR’.

On this episode of Talking History, to mark the anniversary of the birth of George Harrison, we're looking at the music, history and legacy of The Beatles: the band that changed popular culture forever. Patrick Geoghegan is joined by Dr Holly Tessler of the University of Liverpool; Roag Best of the Liverpool Beatles Museum; Beatles superfan Terrie Colman-Black; and Kevin McManus, Head of UNESCO City of Music for Liverpool.

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the symbolism of Stormont and what we can learn about Northern Irish politics from studying the building, with Dr Suzanne O'Neill, adjunct assistant professor at the Department of Classics at Trinity College Dublin; why the Treaty is incorrectly blamed for partition, with author and historian Joe Connell; and the lessons we can learn about leadership by looking at historical figures, with Prof Martin Gutmann of the Lucerne School of Business and author of The Unseen Leader: How History Can Help Us Rethink Leadership.