Trinity is offering an extensive series of free online lectures taught by Trinity academics on the events and individuals that shaped Ireland’s road to independence.
The lectures, available to the public, will cover over 130 years of Irish history, spanning from the late 19th century until the dawn of Irish independence. The first set of online lectures in the free 14-week online history course has been released on Trinity’s YouTube channel and on iTunes U.
The course, titled Ireland in Rebellion, 1782-1916, will include interactions with various lecturers from the Department of History, but will be primarily presented by Professor Patrick Geoghegan. In a College press release, Geoghegan described the course as one which focuses on the questions surrounding the 1916 Rising, “but also situates them within the wider context of the development of Irish republicanism”.
Geoghegan is also the host of popular radio show Talking History on Newstalk 106-108 fm, which also happens to be one of Ireland’s most popular podcasts.
The course will provide the public with new access to Trinity’s academic expertise and is also aimed at second-level teachers and students.
Week one’s offerings include Geoghegan’s introductory lecture in which he provides some background and historical information surrounding Ireland’s position in the 17th and 18th centuries, including a discussion of the Penal Laws and the influence of the American and French revolutions.
In August 2014, Trinity launched its first free online course, which explored Irish war and revolution between 1912 and 1923. More than 10,000 students signed up before the official start of the course.
The first set of five videos also includes an interview with Provost Patrick Prendergast, who discusses Trinity’s place in Irish history and reminds the audience that “its first mission was to aid in the process of establishing English power in Ireland”, even if “many people would like to see Trinity differently now”.
The lectures are completed with a second interview, again led by Geoghegan, who is this time in conversation with Professor Micheál Ó Siochrú. Ó Siochrú deals with the challenges that surround the telling of Irish history and urges us to look deeper back in time to properly analyse the commemorations of next year.
Content will be released each Friday and will consist of a total of 75 minutes of video.
