.The Irish Examiner recently featured a fascinating story of the MacCarthy family and their links to both sides of the IRA attack on the RIC barracks in Rosscarbery in March 1921. We're delighted Flor MacCarthy, who has been a great supporter of the Festival, has agreed to speak about this part of her family's history at our 2021 Festival.

We are also really pleased that Sean Boyne will talk at this year's Festival about the killing of Bridget Noble by the IRA in the Beara Peninsula in March 1921. Sean's research was featured in the Irish Times this week. Bridget Noble is one of only two women known for certain to have been 'disappeared' by the IRA during the War of Independence.

7 April marked 80 years since the start of the Belfast Blitz - four nights of raids between 7 April and 6 May resulting in up to 1000 deaths and widespread destruction in the city and beyond. This new website tells the story and lists the casualties.

An intriguing series of podcasts from the RIA on the theme of the History of Emotions (and below the very striking illustration which accompanies them).

A year into the Covid pandemic, the RTE History Show this week featured Festival contributor Ida Milne talking about the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Ida is on from around 0:09 to 0:27

The Late Late Show featured artefacts from the National Museum of Ireland, with Audrey Whitty from the museum talking to Ryan Tubridy about objects from the revolutionary period including Michael Collins' slippers and Éamon de Valera's sock!

And finally, the Decade of Centenaries newsletter is well worth subscribing to for updates on all kinds of events all over the country - you can sign up via their website.