Welcome to the fourth series of the Irish History Students' Association podcast.

In our first episode of this series, we are going all the way to western Australia where Kelly Curran tells us about her research on the Catalpa rescue and her plans to turn this historic event into a musical.

Late last year, Kelly recorded a medley of excerpts from her new musical, "Catalpa," with some Perth-based singers and musicians. One of the singers, Rabiya Plush-Noad, joins Kelly to chat about this composer's research and creative process as part of her PhD, and the incredible true story at the heart of the historical adaptation. Kelly's next goal is to workshop the musical, and eventually stage a full production, in order to share the little-known Catalpa story with the world. Fact is often, indeed, stranger than fiction.

*Please note: The British "settlement" of the colony of Western Australia is mentioned in this podcast episode, particularly relating to Fremantle and Perth. However, the speakers would like to point out that this land was never ceded by the traditional owners, the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation, and would like to acknowledge and pay respect to elders past and present, upon whose land and waterways the Catalpa story and this podcast conversation takes place.

Kelly Curran is a PhD candidate at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where she is completing her practice-as-research project, "Curvetting the Catalpa," focussing on historical adaptation and musical theatre. While Kelly has previously written, directed and performed four musical shows for Perth Fringe World, her current project represents a deeper exploration of the artform, creating the book, music and lyrics for a 90-minute sung-through work. This musical is based on the fascinating true story of the rescue of six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle Prison (in Western Australia) aboard an American whaling ship, the Catalpa, in 1876.

Kelly previously graduated from WAAPA in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music (1st class Hons) in Composition, and has had her chamber works performed locally and abroad. She has also composed music for dance and film, and has been nominated for best short film score at the Western Australian Screen Awards. Kelly is also a qualified and experienced Teacher Librarian, who is currently enjoying lecturing in library studies at community college, after many years based in schools.

Kelly is joined in today's episode by Rabiya Plush-Noad who is a performer and lecturer based in Fremantle, Western Australia. She has recently submitted her PhD for examination at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of Prof. Sarah Collins, Dr Cecilia Sun and Dr Sara Macliver. Prior to this, Rabiya completed a Master of Music Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK), and studied for her undergraduate degree at the WA Academy of Performing Arts and the University of Western Australia. Rabiya combines her passion for research with professional experience in opera, oratorio, jazz, and musical theatre, along with a keen interest in the work of Stephen Sondheim specifically, the voice and vocal delivery within Sondheim’s work.

In the final episode of this series, we are shining a light on undergraduate historical research. Emily Little, who has recently completed her BA at Maynooth University, discusses the subject of her undergraduate dissertation which examined the lives of Joan Fitzgerald and Gráinne Ní Mháille, two women from early modern Ireland.

Emily Little graduated with a BA in History and English at Maynooth University in 2025. She is currently undertaking a Professional Masters of Education programme but hopes to return to historical research in the future.Emily is joined in today's episode by her supervisor, Dr Niamh Wycherley, who is Assistant Professor in Early Irish History across the Departments of Early Irish and History at Maynooth University. She hosts The Medieval Irish History Podcast and is the first Chair of the Royal Irish Academy's Young Academy Ireland.

In this episode, Constantin Torve discusses his research on agrarian protest in 19th century Ireland, through the case-study of Edward Synge.

Constantin Torve (MA, Uppsala) is a PhD student in history at Queen's University Belfast. His ESRC-funded research project investigates the adaptation of agrarian secret societies in 19th-century Ireland to changing socio-economic environments.

Dr Jay Roszman is a lecturer in 19th century Irish and British History at University College Cork, a position he took up in 2018. His first book, Outrage in the Age of Reform: Irish Agrarian Violence, Imperial Insecurity, and British Governing Policy 1830-1845 was published by Cambridge University Press in 2022. In addition to writing about the political meaning of agrarian violence and its political consequences, Jay is also interested in imperialism and Irish involvement in the British Empire. He has a forthcoming article with English Historical Review on Daniel O’Connell, Irish Nationalism, and British Imperial Trouble. His new project explores the Queen’s Colleges and their relationship with the British Empire: training men for imperial careers, but also as institutions that reflected British imperial interests in Ireland and abroad.

In this episode, Samantha Morris sheds light on the history and living heritage of Borris lace-making. Samantha is joined by Ingelise Stuijts and Helena McAteer who are actively involved in preserving the tradition of Borris lace. Samantha Morris is a PhD student at TU Dublin, funded by the Irish Research Council and supervised by Dr Bernadette Quinn and Dr Theresa Ryan. Her research focuses on Borris Lace as a form of living heritage, exploring how craft can help us understand the multiple meanings of place.

Ingelise Stuijts and Helena McAteer are members of the Borris Lacemakers group, actively involved in sustaining and promoting the tradition through teaching, exhibitions, community projects, and schools-based initiatives. Both have played key roles in keeping Borris Lace alive since its 2016 revival.

To keep up-to-date with the Borris lacemakers group, visit their website here

In this episode, Remy Biggs discusses his research on women in the resistance during the Italian Civil War through the case study of Joyce Lussu.

Remy Biggs is a historian and information professional entering his final year of study for his PhD at Trinity College Dublin under Dr. Molly Pucci. His thesis focuses mainly upon internal colonialism and its impact upon Italian Marxist thinkers and antifascist resistance efforts in southern Italy. He can be reached at biggsr@tcd.ie for further information.

Further reading:

Alano, Jomarie. “Armed with a Yellow Mimosa: Women’s Defence and Assistance Groups in Italy, 1943-45.” Journal of Contemporary History 38, no. 4 (2003): 615–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220094030384006.

D’Amelio, Daniel. “Italian Women in the Resistance, World War II.” Italian Americana 19, no. 2 (Summer 2001).

Lussu, Joyce. L’uomo Che Voleva nascere Donna. Milano, IT: Mazzotta editore, 1978.

Pojmann, Wendy. “‘Join Us in Rebuilding Italy’: Women’s Associations, 1946–1963.” Journal of Women’s History 20, no. 4 (2008): 82–104. https://doi.org/10.1353/jowh.0.0036.

Robinson, Nicole Hardy. “Out of Italy: Italian Women Exiled under Fascism Reimagine Home and the Italian Identity.” Dissertation, UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2016.

Welcome to the third series of the Irish History Students' Association podcast.

In the first episode of this series, Katherine Ingram discusses the nature, causes and consequences of suffrage militancy in the north of Ireland at the start of 1913, and compares it to suffragettes’ militant activity elsewhere in the UK.

Katherine Ingram is a History PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research focuses on cooperation and conflict in the women’s suffrage movement in the UK between 1900 and 1918. In particular, it considers the effect that suffrage militancy, suffragists’ relations with political parties, and war had on unity in the cause. Katherine graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and History, and in 2021 with a Master of Arts in History.

Bluesky account: @kating03.bsky.social

X: @KatIng03

In the final episode of this series, Maria Zukovs discusses her research on Franco-Irish relations with Dr. Jacob Baxter.

Maria Zukovs is a final year PhD candidate in the School of History at the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on Dublin press coverage of the French Revolution. It seeks to understand what, if any, impact the French Revolution had on contemporaneous Dublin society, politics and culture. Maria has been the recipient of grants and bursaries from the Society for the Study of French History, the Eighteenth-Century Ireland Society and Marsh's Library.

Jacob Baxter is the Deputy Director of the Universal Short Title Catalogue at the University of St Andrews. He defended his PhD, which focused on the English diplomat Sir William Temple, in April 2024. Jacob's research interests include statement, readers and copyright.

In this episode, Dr Olivia Frehill and Dr Sarah Roddy discuss the topic of methodolody and historical research.

Dr Olivia Frehill recently completed a funded PhD in History at Trinity College Dublin entitled 'Silhouettes in a City: Women, Work and Welfare in Dublin, c.1890-1930s'. She has published on some of her research in outlets such as Irish Economic and Social History and RTE Brainstorm. She currently works as a research assistant and teaching assistant. Dr Sarah Roddy is an Associate Professor in Modern Irish Social History. Before arriving at Maynooth in January 2021, she spent 9 years as, successively, Research Assistant, Hallsworth Research Fellow, Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Modern Irish History at the University of Manchester. Her doctorate and MA were completed at Queen's University Belfast, and my undergraduate degree in History and Politics is from the University of Limerick.
Dr Roddy's research interests lie in modern Irish and British social, economic and religious history. Her current project, entitled 'Visible Divinity: Money and Irish Catholicism, 1850-1921', is a transnational examination of the financial relationship between the Irish Catholic Church and its laity, and was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK; a monograph is under contract with Cambridge University Press.