Festival of History returns with over 300 free events across Dublin

The annual Festival of History offers opportunities for people of all ages and interests to explore history, from the intensely local to the international

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 12:00, 27 Aug 2026 Updated 10:53, 28 Aug 2026 View Image The Dublin Festival of History will feature over 300 free events (Image: Stedman Photography)

Over 300 free events highlighting the importance of history in everyday life will soon take place across Dublin ’s neighbourhoods.

Dublin City Council's Dublin Festival of History takes place from September 26 to October 11 at various venues. Now in its fourteenth year, the festival brings fresh perspectives on history and brings together expert historians for a high profile programme of history and debate.

Things kick off with The Big Weekend, which offers a two-day programme of talks, debates and panel discussions. The festival closes with a special European History Day at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

The Dublin Festival of History works with over 90 cultural and community partners, to deliver over 300 free events taking place in venues right across Dublin. The programme offers opportunities for people of all ages and interests to explore history, from the intensely local to the international.

Content in the Irish language includes a tour of Dublin with 1798 expert Fergus Whelan, and a talk exploring the life of the radical author Máirtín Ó Cadhain. There is also much for children and young people, including workshops, tours and talks.

Taking place at Central Library, Coolock and Cabra Libraries, Pearse Street Library, and Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, the programme reflects the extraordinary variety of Dublin’s history. At Cabra Library, a panel of historians from Bohemians, Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic will explore the history of Dublin’s great football clubs and their place in the social fabric of the city.

At Richmond Barracks, Sonja Tiernan will discuss the life of poet, pacifist and political activist Eva Gore-Booth, while at Central Library Aoife McCloughlin will explore the story of two icons of Dublin public art - the Anna Livia Fountain and Molly Malone statue - both unveiled during the Dublin Millennium in 1988.

Other Saturday events include Gerard Shannon on Rory O’Connor, one of the most important IRA leaders of the revolutionary period; Connal Parr on the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement; Kevin Rafter on Magill, Vincent Browne and Ireland in the 1980s; and the fast-paced Dublin History Dash, in which Dublin City Council ’s Historians-in-Residence will uncover stories of the city through individual objects and documents.

Sunday boasts a full day of talks featuring the best of national and international talent, at the Round Room in the Mansion House. Bestselling author James Hawes speaks about his runaway non-fiction success of the year, The Shortest History of Ireland, while Antonia Senior tells the story of the Cambridge Five and their decades of espionage for the Soviet Union.

Dublin and Manchester United legend Kevin Moran reflects back on his career and a different sporting era with Roy Curtis. Best-selling historian Katja Hoyer examines the Weimar Republic, and the lasting cultural and political impacts it had.

The programme also marks some significant centenaries. A panel featuring Cormac Moore, Margaret Ward and David McCullagh, chaired by Ronan McGreevy, will examine a century of Fianna Fáil, founded in 1926, while historian Aoife Bhreatnach looks back at the establishment of the Committee on Evil Literature and the censorship culture that followed.

The centenary of the first census of the Irish Free State will also be explored in The Story of Us: Dublin in the 1926 Census. With the release of the 1926 Census returns by the National Archives, Dr John Gibney, Prof. Terence Dooley, Dr Ruth McManus and Dr Ida Milne will explore what those records reveal about the people and communities of Dublin a century ago.

As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this year’s festival will feature a European History Day, exploring the people, events and ideas that have shaped Europe across the centuries. Taking place at the Royal Irish Academy of Music on Sunday 11 October, the line-up includes Catharine Edwards on Cicero and the end of the Roman Republic, Rory Carroll on Roger Casement, Germany and Easter 1916, and Helen Graham on the Spanish Civil War as a national, European and global conflict.

Also speaking at the launch, Iseult Dunne, Chief Executive of Dublin City Council Culture Company, said: “The Culture Company is delighted to partner with Dublin City Libraries once again to bring history into communities across Dublin.

“The festival creates opportunities for people to encounter history in accessible, engaging and sometimes unexpected ways, and this year’s programme shows just how many stories can be found in the places and communities around us. We are again extremely pleased at the range of partner venues, geographical locations and the breath of the offer of this 3 week free festival of all things History.”

Acting City Librarian Brendan Teeling highlighted public libraries as places where people can explore ideas, discover stories and deepen their understanding of the world around them. He said the festival encapsulates that role.

“This year’s programme ranges from the intensely local to major events in Irish and international history, and whether you are already passionate about history or simply curious to know more about your city, there will be something here for you,” he said.

The Dublin Festival of History is an annual free festival, brought to you by Dublin City Council, and organised by Dublin City Libraries, in partnership with Dublin City Council Culture Company.

To see the complete programme of events, visit dublinfestivalofhistory.ie/events. All events are free, but advance booking is advised.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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