Annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture 2025

Professor Diarmaid Ferriter of UCD will deliver the 28th annual Sir John T. Gilbert Commemorative Lecture on the Dublin playwright Seán O’Casey.

Book the event here. 

Sean O’Casey wrote his iconic play The Plough and the Stars 100 years ago in 1925. Staged in February 1926, it was the final part of his trilogy focusing on the theme of Irish independence. In the play O’Casey examines the way in which the 1916 Rising impacted the people living at that time. The first production led to protests from audience members who took umbrage at O’Casey’s inherent criticism of the Rising and its nationalist leaders.

In this lecture Professor Diarmaid Ferriter will discuss Sean O’Casey and the Dublin that made him; his formative years and what influenced his work, which incorporates so much of the social, cultural & political history of early twentieth century Dublin.

Sir John T. Gilbert was one of the most important nineteenth-century collectors of books and manuscripts relating to Irish history. His fine library of circa 4,5000 volumes is housed in Dublin City Library and Archive on Pearse Street.

All Round Room events will be streamed live at www.dublinfestivalofhistory.ie/live – no tickets are required to watch the livestream, only for in person attendance.