Dublin City Council's Historians in Residence

Dublin City Council’s Historians in Residence programme names the six Historians who will be working across the City in 2026 and 2027 with communities, schools and partner organisations.

Since 2017, Dublin City Historians in Residence work in neighbourhoods across the city to encourage local people to engage with history, and to promote its sources and discussion, especially the historical collections in Dublin City Library & Archive.

Dublin City Council Culture Company, in partnership with Dublin City Libraries, will organise the programmes with the Dublin City Historians in Residence to work in libraries, schools and communities across Dublin City to invite people to discover more about their own histories and the history of the city.  

Dublin City Historians in Residence for 2026 and 2027 are Katie Blackwood, Dr James Curry, Dr Antonia Hart, Elizabeth Kehoe, Dr Caitlin White, and Historian in Residence for Children Dr Lorcan McEvoy.

By engaging with local communities and keeping people front and centre of history, the Dublin City Historians in Residence connect with schools, communities and people to develop or grow their connection to their local history.

Each area of the city will have a designated Historian in Residence for 2026 and 2027 who will work with community groups, residents and local library branches to create a diverse programme with lots of ways for people to take part. From talks and workshops, to guided walks, research and creative projects, all activities will respond to local interests. The Dublin City Historian for Children will work citywide.

The historians work in the five administrative areas of Dublin City Council:

• Dr James Curry – Dublin Central Area
• Elizabeth Kehoe - Dublin North Central Area
• Dr Caitlin White – Dublin North West Area
• Dr Antonia Hart – Dublin South East
• Katie Blackwood – Dublin South Central Area
• Dr Lorcan McEvoy – Dublin's Historian in Residence for Children

Biographies and contacts

Dr James Curry is Dublin City Historian in Residence for theDublin Central area. James holds a PhD in History and Digital Humanities, along with undergraduate and postgraduate history degrees from Trinity College Dublin. He is the creator of a “Stories of Dublin” channel on YouTube and has published widely on twentieth century Irish history, and is a member of the Shelbourne FC Heritage Committee. 

Email: [email protected]

Libraries: Phibsboro Library; Central Library; and Charleville Mall Library.

Elizabeth Kehoe is Dublin City Historian in Residence for the Dublin North Central area. Having returned to formal education in 2015 after a long career in social care, Elizabeth graduated from Trinity College with a history degree and an M. Phil. in Modern Irish History. An independent Dublin-based researcher and tour guide, her work is rooted in social history and oral testimony. She is particularly interested in using oral history to capture lived experience and community memory, and in finding creative ways—through talks, tours, exhibitions, and collaborative projects—to bring those stories to life. 

Email: [email protected]

Libraries: Marino Library; Coolock Library; Raheny Library; and Donaghmede Library.

Dr Caitlin White is Dublin City Historian in Residence for the Dublin North West area. She holds a PhD and M. Phil. from Trinity College Dublin in Irish public history, with special interests in social history and public engagement with the past. Her work in public history has involved podcasts, exhibitions, radio shows, documentaries, and popular history writing. Her most recent publication, a book chapter in Space in Public History (Routledge, 2024), explored the politics of space in Dublin 1922-39. 

Email: [email protected]

Libraries: Drumcondra Library; Cabra Library; Ballymun Library; and Finglas Library.

Dr Antonia Hart is Dublin City Historian in Residence for the Dublin South East area. Her books include Ghost Signs of Dublin (2014), The Commercial Lives of Irish Women, 1850-1922: Business as Usual (2025) and, with Arthur Edward Guinness, Guinness: A Family Succession (2025). Recent shorter work has been published in Sunday Miscellany - A Selection 2023-2025 (2025), The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Modern Ireland (2024), and Tearing Stripes off Zebras (2023). She is a contributing editor with The Gloss magazine.

Email: [email protected]

Libraries: Pearse Street Library; Ringsend Library; Pembroke Library; Terenure Library; and Rathmines Library.

Katie Blackwood is Dublin City Historian in Residence for the Dublin South Central area. Katie holds an MA in Public History and Cultural Heritage, and has worked for many years in libraries and archives. As an independent researcher she has undertaken community-based oral history projects focusing on cultural and social history.

Email: [email protected]

Libraries: Inchicore Library; Walkinstown Library; Ballyfermot Library; Kevin Street Library; and Dolphin’s Barn Library:

Dr Lorcan McEvoy is Dublin’s Historian in Residence for Children and will work citywide. He holds a PhD in history from Trinity College Dublin, where he also studied for his BA and MPhil. His research focuses on the history of childhood and humanitarianism in the twentieth century. He is an experienced teacher and is also currently History Lead at the Museum of Childhood Ireland. He is particularly interested in finding new and exciting ways for children to explore both the past and their creativity.

Email: [email protected]

How to get involved

One of the ways the Dublin City Historians in Residence connect with local communities is through Dublin City Public Library branches. 

Another way is through the Culture Company’s Tea & Chats programme, which is a citywide ongoing programme of informal and open conversations over a cup of tea with people about what matters to them. If you would like to get involved, either as an individual or as a member of a community group, you can either:

• Contact the Historians in Residence Programme Coordinator, Allison Galbari by email or phone (see details below)
• Contact your local Historian in Residence by email (see email addresses above)
• Contact the Culture Company’s Engagement Team to request a Tea & Chat for your group - email [email protected]
• Ask about the programme in person at your local Dublin City Library branch

Contact

Allison Galbari (Programme Coordinator)

t: 086 127 1551  | e: historians@dublincitycouncilculturecompany.ie

You can also connect with the Historians in Residence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Some of the public talks by previous Historians in Residence are available on the Dublin City Libraries Youtube and Soundcloud.

Credits

The Dublin City Historians in Residence programme is created by Dublin City Libraries, funded by Dublin City Council, and is delivered in partnership with Dublin City Council Culture Company.

Funded by Dublin City Council since its inception in 2017 the Historians in Residence programme has appointed Historians regularly since then to engage with the people of Dublin. Initially 5 Historians annually, now 6 with the addition of a Historian in Residence for Children, added to provide opportunities and resources for children to uncover the stories of the places where they live, planting seeds for a lifelong connection to the history of Dublin. Over the last 9 years the Historians in Residence programme has successfully engaged with thousands of people in neighbourhoods across Dublin City, promoting the wealth of historical sources available to the public, especially the historical collections in Dublin City Library & Archive.