Dublin Festival of History 2025 Opening Weekend
The Dublin Festival of History 2025 commences today, Friday 26th September, in various venues throughout Dublin. This year’s festival offers an exciting programme of over 250 free events, taking place from 26th September to 12th October. The highlight of the festival, the Big Weekend is taking place tomorrow, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September in a new venue this year, the Round Room in Dublin’s Mansion House.
The Dublin Festival of History aims to highlight fresh perspectives on history and its importance in our everyday lives. This year’s festival has attracted best-selling Irish and international historians to Dublin for a high-profile programme of history and debate.
Kate Vigurs
The Big Weekend at the Mansion House is a packed two-day programme of talks, debates and panel discussions. Highlights include Kate Vigurs’ Mission Europe: The Secret History of the Women of Special Operations Executive, which highlights the extraordinary women who risked everything behind enemy lines, and Great Irish Wives, in which Nicola Pierce shines a spotlight on ten wives who were instrumental in their famous husbands’ success, including Matilda Tone, Mary O’Connell, George Yeats and Beatrice Behan.
Also featured are Victoria Taylor’s Eagle Days: Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, which weaves a rich, multifaceted tapestry of the military, political, social and cultural influences that shaped the German air force’s mentality and morale during the Battle of Britain; Anthony McElligott’s The Last Transport: The Holocaust in the Eastern Aegean, argues that the timing of the transport raises important questions in relation to long-term ideological Nazi goals and the immediate contingency thrown up by war, and Roger Moorhouse’s Wolfpack: Hitler’s U-boat War 1939–44, a thrilling reconstruction of life aboard the German submarines of the Battle of the Atlantic.
With lots more events across the weekend, The Big Weekend promises an unmissable start to the festival. The Dublin Festival of History continues till Sunday 12th October at various venues across Dublin.
Brendan Teeling, Deputy City Librarian, said “Dublin Festival of History is a fantastic festival that showcases the depth of stories from the capital and internationally. This is a great opportunity to experience history that Dubliners would not have previously known, to brush up on historical favourites and to delve deep into topics that are not widely spoken about.”
Roger Moorhouse
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 the Dublin City Council Culture Company.
All the events are free, but it is highly recommended that people book for any session they are interested in to secure their place. To see the complete list of events please visit: https://dublinfestivalofhistory.ie/events/.
Dublin Festival of History
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 the Dublin City Council Culture Company. Now in its thirteenth year, the festival has built a reputation for shining a fresh perspective on history and
its importance in our everyday lives, attracting best-selling Irish and international historians to Dublin for a high-profile programme of history talks and debate each Autumn.
Dublin City Council Culture Company
Dublin City Council Culture Company runs cultural initiatives and buildings across the city with, and for, the people of Dublin.
They collaborate with people, communities, cultural organisations, businesses, and Dublin City Council to embed cultural experiences and increase cultural participation throughout Dublin.
Dublin City Council Culture Company was incorporated in March 2018. Their vision is for a Dublin where creativity and access to culture builds lasting connections between people and the place they live. They are dedicated to delivering sustainable impact through accessible and engaging cultural experiences that expand cultural habits, build connections and grow cultural confidence.
