223. Colin Murphy: How Ireland Thinks, Speaks and Remembers
18 June 2026
About This Episode
Writer, journalist and playwright Colin Murphy joins The Ireland Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on Irish political culture, history, storytelling and identity.
Drawing on his new collection, Colin Murphy's Political Plays: 100 Years of Irish History, we explore how key moments in Irish history continue to shape public life and national memory. The discussion ranges from the Easter Rising and the Treaty to the financial crisis, documentary drama, journalism and the role of storytelling in helping societies understand themselves.
We discuss whether Ireland has a distinct political culture, the tension between individuality and consensus, how historical narratives become accepted truths, and why ambiguity has become one of the defining characteristics of Irish literature and drama.
The conversation also touches on Colin's experiences in Angola and South Africa, the fragility of societies, the responsibilities of writing about real people, and the influence of culture on how we think, speak and remember.
Colin Murphy
Colin Murphy is an Irish writer, journalist, playwright, screenwriter and documentary maker. He is the author of Colin Murphy's Political Plays: 100 Years of Irish History and is known for works including Inside the GPO, The Treaty, Haughey/Gregory, Guaranteed! and Bailed Out!. He writes a weekly column for the Sunday Independent.
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