Think You Know... The Presidents?

Trailer

Did you know a leprechaun was sent to the White House? That there’s a bomb shelter under Dublin’s Merrion Square? That we had a president who swore live on national radio and another one married two sisters?They’re just some of the wild, wonderful and downright bizarre stories you probably won’t have known about Ireland’s presidents. If the walls of the Áras could talk, we’d have a full-on Netflix drama on our hands. But since it can’t, two presidential experts are here to spill everything, from the president who ran the country from their bed to the one who ticked off the Pope and Stalin in one go, to the one who handed out ponies and deer as royal gifts. This is 'Think You Know... The Presidents?' a Today FM original podcast brought to you by The Last Word. Each week, Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy dig up the scandals and the game-changing moments from Ireland’s nine presidents, delving into how events in Ireland were shaped by their actions and how the people of Ireland felt about each sitting president at the time. Follow “Think You Know... The Presidents?” now wherever you get your podcasts.

Think You Know... Douglas Hyde

To quote the show FRIENDS, "he was the one with the moustache."Welcome to 'Think You Know... The Presidents?' a Today FM original podcast brought to you by The Last Word.Episode 1 travels back in time to 1938, when Ireland appointed its first president. But why was Douglas Hyde chosen? What happened when WWII broke out right after his inauguration? And why did we call WWII ‘The Emergency’ here in Ireland? Join Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy as they explore the life and times of Douglas Hyde, bringing you incredible stories and jaw dropping facts at every turn. Follow ‘Think You Know… The Presidents?’ wherever you get your podcasts.

Think You Know... Seán T. O’Kelly

Seán T. O’Kelly brought political savvy and international flair as head of a newly-fledged nation trying to figure out its place in the world. It was during O’Kelly’s terms in office that the Áras became the party-spot for high-flying night-owls. But behind the scenes, his two terms were not without their controversies. How did this diplomat manage to massively annoy both the Pope and Joseph Stalin in one fell swoop? And did this presidency mark the start of Ireland’s great grá for US presidents? In this second episode of Think You Know...The Presidents, our dynamic duo Flor Mac Carthy and Lise Hand present a twist on the life and times of Seán T.O'Kelly with the help of historian Liz Gillis.

Think You Know... Éamon de Valera

Why would Éamon de Valera - rebel, revolutionary and Ireland's third president - be cancelled if he was around today? In the third episode of Think You Know...The Presidents, Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy get to grips with some of the more questionable actions of the man referred to as the 'long fellow', and why did he seem to love dressing up so much? This and more - including our very own, 'Space Dev' and his fear of the old gogglebox.

Think You Know...Erskine Childers

Our fourth president is something of a tragic tale which begins with his revolutionary father who was executed in 1922, while his then 16 year old son was taken out of his British boarding school to say goodbye. Childers' ambitions for a new style presidency was brimming with promise, winning national support in 1973 before his term was tragically cut short. In this episode, Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy, jump on board what was Ireland's first presidential bus called the 'Wanderly Wagon' and find out what shaped Childers' presidency, why his father's dark secrets haunted him, and how his wife almost became his successor.