W T Cosgrave

Iain Dale and Dr Ciara Meehan, reader in politics at the University of Hertfordshire, discuss the life and career of the first post civil war leader of the Irish government, W T Cosgrave. The Irish Taoiseach podcast examines the life and political career of each of the 15 men who have held the office of Taoiseach (Prime Minister) since the civil war of 1922. Through interviews with journalists, academics, ex-politicians and historians, Iain will trace the development of the Irish state through the lens of the men who rose to the top of Irish politics. The Irish Taoiseach will be released every Monday across a total of 15 weeks. The series follows the highly acclaimed podcast, The Presidents and Prime Ministers, also hosted by Iain Dale, which accompanied his books of the same titles. The 100 podcasts covered each of Britain’s first 55 prime ministers and America’s 45 presidents. Iain Dale said: “I could not be more pleased to launch The Irish Taoiseach podcast. For the last thirty years, I have tried to widen people’s interest in politics and political knowledge through my political books, publishing and broadcasting – and I’m aware that In Britain, we know far too little about the politics of our closest neighbour, the Republic of Ireland. The style of the podcast is very conversational, and my aim is to allow my guests to talk freely and accessibly. The podcast series is meant to appeal to those with a knowledge base of zero, but also to diehard fans or critics of the Taoiseach in question. Over the next 15 weeks, I hope it will encourage listeners to read more widely about both Irish politics and each Taoiseach, as each man is a fascinating character.”