The Dublin Festival of History will run from 26 September to 11 October 2026.
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 fourteenth 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.
We are delighted to participate in this year’s programme with two special events:
The sculpture of Christ Church Cathedral re-examined
Saturday 3rd October. 11am
Tickets to this event are free but must be pre-booked.
Join Dr Ruth Kenny, Head of Learning and Interpretation at Christ Church Cathedral and rediscover the cathedral monuments with fresh eyes. Using fascinating new research gathered by Dr Greg Sullivan during a TCD Long Room Hub Short-Term Fellowship, this tour will look at how the meaning and physical positioning of the cathedral’s extensive monuments collection has changed over the centuries, informed by changing tastes and politics. From the imposing Kildare Monument, which used to stand directly next to the altar, to the touching tribute to Thomas Abbott, first secretary of the Mendicity Institute; these statues intertwine with the story of Dublin on many levels, creating a remarkable backdrop to the city’s many historical twists and turns.
Professor Michael Cronin ‘Ireland: Why it matters to be an Island’
Saturday 10th October. Doors 6.30pm for 7pm start.
Tickets to this event are free but must be pre-booked.
Join Professor Michael Cronin in the beautiful nave of Christ Church Cathedral as he discusses his new and timely book ‘Ireland: Why it matters to be an Island’ as part of the Dublin Festival of History 2026.
Over the centuries, the question of this island’s independence has centred on the politics of the place and an ability to own the land we stand on. But now more than ever we need to adopt a better understanding of our environmental integrity as we tackle the climate emergency threatening our island.
For this thought-provoking evening, drawing on personal reflection as well as cultural and environmental analysis, Michael Cronin will invite the audience to reconsider Ireland as an island shaped – culturally, politically and ecologically – by the seas that surround it, and explore how we might rethink our ideas around community, responsibility and the future of our shared island home.