Gerard Shannon
Historian and author of a new biography of Rory O'Connor, providing detailed research and commentary on O'Connor's life and role in the Irish revolutionary period.
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Feb 21, 2026 • 1h 4min
How close did Ireland come to military dictatorship?
Gerard Shannon, historian and biographer of Rory O'Connor, maps the life of a militant revolutionary. He recounts O'Connor's engineering skills, dramatic turn from politics to armed action, the Four Courts seizure, capture and execution, and the personal ironies with Kevin O'Higgins. The conversation highlights why O'Connor faded from memory and the coincidences that followed his death.
