<p>The St. Patrick's Day Parade is the centrepiece of celebrations of Ireland's patron saint the world over. But how did it start--and just who started it? In this episode Fin and Damian are joined by noted historian of the Irish aboard, Dr Cian McMahon, who is currently working on a new history of the Parade. In a far-reaching episode we discuss&nbsp;the Parade's origins, influences and legacy down to contemporary&nbsp;times. Among the nuggets Cian discusses are the misconceptions that ihe Parade's origins are as a Catholic Irish American event, and the idea that Dublin's Parade has been increasingly "Americanised."</p><br><p>Cian T. McMahon is Professor of History at the Department of History and Honors College at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He was the co-editor of <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-History-of-Irish-America/McMahon-Costello-Sullivan/p/book/9781032219219" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Routledge History of Irish America</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>and is the author <a href="https://nyupress.org/9781479808793/the-coffin-ship/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>and <em>T</em><a href="https://uncpress.org/9781469620107/the-global-dimensions-of-irish-identity/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>he Global Dimensions of Irish Identity: Race, Nation and the Popular Press, 1840-1880</em></a><em>.</em></p><br><p>Listen to Cian discuss his Coffin Ship book with Fin on the Irish History Podcast <a href="https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/coffin-ships-what-famine-emigrants-endured-classic-replay" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a></p><br><p>Read about some early St. Patrick's Day horrors in Temple Bar, involving a giant St. Patrick, a pint, and a plastic bag:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thejournal.ie/st-patrick-temple-bar-pub-6968056-Feb2026/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.thejournal.ie/st-patrick-temple-bar-pub-6968056-Feb2026/</a><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><br><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>