The American gangster archetype, personified by men like Al Capone, has long captivated the public imagination.  The real stories of the voracious gangsters of the vast underworld are often more outrageous than fiction and are also an essential part of the saga of outsider groups in America. Join Hindsight@Hinterland regular Tony Bucher for a lurid journey through the lives of America’s great crime bosses. 

In the 19^th century the USA came, saw, conquered, and bought — acquiring millions of square miles of north American territory in the process. Hindering this ‘manifest destiny’ were the inconvenient native American nations who had occupied the land for centuries. Myles Dungan (How the Irish Won the West) tells the story of how some of those nations resisted and were crushed.

Join Loreto Guinan, Heritage Officer Meath County Council and Mark Smith, KPW Creative Associate/ Print Studio Technician and listen to the fascinating story of the new Kells Printing Works. Find out about the wonderful paper collection & it's painstaking conservation, catch the Last Dance poster exhibition & hear the fascinating stories behind the newly restored Victorian printing presses.

Rus Bradburd has authored five books that examine how sports, politics, race, and culture collide. This talk will trace the roots of racial and political resistance sparked by American athletes--and examine some of the sports books and writers that changed the world.  

The idea that journalism should ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable’ belonged to Irish American writer Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936), creator of the comic political commentator, the Roscommon barman ‘Mr. Dooley’. Barely overlapping with Dunne’s career was the life of another great newspaper columnist, ‘Myles na Gopaleen’ (Brian O’Nolan). In this talk Dr. Catherine Flynn of UC Berkeley brings together these two great Irish humorous voices.

Step back into the sex-soaked years of the 1960s, with Professor Glen Gendzel, when America’s prudish culture fell apart, rules were rewritten, and taboos went mainstream.  Come meet Albert Kinsey, Hugh Hefner, Helen Gurley Brown, the Hippies, and other sexual revolutionaries.  Learn about the Pill, the Double Standard, Free Love, Casual Sex, Gay Liberation, and how American morals and values were permanently transformed in one sultry decade.

World premiere screening of Where Angels Listen two beautiful short films produced as a creative and affectionate response by some of Ireland's most celebrated contemporary artists to the life and works of Slane poet Francis Ledwidge. Curated by award winning playwright Deirdre Kinahan and featuring Oisin Leech musician (The Lost Brothers); Steve Wickham musician (The Waterboys); Perlee; Lewis Kenny Poet /Spoken Word and Kwaku Fortune Actor. Joining us live on the night for some music, discussion and readings will be acclaimed writers Dermot Bolger & Deirdre Kinahan, County Arts Officer Gerardette Bailey and musicians Steve Wickham & Perlee. Dermot Bolger will read a new work commissioned specially to mark the occasion.

With his unique gift for musical comedy and joke-infused storytelling, Fred Cooke has returned with his new show “Clown to Earth”. Expect comical chaos from a dad who’s just delighted to be out of the house and not at home covered in yoghurt. Sit back and enjoy this award-winning comedian talk marriage, kids, and playing dead on Netflix. As seen on Netflix, RTE’s Tommy Tiernan show, and Dancing with the Stars.