Think You Know... The Presidents?

Did you know a leprechaun was sent to the White House?  That there’s a bomb shelter under Dublin’s Merrion Square? That we had a president who swore live on national radio and another one married two sisters?They’re just some of the wild, wonderful and downright bizarre stories you probably won’t have known about Ireland’s presidents. If the walls of the Áras could talk, we’d have a full-on Netflix drama on our hands.  But since it can’t, two presidential experts are here to spill everything, from the president who ran the country from their bed to the one who ticked off the Pope and Stalin in one go, to the one who handed out ponies and deer as royal gifts.  This is 'Think You Know... The Presidents?' a Today FM original podcast brought to you by The Last Word. Each week, Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy dig up the scandals and the game-changing moments from Ireland’s nine presidents, delving into how events in Ireland were shaped by their actions and how the people of Ireland felt about each sitting president at the time. Follow “Think You Know... The Presidents?” now wherever you get your podcasts. 

To quote the show FRIENDS, "he was the one with the moustache."Welcome to 'Think You Know... The Presidents?' a Today FM original podcast brought to you by The Last Word.Episode 1 travels back in time to 1938, when Ireland appointed its first president. But why was Douglas Hyde chosen? What happened when WWII broke out right after his inauguration? And why did we call WWII ‘The Emergency’ here in Ireland? Join Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy as they explore the life and times of Douglas Hyde, bringing you incredible stories and jaw dropping facts at every turn.  Follow ‘Think You Know… The Presidents?’ wherever you get your podcasts.

Seán T. O’Kelly brought political  savvy and international flair as head of a newly-fledged nation trying to figure out its place  in the world. It was during O’Kelly’s terms in office that the Áras became the party-spot for high-flying night-owls. But behind the scenes, his two terms were not without their  controversies. How did this diplomat manage to massively annoy both the Pope and  Joseph Stalin in one fell swoop? And did this presidency mark the start of Ireland’s great grá for US presidents? In this second episode of Think You Know...The Presidents, our dynamic duo Flor Mac Carthy and Lise Hand present a twist on the life and times of Seán T.O'Kelly with the help of historian Liz Gillis.

Why would Éamon de Valera - rebel, revolutionary and Ireland's third president - be cancelled if he was around today? In the third episode of Think You Know...The Presidents, Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy get to grips with some of the more questionable actions of the man referred to as the 'long fellow', and why did he seem to love dressing up so much? This and more - including our very own, 'Space Dev' and his fear of the old gogglebox.

Our fourth president is something of a tragic tale which begins with his revolutionary father who was executed in 1922, while his then 16 year old son was taken out of his British boarding school to say goodbye. Childers' ambitions for a new style presidency was brimming with promise, winning national support in 1973 before his term was tragically cut short. In this episode, Lise Hand and Flor MacCarthy, jump on board what was Ireland's first presidential bus called the 'Wanderly Wagon' and find out what shaped Childers' presidency, why his father's dark secrets haunted him, and how his wife almost became his successor.

Meddling or misunderstood? These are just some of the questions that surround Cearbhail Ó Dálaigh's controversial (and short) term as president. The legal eagle managed to ruffle the feathers of many government officials during his time with one minister branding him a "thundering disgrace". But why was he so divisive? In this episode, Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy get colourful in both their language and learning of this presidency that ended in a very public insult, and uncover some very interesting letters that show Ó Dálaigh wanted out long before his resignation. And don't forget you can catch up on all the earlier episodes wherever you get your podcast - or better still, hit the follow button!

Patrick Hillery's two-term presidency is often dismissed as largely uneventful - he played golf, travelled the world on state visits and flew under the radar on home affairs. But in this episode of Think You Know...The Presidents?, Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy find just the opposite.Did you know that Hillery was forced to deal with scurrilous rumours of an extramarital affair at a time when the Pope was visiting Ireland? Or that he was embroiled in political controversy when senior members of Fianna Fáil made calls to Áras an Uachtaráin to try and persuade the president not to dissolve the Dáil?

Mary Robinson didn't just win the presidency in 1990, she blew the dusty doors off Áras an Uachtaráin. That win was a seismic day for Ireland - we had our first woman president, and Ireland was on the cusp of great change, culturally, socially and economically. Mná na hÉireann finally had a voice. In this episode of Think You Know...The Presidents?, presenters Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy get to grips with their own 'girl crush' as they recall Robinson's rocky road to the Áras, when she encountered sexism and misogyny along the campaign trail. She also paved the way for her female successor, who between them shared 21 years as Ireland's heads of state.

From the Ardoyne to two stints in the Áras, Mary McAleese's presidency was shaped by her Northern upbringing and driven by a mission to unite communities. But her efforts to build bridges were often met with anger from some political and religious quarters, while Ireland itself went from the boom-time Celtic Tiger riches to an era of financial bail-outs and austerity. Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy are joined once again by Matt Cooper to look at our eighth president, her highs and lows and some of the more memorable events during her term, including Queen Elizabeth II's state visit and those cúpla focail that made all the difference.

A president of poetry, passion, and politics, Michael D Higgins bows out of his two term presidency next month.For some, he leaves a national treasure who spoke from his head and his heart and who, along with his wife Sabina, made the Áras a house of welcome and inclusion. For others, he was a head of state who sometimes pushed too vigorously against the boundaries of his office.But everyone loved his Bernese Mountain dogs.In this final episode of Think You Know...The Presidents?, our dynamic duo, Lise Hand and Flor Mac Carthy take us through the years of 2011 to the present day and look at the life and times of Michael D Higgins.