Wry look at island’s history returns to BBC Radio Ulster

Comedian Tim McGarry has teamed up again with Ballycarry historian and Orangeman Dr David Hume for another series of the ‘The Long And Short Of It’.
Dr David Hume (left) and Tim McGarry.Dr David Hume (left) and Tim McGarry.
Dr David Hume (left) and Tim McGarry.

Starting on BBC Radio Ulster this Saturday (May 9) at 10.30am, the unlikely duo investigates well-known historical events from different perspectives, to give the listener the long and the short of it.

In the first programme in the series Tim and David examine the Siege of Derry and ask if Colonel Robert Lundy was framed. They meet historian Carlo Gebler on the city’s walls, Billy Moore of the Apprentice Boys of Londonderry at the new Siege Museum and military historian Richard Doherty.

In the second programme, they examine the impact of Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell and ask if Nationalists could tolerate a Protestant leader. They meet historian Dr Carla King at Parnell’s birthplace of Avondale in County Wicklow, the spot of the Phoenix Park murders with historian Dr Conor Mulvagh and Parnell’s burial place at Glasnevin Cemetery with Professor Pauric Travers.

The time of the Gaelic League in the late 19th century and the concerted attempts to revive Irish culture and the Irish language, is explored in the third programme, asking if the Irish language was hijacked by Republicans.

Later in the series, the duo look into Carson’s legacy, explore why there was a dramatic decline in the Protestant population after partition in 1922 and examine when the Ulster Special Constabulary came into being.

Tim says: “This is a history show with a difference. Dr David Hume and I have been travelling all across the land visiting important historical sites, asking historians hard questions and then having a row.

“We’ve been disagreeing about everything. Amidst the squabbling, however, there are fascinating interviews, new perspectives and important insights and on occasion, despite our very different backgrounds, David and I actually agree. But usually he’s just wrong.”

David says: “We have covered a lot of miles and several centuries in the latest series of The Long and the Short of It, and hopefully listeners will enjoy this unique look at our shared history, complete with some humorous historical sketches thrown in for good measure.

“There will be a lot of information from the experts and considerable debate between myself and the ever-confident Tim McGarry. Agreeing with Tim all the time is a bit of a tall order, but we are still talking to each other by the end of each programme!”

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