Culture
29 Aug 25

Dublin Festival of History programme has been launched

1923 passport issued to W.B. Yeats and his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees, to allow them to travel to Stockholm, where Yeats accepted the Nobel Prize in Literature. Source: EPIC Museum / A Century of the Irish Passport guided tour

Flo Laurent

The annual festival will take place from September 26 to October 12 at various venues across Dublin, including A Century Of The Irish Passport guided tour at EPIC Museum.

The Dublin Festival of History 2025, set to feature over 250 free events from September 26 to October 12 at various venues across Dublin, has been unveiled by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Ray McAdam.

Aiming to highlight fresh perspectives on History and its importance in our everyday lives, this year’s annual free festival will include best-selling Irish and international historians for a rich programme of history and debate.

Events will include a wide variety of events, including The Story of Dublin Jack, an exhibition at Outhouse Theatre focusing on a little-known Queer history centring around the life and times of Jack Saul. On September 26 and 30, as well as October 1, the EPIC Museum will also offer the guided tour A Century of the Irish Passport, where visitors will discover the 1923 passport issued to W.B. Yeats and his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees, to allow them to travel to Stockholm, where Yeats accepted the Nobel Prize in Literature (see picture above).

On September 26 at St. Anne’s Church, Nicola Pierce will present Great Irish Wives with Nicola Pierce, a fascinating introduction to ten women who for far too long have been hidden in the shadows of their famous partners, including Matilda Tone, Mary O’Connell, George Yeats and Beatrice Behan.

On September 21, Mick Kenny, National Guide, will present The Head on Yer Man Walking Tour, a 75 minute walk exploring the music and literary past of the people of Ballybough and The North Strand including Seán O’Casey, Luke Kelly, Annie Hutton, Brendan Behan, Bram Stoker, Jim Sheridan and many more.

The festival opens with The Big Weekend at the Mansion House — a packed two-day programme of talks, debates and panel discussions. Highlights include Iain MacGregor’s The Hiroshima Men ; Kate Vigurs’ Mission Europe: The Secret History of the Women of Special Operations Executive, and Roger Moorhouse’s Wolfpack: Hitler’s U-boat War 1939–44.

Speaking at the launch, the Lord Mayor Cllr Ray McAdam said “The Dublin Festival of History is a celebration of the shared love for history. Dublin has been shaped by the events, places and people of its past and this festival helps brings those stories to life over the course of the festival. Dubliners and visitors alike have a great opportunity to take in the wonderful history of our capital city.”

Brendan Teeling, Deputy City Librarian, said “Dublin Festival of History is a fantastic festival that showcases the depth of stories from the capital and internationally. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience history that Dubliners would not have previously known, to brush up on historical favourites and to delve deep into topics that are not widely spoken about.”

All events for the Dublin Festival of History 2025 are free, but booking is highly recommended.

To see the complete list of events, click here. Bookings are now open.