# The By-Elections That Shaped Ireland (Part 1)

An episode of [What Were We Like](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1845439909), 18 May 2026, 37 min.

Audio: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/c7d3b33c-f943-4afb-8665-b0b200e579f7/0887db98-33c9-4af7-ba73-b3720155d3d4/5e43a4d3-fd2c-4ae9-b009-b44b00f66e4f/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=510a10ae-1082-48a7-961a-b3720155da9c

With by-elections in the air, Diarmaid and Catriona look back at some of the most significant ones in Irish history. Part one features big beasts Sean Lemass and Sean MacBride, as well as Ireland's most handsome communist. Lemass succeeded Dev and is credited with modernising Ireland, as well as smoking vast amounts of tobacco through a pipe. The more “exotic” MacBride founded Clann Na Poblachta and Amnesty International, but his abilities as a politician are questioned, and the roots of his unusual French accent considered. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.