The Course of Irish History

Theodore William Moody, born in Belfast in 1907, was a distinguished Irish historian. His academic journey began at the Royal Academical Institution and continued at Queen's University Belfast, where his interactions with a diverse group of students shaped his perspective on Irish nationality. After completing his PhD at the Institute for Historical Research in London, Moody returned to Queen's University to lecture on Irish history, eventually making significant strides in the field alongside R. Dudley Edwards. They were instrumental in establishing the Irish Historical Society and the Ulster Society for Irish Historical Studies, enhancing the framework for Irish historical scholarship. His career at Trinity College Dublin was marked by influential roles, including his involvement in 'A New History of Ireland.'Theo cultivated links with broadcasters in Dublin and Belfast, and from the early 1950s he was behind several series of scholarly talks, mainly about history, broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland and similar series carried on Radio Éireann (designated Thomas Davis lectures). Most were subsequently published as inexpensive paperbacks. The formula went visual in 1966 when RTÉ televised twenty one lectures covering sequentially Irish history from the beginnings to 1966. Each of the papers was written by an expert, and all were presented on screen by the most accomplished newsreader of the day, Andy O'Mahony of RTÉ. The lectures were subsequently published in a paperback, 'The Course of Irish History', edited by Moody and F.X. Martin, professor of medieval history at UCD, enjoyed outstanding success.