Research Profile

John Borgonovo

Biography

I was born in San Francisco, USA, and earned a history BA at the University of Oregon. Fascinated by Irish history, I completed a History MA at University College Cork in 1997. Returning to San Francisco, I worked in the Internet industry for six years. While on a career break I produced my first book, 'Florence and Josephine O'Donoghue's War of Independence', which was compiled from memoirs, correspondence, and biographical material. It was followed by my research monograph, 'Spies, Informers, and the Anti-Sinn Féin Society', an updated version of my 1997 MA thesis, which which examined the IRA's campaign against suspected civilian informers in Cork city. In  2006, I returned to UCC to undertake my PhD, funded by the UCC President's Scholarship. My dissertation looked at the radicalisation of Cork city public life from 1916 to 1918, as the First World War destabilised Irish politics and society. It was published as, 'The Dynamics of War: Cork City, 1916-1918' by Cork University Press in 2013.

After receiving my doctorate in 2010, I initially joined the School of History as a contract lecturer.  During 2016 and 2017 I was UCC's 'Decade of Centenaries Programme Coordinator', organising various public events and outreach efforts.  In 2018 I became a permanent lecturer in the School of History, and now teach numerous courses in Irish and international history at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

I am best-known for my work on the Irish Revolutionary period, which includes monographs, edited collections, book chapters, and journal articles. My work often uses events in Cork city and county as a lens through which to view the entire period, often taking a 'history from below' approach. My scholarship seeks to expand our understanding of the revolution by considering gender, class, social, cultural, and international comparative perspectives. I have engaged with some of the most  contested debates in the literature, including the Kilmichael Ambush fallout, the killing of suspected civilian informers, and the so-called 'Bandon Valley Massacre.' The latter issue was the subject of a journal article in Éire-Ireland', co-written with my UCC colleague Andy Bielenberg, which attracted national media attention. I was the associate editor of the award-winning 'Atlas of the Irish Revolution', which is among the all-time highest selling academic history books in Irish publishing history.  The Atlas project remains ongoing, with various outputs included two three-part documentary series for RTÉ, 'The Irish Revolution' (2019) and 'The Irish Civil War' (2022).  In recent years, have also worked with my colleague Hiram Morgan to develop maritime history at UCC. In 2014, we held the first-ever maritime history conference in Ireland, an initiative we hope to continue.

I am committed to making my scholarship accessible to the wider public. I have been involved in numerous collaborations with local cultural stake-holders.  Frequently I speak to local history societies and regional history festivals, and regularly appear in the national media.

Research Interests

Irish Revolution, 1916-1923; Irish Higher Education; Modern Irish History; First World War; Maritime History; British Empire; Northern Ireland, History of Medicine; Leisure and Sports History; US History





Publications

Books

 YearPublication
(2013)The Dynamics of War and Revolution: Cork City, 1916-1918.
John Borgonovo (2013) The Dynamics of War and Revolution: Cork City, 1916-1918. Cork: Cork University Press. [Details]
(2013)'Prevention is Better than Cure':History of the Cork University Dental School and Hospital, 1913-2013.
John Borgonovo, Denis O'Mullane, Tim Holland (2013) 'Prevention is Better than Cure':History of the Cork University Dental School and Hospital, 1913-2013. Cork: University College Cork. [Details]
(2011)The Battle for Cork: July - August 1922.
John Borgonovo (2011) The Battle for Cork: July - August 1922. Cork: Mercier Press. [Details]
(2007)Spies, Informers, and the 'Anti-Sinn Féin' Society: The Intelligence War in Cork City, 1920-1921.
John Borgonovo (2007) Spies, Informers, and the 'Anti-Sinn Féin' Society: The Intelligence War in Cork City, 1920-1921. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. [Details]

Book Chapters

 YearPublication
(2022)'Defending the Republic: The IRA Field Army and the Civil War's Conventional Phase'
Borgonovo, John (2022) 'Defending the Republic: The IRA Field Army and the Civil War's Conventional Phase' In: Darragh Gannon, Fearghal McGarry (eds). Ireland 1922: Independence, Partition, Civil War. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. [Details]
(2021)'‘Protesters, Participants, and Pensioners: The Connaught Rangers’ Mutiny Pension Evidence’'
Borgonovo, John (2021) '‘Protesters, Participants, and Pensioners: The Connaught Rangers’ Mutiny Pension Evidence’' In: Jyoti Atwal and Eunan O’Halpin (eds). India, Ireland, and Anti-Imperial Struggle: Remembering the Connaught Rangers Mutiny, 1920. New Dehli: Aakar Books. [Details]
(2021)'Ethnic Identity and the Mobilization of the Oregon Irish, 1917-1921'
Borgonovo, John (2021) 'Ethnic Identity and the Mobilization of the Oregon Irish, 1917-1921' In: NK Harrington (eds). The Rose and Irish Identity: Seeding, Blooming, Piercing, and Withering. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. [Details]
(2021)''The Heritage of the Revolution: Coastal Legacies''
Borgonovo, John (2021) ''The Heritage of the Revolution: Coastal Legacies'' In: Robert Devoy, Val Cummins, Barry Brunt, Darius Bartlett, Sarah Kennedy (eds). The Coastal Atlas of Ireland. Cork: Cork University Press. [Details]
(2020)'Cumann na mBan, Martial Women and the Irish Civil War, 1922–1923'
John Borgonovo (2020) 'Cumann na mBan, Martial Women and the Irish Civil War, 1922–1923' In: Linda Connolly (eds). Women and the Irish Revoluition: Feminism, Activism, and Violence. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. [Details]
(2019)''Revolution, ex-servicemen, and the Cork Branch of the National Federatin of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers, 1918-1921''
John Borgonovo (2019) ''Revolution, ex-servicemen, and the Cork Branch of the National Federatin of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers, 1918-1921'' In: David Swift and Olvier Wilkinson (eds) (eds). Veterans of the First World War: Ex-Servicemen and Ex-Servicewomen in Post-War Britain and Ireland. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2017)''Political Percussions: Cork Brass Bands and the Irish Revolution, 1914-1922'
John Borgonovo (2017) ''Political Percussions: Cork Brass Bands and the Irish Revolution, 1914-1922' In: Jack Santino (eds). Public Performances: Studies in the Carnivalesque and Ritualesque. Logan: Utah State University Press. [Details]
(2017)'Peasant Resistance Traditions and the Irish War of Independence, 1918-21'
John Borgonovo (2017) 'Peasant Resistance Traditions and the Irish War of Independence, 1918-21' In: Ilaria Favretto, Xabier Itcaina (eds). PROTEST, POPULAR CULTURE AND TRADITION IN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY WESTERN EUROPE. BASINGSTOKE: PALGRAVE. [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'‘Cork Brass Bands and Political Recreation, 1850-1914’'
John Borgonovo (2015) '‘Cork Brass Bands and Political Recreation, 1850-1914’' In: Leisure and the Irish in the Nineteenth Century: Conference Proceedings of the Society for the Study of Nineteenth Century Irish History. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. [Details]
(2015)'‘An Seabhac: The Revolutionary Years, 1914-1922''
John Borgonovo (2015) '‘An Seabhac: The Revolutionary Years, 1914-1922'' In: Lesa Ní Mhunghaile and Ríonach uí Ógáin (eds). 'Rí na Gréine': Aistí i gcuimhne ar An Seabhac. Dublin: An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann. [Details]
(2012)'‘Ordinary Crime, Republican Courts, and the Irish Revolution’'
John Borgonovo (2012) '‘Ordinary Crime, Republican Courts, and the Irish Revolution’' In: Justice and Society, Vol. V, Justice in Wartime and Revolution. Brussels: National Archives of Belgium. [Details]
(2010)'‘Throwing Discretion to the Wind: The 1918 General Election in Cork City’'
John Borgonovo (2010) '‘Throwing Discretion to the Wind: The 1918 General Election in Cork City’' In: From Parnell to Paisley: Constitutionalism and Conflict. 2010: Irish Academic Press. [Details]
(2010)'Justice They Would Have: The Cork Branch of the Demobilised and Discharged Soldiers and Sailors Federation, 1919-1921’'
John Borgonovo (2010) 'Justice They Would Have: The Cork Branch of the Demobilised and Discharged Soldiers and Sailors Federation, 1919-1921’' In: A Great Sacrifice, Cork Servicemen Who Died in the Great War. Cork: Echo Press. [Details]

Edited Books

 YearPublication
(2017)Atlas of the Irish Revolution
John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, Michael Murphy, John Borgonovo (Ed.). (2017) Atlas of the Irish Revolution Cork: Cork University Press.   [Details]
(2015)The Men Will Talk to Me: West Cork Interviews
Andy Bielenberg, John Borgonovo, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc (Ed.). (2015) The Men Will Talk to Me: West Cork Interviews The Men Will Talk to Me: West Cork Interviews. Cork: Mercier Press. [Details]
(2006)Florence and Josephine O'Donoghue's War of Indepndence: 'A Destiny that Shapes Our Ends'
John Borgonovo (Ed.). (2006) Florence and Josephine O'Donoghue's War of Indepndence: 'A Destiny that Shapes Our Ends' Florence and Josephine O'Donoghue's War of Indepndence: 'A Destiny that Shapes Our Ends'. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. [Details]

Book Reviews

 YearPublication
(2019)Reviewed Work: Heroes or Traitors? Experiences of Southern Irish Soldiers Returning from the Great War, 1919–1939, by Paul Taylor.
John Borgonovo (2019) Reviewed Work: Heroes or Traitors? Experiences of Southern Irish Soldiers Returning from the Great War, 1919–1939, by Paul Taylor. Book Reviews [Details]
(2017)The Rising: Ireland, Easter 1916.
Fearghal McGarry (2017) The Rising: Ireland, Easter 1916. Book Reviews   [Details]
(2016)Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War.
Gemma Clarke (2016) Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War. CHICAGO: Book Reviews [DOI] [Details]
(2015)The IRA in Britain, 1919-1923: 'In the Heart of Enemy Lines'.
Gerard Noonan (2015) The IRA in Britain, 1919-1923: 'In the Heart of Enemy Lines'. NEW YORK: Book Reviews [DOI] [Details]
(2015)Vivid Faces: The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland 1890-1923.
Roy Foster (2015) Vivid Faces: The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland 1890-1923. Book Reviews   [Details]
(2014)Political Imprisonment and the Irish, 1910-1921.
Will Murphy (2014) Political Imprisonment and the Irish, 1910-1921. Book Reviews [Details]
(2011)Irish Terrorism in the Atlantic Community, 1865-1922.
Jonathan Gantt (2011) Irish Terrorism in the Atlantic Community, 1865-1922. Book Reviews [Details]
(2011)Soldiers of Folly, the IRA Border Campaign, 1956-1962.
Barry Flynn (2011) Soldiers of Folly, the IRA Border Campaign, 1956-1962. Book Reviews [Details]
(2009)The Civil Service and the Revolution in Ireland, 1912-1938: ‘Shaking the Blood-stained hand of Mr Collins’.
John Maguire (2009) The Civil Service and the Revolution in Ireland, 1912-1938: ‘Shaking the Blood-stained hand of Mr Collins’. Book Reviews [Details]

Other Journals

 YearPublication
(2009)'‘The Prescott-Decie Memo: Government Approval for “Secret Murder'
John Borgonovo and Gabriel Doherty (2009) '‘The Prescott-Decie Memo: Government Approval for “Secret Murder' History Ireland, . [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2017)'The Exile and Repatriation of Father Dominic O'Connor (O.F.M. Capuchin), 1922-58'
Borgonovo, J (2017) 'The Exile and Repatriation of Father Dominic O'Connor (O.F.M. Capuchin), 1922-58'. Eire-Ireland, 52 :122-156 [Details]
(2014)'Something of the Nature of a Massacre: The Bandon Valley Killings Revisited'
Bielenberg, A;Borgonovo, J;Donnelly, JS (2014) 'Something of the Nature of a Massacre: The Bandon Valley Killings Revisited'. Eire-Ireland, 49 :7-59 [Details]
(2013)'‘Cork University Dental School and Hospital: A Hundred Years of Dental Education, 1913-2013’'
John Borgonovo, Denis O'Mullane, Tim Holland (2013) '‘Cork University Dental School and Hospital: A Hundred Years of Dental Education, 1913-2013’'. Journal of The Irish Dental Association, [Details]
(2012)'‘Revolutionary Violence and Historiography’'
John Borgonovo (2012) '‘Revolutionary Violence and Historiography’'. Irish Historical Studies, [Details]
(2012)''Exercising a close vigilance over their daughters': Cork women, American sailors, and Catholic vigilantes, 1917-18'
Borgonovo, J (2012) ''Exercising a close vigilance over their daughters': Cork women, American sailors, and Catholic vigilantes, 1917-18'. Irish Historical Studies, 38 :89-107 [Details]
(2010)'The Guerrilla Infrastructure: IRA Special Services in the Cork Number One Brigade, 1917-1921’'
John Borgonovo (2010) 'The Guerrilla Infrastructure: IRA Special Services in the Cork Number One Brigade, 1917-1921’'. Irish Sword, [Details]
(2009)'' 'A Soviet in Embryo': ”: Food, Famine, and the Cork People’s Food Committee, 1918’'
John Borgonovo (2009) '' 'A Soviet in Embryo': ”: Food, Famine, and the Cork People’s Food Committee, 1918’'. Saothar: Journal of The Irish Labour History Society, [Details]
(2008)'“Thoughtless Young People” and “The Battle of Patrick Street”: The Cork City Riots of June 1917'
John Borgonovo (2008) '“Thoughtless Young People” and “The Battle of Patrick Street”: The Cork City Riots of June 1917'. Journal of The Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, [Details]

Conference Publications

 YearPublication
(2008)Southern Regional American Conference for Irish Studies, 2006
John Borgonovo (2008) Gender, Espionage, and the Corkwomen Spies of 1919-1921 Southern Regional American Conference for Irish Studies, 2006 [Details]

Newspaper Articles

 YearPublication
(2021)The IRA, the Split, and the Treaty, IRISH EXAMINER, 29 Dec 2022.
John Borgonovo (2021) The IRA, the Split, and the Treaty, IRISH EXAMINER, 29 Dec 2022. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2021)November, a most violent month, IRISH EXAMINER, 2 Jan 2021.
John Borgonovo (2021) November, a most violent month, IRISH EXAMINER, 2 Jan 2021. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2020)The IRA and the War, IRISH TIMES, 3 June 2020.
John Borgonovo (2020) The IRA and the War, IRISH TIMES, 3 June 2020. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2020)Munster largely escaped the post-Rising British crackdown, IRISH EXAMINER, 23 March 2020.
John Borgonovo (2020) Munster largely escaped the post-Rising British crackdown, IRISH EXAMINER, 23 March 2020. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2017)The war in Cork and Kerry, IRISH EXAMINER, 18 Sept 2017.
John Borgonovo (2017) The war in Cork and Kerry, IRISH EXAMINER, 18 Sept 2017. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2016)A battle of Cork's separatists and constitutional nationalists, IRISH EXAMINER, 21 May 2016.
John Borgonovo (2016) A battle of Cork's separatists and constitutional nationalists, IRISH EXAMINER, 21 May 2016. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2016)A battle of Cork's separatists and constitutional nationalists, IRISH EXAMINER, 21 May 2016.
John Borgonovo (2016) A battle of Cork's separatists and constitutional nationalists, IRISH EXAMINER, 21 May 2016. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2015)US holds fire as the war twists and turns, IRISH EXAMINER, 5 May 2015.
John Borgonovo (2015) US holds fire as the war twists and turns, IRISH EXAMINER, 5 May 2015. Newspaper Articles [Details]
(2013)Separating fact from folklore, IRISH EXAMINER, 27 March 2013.
John Borgonovo (2013) Separating fact from folklore, IRISH EXAMINER, 27 March 2013. Newspaper Articles [Details]

Online Multimedia

 YearPublication
(2023)Bitter enemies: The guerrilla phase of the Civil War, RTÉ HISTORY (Jan 2023).
John Borgonovo (2023) Bitter enemies: The guerrilla phase of the Civil War, RTÉ HISTORY (Jan 2023). Online Multimedia [Details]
(2022)Turning Point: The Battle of Cork, RTÉ HISTORY (August 2022).
John Borgonovo (2022) Turning Point: The Battle of Cork, RTÉ HISTORY (August 2022). Online Multimedia [Details]
(2022)The story behind Monty's Macroom Castle Standoff with the IRA, RTÉ BRAINSTORM (May 2022).
John Borgonovo (2022) The story behind Monty's Macroom Castle Standoff with the IRA, RTÉ BRAINSTORM (May 2022). Online Multimedia [Details]
(2022)The Assault on the Four Courts, RTÉ HISTORY (June 2022).
John Borgonovo (2022) The Assault on the Four Courts, RTÉ HISTORY (June 2022). Online Multimedia [Details]
(2022)A defiant gathering: The 1922 IRA Convention, RTÉ HISTORY (March 2022).
John Borgonovo (2022) A defiant gathering: The 1922 IRA Convention, RTÉ HISTORY (March 2022). Online Multimedia [Details]
(2022)The Story of Josephine McCoy: The IRA spy in the British barracks, RTÉ BRAINSTORM (April 2022).
John Borgonovo (2022) The Story of Josephine McCoy: The IRA spy in the British barracks, RTÉ BRAINSTORM (April 2022). Online Multimedia [Details]
(2022)The Civil War on Water, RTÉ HISTORY (August 2022).
John Borgonovo (2022) The Civil War on Water, RTÉ HISTORY (August 2022). Online Multimedia [Details]

Reviews

 YearPublication
(2012)Revolutionary violence and Irish historiography.
Borgonovo J. (2012) Revolutionary violence and Irish historiography. Reviews [DOI] [Details]

Professional Activities

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2018UCC Research Team of the Year University College Cork
2018GSI Book of the Year Geographical Society of Ireland

Conference Contributions

 YearPublication
(2021)The Military Archives and Military History Society of Ireland Irish War of Independence Conference,
John Borgonovo (2021) ‘The guerrilla war on the water, 1920-21’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The Military Archives and Military History Society of Ireland Irish War of Independence Conference, Military Archives, Dublin . [Details]
(2020)India, Ireland, and the Connaught Rangers 1920 Mutiny,
John Borgonovo (2020) Mutineers, Strikers, and Pensioners: The Connaught Ranger Mutiny in Context, 1920-36. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], India, Ireland, and the Connaught Rangers 1920 Mutiny, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Dehli, India . [Details]
(2020)Terence MacSwiney, Cork Men’s Gaol, and the Political Hunger Strike, 1920-2020,
Borgonovo, John (2020) ‘Looking Beyond Brixton: The Cork Men’s Gaol Hunger Strike in Context’. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Terence MacSwiney, Cork Men’s Gaol, and the Political Hunger Strike, 1920-2020, University College Cork . [Details]
(2019)Irish Bodies and the Irish World, Canadian Conference for Irish Studies 2019,
Borgonovo, John (2019) ‘The politics of mourning: Republican Funerals, Processions, and Burials’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Irish Bodies and the Irish World, Canadian Conference for Irish Studies 2019, Concordia University, Montreal . [Details]
(2019)Labour in the War Zone: Class, Gender, and the Independence Struggle in Munster, 1916-1921,,
Borgonovo, John (2019) ‘The 1918 Food Crisis and Munster Militancy’. [Oral Presentation], Labour in the War Zone: Class, Gender, and the Independence Struggle in Munster, 1916-1921,, University College Cork . [Details]
(2019)ACIS West: The Rose: Beauty, Blossoming and Transition in Irish Studies,
John Borgonovo (2019) Revolutionary Ireland and the Cork Vanguard: Consideration and Consequences. [Plenary Lecture], ACIS West: The Rose: Beauty, Blossoming and Transition in Irish Studies, Portland, OR (USA) . [Details]
(2019)Ireland, the Revolution and the First World War. Continuities, Ruptures and Legacies (1913-1919),
John Borgonovo (2019) The Flying Corps and the Flying Column: Irish Revolutionaries and First World War Culture. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Ireland, the Revolution and the First World War. Continuities, Ruptures and Legacies (1913-1919), Irish College, Paris . [Details]
(2018)NUI:Political Voices: the Participation of Women in Irish Public Life, 1918-2018,
John Borgonovo (2018) War, Gender, and Cumann na mBan: The Mobilization of Irish Women, 1914-1922. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], NUI:Political Voices: the Participation of Women in Irish Public Life, 1918-2018, National Gallery of Ireland . [Details]
(2018)American Conference for Irish Studies Annual Conference,
Borgonovo, John (2018) ‘Conceiving the Atlas of the Irish Revolution’. [Oral Presentation], American Conference for Irish Studies Annual Conference, University College Cork . [Details]
(2018)Irish Conference of Historians: Sex: Sexuality and Reproduction, Historical Perspectives,
John Borgonovo (2018) ‘Separation women’ and Gender Politicsin First-World-War Ireland. [Oral Presentation], Irish Conference of Historians: Sex: Sexuality and Reproduction, Historical Perspectives, University College Cork . [Details]
(2017)Women and the Irish Revolution 1917-23: Feminism, Violence, Nationalism,
John Borgonovo (2017) Sister Against Sister: Cumann na mBan during the Irish Civil War. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Women and the Irish Revolution 1917-23: Feminism, Violence, Nationalism, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin . [Details]
(2017)The death of political pluralism? Ireland after the Rising, 1916-18,
John Borgonovo (2017) 'Twilight of the Mollies - Remobilization, Resistance, and New Politics in Cork City, 1917-18'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The death of political pluralism? Ireland after the Rising, 1916-18, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum . [Details]
(2017)UCC Food Conference,
John Borgonovo (2017) The Buena Vista Café and ‘Inventing’ Irish Coffee. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], UCC Food Conference, University College Cork . [Details]
(2017)Universities Ireland: PROPAGANDA AND MOBILISATION: IRELAND FROM RISING TO CONSCRIPTION CRISIS, 1916-1918,
John Borgonovo (2017) Anti-government, anti-war, and proindependence: The emergence of a ‘republican front’ in 1917. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Universities Ireland: PROPAGANDA AND MOBILISATION: IRELAND FROM RISING TO CONSCRIPTION CRISIS, 1916-1918, University College Dublin . [Details]
(2017)NUI Galway: 1917 Centenary Reflections Conference’,
John Borgonovo (2017) [Panel Discussion] 1917 AND THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW IRELAND. [Oral Presentation], NUI Galway: 1917 Centenary Reflections Conference’, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon . [Details]
(2017)Winning the Western Approaches: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare and the US Navy in Ireland, 1917-18,
John Borgonovo (2017) Opening and Closing Remarks. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Winning the Western Approaches: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare and the US Navy in Ireland, 1917-18, University College Cork . [Details]
(2016)NUI Galway: Ireland and the Wobbly World – Irish Labour Radicals and the IWW in the early 20th Century,
John Borgonovo (2016) The Irish & the Mooney case: a miscarriage of Justice in California. [Oral Presentation], NUI Galway: Ireland and the Wobbly World – Irish Labour Radicals and the IWW in the early 20th Century, NUI Galway . [Details]
(2016)The Easter Rising and Its Aftermath,
John Borgonovo (2016) Remobilisation and Destabilisation in Cork, 1916-1918. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The Easter Rising and Its Aftermath, Irish Embassy, Ottawa . [Details]
(2015)Class and Culture in Twentieth Century Ireland,
John Borgonovo (2015) Republican civil administration, taxation, and class tensions in the “Munster Republic”, July-August 1922. [Oral Presentation], Class and Culture in Twentieth Century Ireland, St. John's College, Cambridge University . [Details]
(2015)Ex-Servicemen and the First World War,
John Borgonovo (2015) Ex-Soldiers in Revolutionary Ireland: The Cork Branch of the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Soldiers and Sailors, 1918-1922. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Ex-Servicemen and the First World War, People’s History Museum, Manchester . [Details]
(2014)Food and the First World War,
John Borgonovo (2014) Food Preservation, Agitation, and Agrarianism in Ireland, 1918. [Oral Presentation], Food and the First World War, Liverpool Hope University . [Details]
(2014)Cumann na mBan, Women’s History Association of Ireland 2014 Conference,
John Borgonovo (2014) Cumann na mBan, Gender, and Cork. [Plenary Lecture], Cumann na mBan, Women’s History Association of Ireland 2014 Conference, Collins Barracks, Dublin . [Details]
(2014)Medical Training, student experience and the transmission of knowledge, c.1800-2014: New foundations and global perspectives,
John Borgonovo (2014) 'Cork University Dental School Student Experience, 1914-1994'. [Oral Presentation], Medical Training, student experience and the transmission of knowledge, c.1800-2014: New foundations and global perspectives, University College Dublin . [Details]
(2014)How Wars End,
John Borgonovo (2014) 'Ending the Irish Civil War'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], How Wars End, University of Dundee . [Details]
(2014)Ernie O'Malley Symposium,
John Borgonovo (2014) Ernie O’Malley Notebooks as a Historical Source. [Oral Presentation], Ernie O'Malley Symposium, New York University . [Details]
(2014)Cumann na mBan 100,
John Borgonovo (2014) ‘Gender, Political Mobilisation, and the Cork Cumann na mBan’. [Keynote Speaker], Cumann na mBan 100, National Museum (Collins Barracks), Dublin . [Details]
(2014)Women and the First World War Women’s Studies Seminar,
John Borgonovo (2014) Wartime Mobilisation of Cork City Women, 1914 - 1918. [Oral Presentation], Women and the First World War Women’s Studies Seminar, University College Cork . [Details]
(2013)Poland and Ireland, Ways of Independence,
John Borgonovo (2013) The Irish Revolution, A Case Study. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Poland and Ireland, Ways of Independence, University College Dublin . [Details]
(2013)Poland and Ireland, Ways of Independence,
John Borgonovo (2013) The Irish Revolution, A Case Study. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Poland and Ireland, Ways of Independence, Embassy of Poland in Ireland and Institute of National Remembrance, Dublin . [Details]
(2013)Cork Studies in the Irish Revolution: The Cause of Labour, 1913 and Beyond,
John Borgonovo (2013) Agrarianism and Food Protection in Ireland, 1918. [Oral Presentation], Cork Studies in the Irish Revolution: The Cause of Labour, 1913 and Beyond, University College Cork . [Details]
(2013)One Hundred Years of Dental Evolution Centenary Conference,
John Borgonovo, Denis O'Mullane (2013) A century of dental education in Cork. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], One Hundred Years of Dental Evolution Centenary Conference, Cork University Dental School and Hospital . [Details]
(2013)Popular Culture and Protest Repertoires in 20th Century Europe,,
John Borgonovo (2013) Civil Disobedience and the Irish Revolution, 1917-1922. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Popular Culture and Protest Repertoires in 20th Century Europe,, European University Institute, Florence . [Details]
(2013)Trinity College Dublin Contemporary Irish History Seminar Series,
John Borgonovo (2013) The Dynamics of War and Revolution. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Trinity College Dublin Contemporary Irish History Seminar Series, Trinity College Dublin . [Details]
(2013)The Irish Civil War,
John Borgonovo (2013) The Conventional Phase of the Civil War. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The Irish Civil War, Custume Barracks, Athlone . [Details]
(2013)Living in Violent Times,
John Borgonovo (2013) Remembering the Irish Revolution: Republican Commemoration in County Cork, 1896-1966. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Living in Violent Times, University of Warwick . [Details]
(2013)Youth Culture in Context,
John Borgonovo (2013) Irish Mod Scooters, American Lowriders, and Public Space Displays. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Youth Culture in Context, NUI Galway . [Details]
(2013)Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour and Class Inaugural Conference,,
John Borgonovo (2013) Republican civil administration and taxation in the “Munster Republic”, July-August 1922. [Oral Presentation], Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour and Class Inaugural Conference,, NUI Galway . [Details]
(2012)The Irish Diaspora and Revolution, 1845-1945,
John Borgonovo (2012) The Exile, Death, and Repatriation of Father Dominic O’Connor, 1922-1958. [Oral Presentation], The Irish Diaspora and Revolution, 1845-1945, NUI Maynooth . [Details]
(2012)Leisure and the Irish in the Nineteenth Century: Society for the Study of Nineteenth Century Ireland,
John Borgonovo (2012) Cork Marching Bands: Leisure, Society and Politics, 1845-1914. [Oral Presentation], Leisure and the Irish in the Nineteenth Century: Society for the Study of Nineteenth Century Ireland, Mater Dei . [Details]
(2012)The Titanic and Other Aspects of the Maritime History of Cork Harbour,
John Borgonovo (2012) The Lusitania, U-boats, and the American Navy in Cork, 1914-1918. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The Titanic and Other Aspects of the Maritime History of Cork Harbour, , Cork County Council and University College Cork, Cobh . [Details]
(2012)Gender and Irish Society in the 19th and 20th Century: New Perspectives, New Ideas,
John Borgonovo (2012) Gender, Nationalism, and the Cork Cumann na. [Oral Presentation], Gender and Irish Society in the 19th and 20th Century: New Perspectives, New Ideas, NUI Galway . [Details]
(2011)History, Memory and American Foreign Relations, University College,
John Borgonovo (2011) Il Baseball: The American Cemetery at Nettuno and the Development of Italian Baseball. [Oral Presentation], History, Memory and American Foreign Relations, University College, University College Dublin . [Details]
(2011)Conference on Holidays, Ritual, Festival, Celebration and Public Display,
John Borgonovo (2011) Political Percussions: Cork’s Marching Bands in War and Revolution, 1914-1922. [Oral Presentation], Conference on Holidays, Ritual, Festival, Celebration and Public Display, University of Paris, Sarbonne IV . [Details]
(2011)Justice in Wartime and Revolutions,
John Borgonovo (2011) Ordinary Criminality, Republican Courts, and the Irish Revolution. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Justice in Wartime and Revolutions, Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society, Brussels . [Details]
(2011)Insurgencies, Small Wars, and the Past and Future of Conflict,
John Borgonovo (2011) Insurgent Intelligence in Cork, 1918-1921. [Oral Presentation], Insurgencies, Small Wars, and the Past and Future of Conflict, University College Dublin . [Details]
(2010)Australasian Irish Studies Conference,
John Borgonovo (2010) ‘One of the Most Loyal Citizens of the Empire to be Found in Australia’: The Court-Martial of Chaplain Thomas O’Donnell, AIF. [Oral Presentation], Australasian Irish Studies Conference, Queen's University Belfast . [Details]
(2009)The Irish Conference of Historians,
John Borgonovo (2009) ‘Exercising a Close Vigilance Over Their Daughters’: Cork Women, American Sailors, and the Catholic Vigilantes of 1917-1918. [Oral Presentation], The Irish Conference of Historians, University of Limerick . [Details]
(2009)The Irish War of Independence,
John Borgonovo (2009) The Guerrilla Infrastructure: IRA Special Services in the Cork Number One Brigade, 1917-1921. [Oral Presentation], The Irish War of Independence, National Museum of Ireland . [Details]
(2009)Imprisonment and the Irish,
John Borgonovo (2009) The Cork Prison Strike, 1920. [Oral Presentation], Imprisonment and the Irish, Mater Dei Institute, Dublin City University . [Details]
(2008)The Black Hand of Republicanism, The Fenians and History,
John Borgonovo (2008) ‘The Lid Came Off’: The IRB, The IRA, and Dual Control in Cork City, 1917-1921. [Oral Presentation], The Black Hand of Republicanism, The Fenians and History, Queen's University Belfast . [Details]
(2008)Sports History Ireland,
John Borgonovo (2008) Ring Around the Roses’: Civil Disobedience, the Cork G.A.A., and the Public Assembly Ban of 1918. [Oral Presentation], Sports History Ireland, Boston College, Dublin . [Details]
(2008)From Parnell to Paisley, Irish Constitutionalism and Conflict,
John Borgonovo (2008) Throwing Discretion to the Wind: The 1918 General Election in Cork City. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], From Parnell to Paisley, Irish Constitutionalism and Conflict, Queen's University Belfast . [Details]

Outreach Activities

 Description

(2021) I was on 'The Doc at One' radio documentary 'The Little Shop of Secrets' on RTÉ Radio 1.

(2020) Appeared on Newstalk's 'Talking History' programme, 5 July.

(2019) Gave a public lecture to the Emly Historical Society as part of its War of Independence commemoration on 4 May.

(2019) Gave a lecture on 'The Munster Vanguard' to the Knocklong History Seminar on 18 May.

(2019) Joined a discussion panel during the 'Land and Labour' conference held in the Athy Library.

(2022) Was a guest on 'This Irish-American Life', a programme heard on WNYE 91.5 Public Radio (New York City), May 2022.

(2022) I appeared on the documentary, 'Widows of the Irish Revolution', which was aired on RTÉ TV.

(2020) I appeared in the documentary series, '74 Days, Inside Terence MacSwiney’s Hunger Strike' on RTÉ 1.

(2020) I was a guest on the RTÉ news programme 'Nationwide' in October.

(2019) Was a guest on RTE Radio One's 'The History Show' on 16 June.

(2021) I appeared on the syndicated cable programme, 'Underground Marvels', produced by Phoenix Television.

(2018) Joined a panel at the Listowel Writers' Week in June.

(2019) I was a guest on 'Drive Time' on RTÉ Radio 1.

(2020) I was a guest on 'The Dave Fanning Show' on RTÉ 2FM, for a segment on the Choctaw Nation.

(2020) I was a guest on Morning Ireland, RTÉ Radio 1.

(2023) As part of the public event 'The Band Menace', I joined a discussion panel which followed a concert by the Barrack Street band at UCC on 24 March 2023.

(2019) Joined a panel discussion of Atlas of the Irish Revolution at the Galway History Festival, 28 February 2019.

(2023) Launched Gerard Shannon's book 'Liam Lynch' at Waterstone's Book Shop, Cork.

Member, Cork City Council Decade of Centenaries Expert Advisory Group, 2018-current

Delivered the public lecture 'Mapping the Revolution' to the Dublin History Festival, Dublin Castle, 1 October 2017.

Delivered the lecture 'After 1916: Munster and the Revolution' to the Mallow Historical Society, 17 January 2017.

Delivered the public lecture, 'Submarine warfare and the US Navy in Ireland, 1917-18' as part of the Clonakilty (co. Cork) Lecture Series on 25 August 2018

Delivered the public lecture 'The IRA's Intelligence War', at the Michael Collins House, Clonakilty Co. Cork on 12 October 2018.

Joined the History Ireland Hedge School, 'Ireland, the United States, and the War at Sea, 1917' recorded at Cobh Library, 4 May 2017.

Joined the History Ireland Hedge School, 'Women of the South: Radicals and Revolutionaries' recorded at the Farmgate Cafe, English Market, Cork on 12 May 2016.

Joined the History Ireland Podcast 'Was the Easter Rising Justified' recorded in the Gresham Hotel Dublin as part of the 'Road to the Rising' event, 6 April 2015.

Joined the History Ireland Hedge School 'Ireland and the United States from 1917 to Trump' recorded at the National Library of Ireland on 23 May 2017.

History Ireland Hedge School: Four Glorious Years” or Squalid Sectarian Conflict?’, recorded at the National Library of Ireland (2012)

History Ireland Hedge School: Women and the First World War, Dublin Castle, Dublin Festival of History (2014)

2014, Public Lecture - The People’s College Lecture Series on the Irish Revolution – 'Black and Tans', Irish National Teacher’s Union, Dublin

2014, Public Lecture - Glandore Classic Boat Summer School – 'The Cork landings, 1922', Glandore, Co Cork

2014, Public Lecture – Cork City Library, ‘Europe’s Last Summer: An Exhibition on the World Before World War I in Books and Magazines’ – Exhibit Launch

2014, Public Lecture - Inaugural Knocklong Rescue Commemorative Seminar – ‘Cork and the War of Independence’, Knocklong, Co. Tipp

2014, Public Lecture – History and Archives Week – ‘Historical Sources in the Irish Revolution’, Cork City and County Archives

2013, Lecture Host - Dublin Festival of History, ‘Charles Townshend and Ronan Fanning in Conversation with John Borgonovo’ – Dublin Castle, 2013

2013, Public Debate – ‘Rebel cork and the fight for Irish Independence’, The Cork Gathering, Concert Hall, Cork City Hall

2013 – Public Lecture/Exhibition Launch – Revolution: Photographic History of Revolutionary Ireland 1913 -23 – Cork Public Museum

2013, Public Lecture - Archbishop Mannix Memorial Weekend – ‘Chaplain O’Donnell, Bishop Mannix, and the Killarney Incident’ – Charleville, Co. Cork

History Ireland Hedge School: Cumann na mBan, National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin (2014)

History Ireland Hedge School: Before Banna: Politics, Society and Sport in Kerry, 1912 – 1916, The Seanchaí Literary & Cultural Centre, Listowel (2014)

History Ireland Hedge School: Volunteering in Ireland’, Irish Centre for Labour and Class, NUI Galway (2013)

2012, Public Lecture - Cúirt International Festival of Literature, Galway – ‘Cork Women and the American Sailor Disturbances’

2011, Public Lecture - Irish Local Authority Archivist Group, 40 Years of Local Government Archives – ‘Defending the Box: Reflections on Local History and Archives’, Cork City and County Archives

Co-organized, Women of the South: Radicals and Revolutionaries, English Market, Cork, a photographic exhibit combined with readings, talks, and panel discussions throughout 2016

Organized Maritime History Lunchtime Lecture Series: three history lectures held annually during the Cork Harbour Festival, 2017-current

2008, Public Lecture - Understanding our History: A Conference for people from the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross – ‘The Protestant experience of Revolutionary Cork, 1918-1922’

St Peter’s Church, Cork (Cork City Council), ‘The Atlas of the Irish Revolution’, 2018

‘Cork and the Revolution’, Public Lecture Series, Waterstone’s Bookstore, Cork, 2018

Advisor and consultant for a community-based conflict archaeology project: Landscapes of Revolution: A Project Exploring Ireland’s Conflict Archaeology, 1913-23, 2020-current

Teaching Activities

Recent Postgraduates

 Graduation YearStudent NameInstitutionDegree TypeThesis Title
2023Katelyn Dooley University College CorkMaster of ArtsExploring radicalism from social and cultural globalization implications within the EU's anti-terrorism strategies
2017Phil Aherne University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSSpike Island's 1921 Internment
2012Martin O'Regan University College CorkMASTER OF ARTS20th century US foreign policy and the Iranian nuclear programme
2012Anna O'Driscoll University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSThe interplay of spectacle, culture, and legitimacy in the compaigns of ETA and the IRA
2012Dominic Creedon University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSComparing the PLO and IRA peace processes
2012Richard Mander University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSWeather and counterculture interaction in the Weather Underground organization
2014Kevin O'Brien University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSCork City Corporation and Republican Administration, 1920-21
2014Vivienne Holmes University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSThe Gaelic American and the First World War: Jan - May 2016
2012Abraham Aryan University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSAssessing the PKK's campaign, 1980-2011
2015Jason MacSweeney University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSMidleton District's Forgotten victims: a study of Irish Grants Committee Applications in Midleton
2019Padraig King University College CorkMaster of ArtsRadical Irish nationalists in Liverpool, 1914-21
2016David Robson University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSSoloheadbeg: Where Tipperary Leads?
2015Dudley Martin University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSThe development of a professional army in the Irish Free State, 1921-23
2012Patrick Hamilton University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSEnabling terrorism: examining the relationships between terrorism, society, and the community
2015Shane Daly University College CorkMASTER OF ARTSTom Barry: Half truths or whole lies?
2021Con Kelleher University College CorkMaster of ArtsMacroom Sport and Community, 1900-1999
2019Juliann O'Mahoney University College CorkMaster of ArtsThe Barony of Clanmuarice: Six centuries of history and topography in North Kerry, 1169 to 1769
2023Eoin Sexton University College CorkMaster of ArtsThe Barryroe Company of the IRA: Formation, effectiveness and achievements
2023Colum Cronin University College CorkMaster of ArtsThe evolving narrative around the Kilmichael Ambush
2023Cara Behan University College CorkMaster of ArtsMuriel MacSwiney: A Cork rebel
2022Adrian Gibbs University College CorkMaster of Arts'We are going South into the Democratic country': Eamon de Valera's American tour, 1919-20
2022Peter Hickey University College CorkMaster of ArtsGibbs Ross and the Bantry IRA
2020Esther Thomas University College CorkMaster of ArtsBoko Haran and violence: The Chibok girls abduction and education in Bornu State
2019John Crowley University College CorkMaster of ArtsRebellion in Avondu: Castletownbere Battalion, Cork No. 2 Brigade, 1913-21
2023Gareth Prendergast University College CorkPHDClear, hold rebuild: To what extent did the Cork counterinsurgency campaign by the National Army adhere to modern counterinsurgency doctrine?
2019Caoimh Mulvaney University College CorkMaster of ArtsUrban warfare on the Lee: IRA attacks on Crown forces in Cork City, 1920-21

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School of History

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Tyrconnell,Off College Road,Cork,Ireland.

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