Welcome to the fourth series of the Irish History Students' Association podcast.

In our first episode of this series, we are going all the way to western Australia where Kelly Curran tells us about her research on the Catalpa rescue and her plans to turn this historic event into a musical.

Late last year, Kelly recorded a medley of excerpts from her new musical, "Catalpa," with some Perth-based singers and musicians. One of the singers, Rabiya Plush-Noad, joins Kelly to chat about this composer's research and creative process as part of her PhD, and the incredible true story at the heart of the historical adaptation. Kelly's next goal is to workshop the musical, and eventually stage a full production, in order to share the little-known Catalpa story with the world. Fact is often, indeed, stranger than fiction.

*Please note: The British "settlement" of the colony of Western Australia is mentioned in this podcast episode, particularly relating to Fremantle and Perth. However, the speakers would like to point out that this land was never ceded by the traditional owners, the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation, and would like to acknowledge and pay respect to elders past and present, upon whose land and waterways the Catalpa story and this podcast conversation takes place.

Kelly Curran is a PhD candidate at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), where she is completing her practice-as-research project, "Curvetting the Catalpa," focussing on historical adaptation and musical theatre. While Kelly has previously written, directed and performed four musical shows for Perth Fringe World, her current project represents a deeper exploration of the artform, creating the book, music and lyrics for a 90-minute sung-through work. This musical is based on the fascinating true story of the rescue of six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle Prison (in Western Australia) aboard an American whaling ship, the Catalpa, in 1876.

Kelly previously graduated from WAAPA in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music (1st class Hons) in Composition, and has had her chamber works performed locally and abroad. She has also composed music for dance and film, and has been nominated for best short film score at the Western Australian Screen Awards. Kelly is also a qualified and experienced Teacher Librarian, who is currently enjoying lecturing in library studies at community college, after many years based in schools.

Kelly is joined in today's episode by Rabiya Plush-Noad who is a performer and lecturer based in Fremantle, Western Australia. She has recently submitted her PhD for examination at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of Prof. Sarah Collins, Dr Cecilia Sun and Dr Sara Macliver. Prior to this, Rabiya completed a Master of Music Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK), and studied for her undergraduate degree at the WA Academy of Performing Arts and the University of Western Australia. Rabiya combines her passion for research with professional experience in opera, oratorio, jazz, and musical theatre, along with a keen interest in the work of Stephen Sondheim specifically, the voice and vocal delivery within Sondheim’s work.

In the final episode of this series, we are shining a light on undergraduate historical research. Emily Little, who has recently completed her BA at Maynooth University, discusses the subject of her undergraduate dissertation which examined the lives of Joan Fitzgerald and Gráinne Ní Mháille, two women from early modern Ireland.

Emily Little graduated with a BA in History and English at Maynooth University in 2025. She is currently undertaking a Professional Masters of Education programme but hopes to return to historical research in the future.Emily is joined in today's episode by her supervisor, Dr Niamh Wycherley, who is Assistant Professor in Early Irish History across the Departments of Early Irish and History at Maynooth University. She hosts The Medieval Irish History Podcast and is the first Chair of the Royal Irish Academy's Young Academy Ireland.

In this episode, Constantin Torve discusses his research on agrarian protest in 19th century Ireland, through the case-study of Edward Synge.

Constantin Torve (MA, Uppsala) is a PhD student in history at Queen's University Belfast. His ESRC-funded research project investigates the adaptation of agrarian secret societies in 19th-century Ireland to changing socio-economic environments.

Dr Jay Roszman is a lecturer in 19th century Irish and British History at University College Cork, a position he took up in 2018. His first book, Outrage in the Age of Reform: Irish Agrarian Violence, Imperial Insecurity, and British Governing Policy 1830-1845 was published by Cambridge University Press in 2022. In addition to writing about the political meaning of agrarian violence and its political consequences, Jay is also interested in imperialism and Irish involvement in the British Empire. He has a forthcoming article with English Historical Review on Daniel O’Connell, Irish Nationalism, and British Imperial Trouble. His new project explores the Queen’s Colleges and their relationship with the British Empire: training men for imperial careers, but also as institutions that reflected British imperial interests in Ireland and abroad.