A remarkable Irish-American, Francis O’Neill, rose up through the ranks of the Chicago police force in the late 19 th century to become the Chief of Police. He would later publish one of the finest collections of Irish folk music ever assembled, with 1,800 tunes that he and his “collectors” (many of them cops) committed to memory and then to print. Join Michael O’Malley, Professor of History at George Mason University and author of BEAT COP, for a lively discussion of policing, Irish music, and how the two intersected.

Recorded on Nov 27, 2024.