Anthony Delaney
Anthony Delaney is an Irish historian and actor. As an actor, he is known for his roles in the RTÉ One soap opera Fair City and the Acorn TV series Harry Wild. He co-hosts the History Hit podcast After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal with Madeleine Pelling. His debut book Queer Georgians was published in 2025.
Early life and education
Delaney grew up in rural County Kilkenny. He trained in acting at London's Royal Central [School of Speech and Drama], graduating in 2010. In 2022, Delaney completed a PhD in History at the University of Exeter.Career
Acting
Delaney began his acting career in theatre; he starred in Colin Teevan's The Kingdom at the Soho Theatre in 2012. In 2015, Delaney joined the cast of the RTÉ One soap opera Fair City as Shane Cawley, a role he would play until 2019. He made his feature film debut in the 2019 Hellboy reboot. In 2022, he began playing in the Acorn TV detective series Harry Wild.History
Upon completing his PhD, Delaney became an Honorary Fellow at his alma mater the University of Exeter.In October 2023, History Hit launched the podcast After Dark, which Delaney co-hosts with English historian Madeleine Pelling. Delaney and Pelling were jointly nominated for Best New Presenter at the 2024 Audio and [Radio Industry Awards], while After Dark won Rookie of the Year at the 2024 True Crime Awards and was shortlisted for the Listeners' Choice Award at the 2025 British Podcast Awards.
Announced in 2023, Doubleday acquired the rights to publish Delaney's debut book Queer Georgians in 2025. It also had a North America release under the title Queer Enlightenments via Grove Atlantic. The book is based on Delaney's PhD.