usually contributed articles on military aspects of Irish history, as well as book reviews, but he also used them as a platform to engage with what he saw were flaws in the education of history in Ireland which during his lifetime was constrained by a certain degree of political and cultural state control. During the 1940s and 1950s, Hayes-McCoy became involved in a number of paratheatrical events of national significance one of which – the "Pageant of St.Patrick" for which he wrote the script (An Tóstal 1954) – was realised on an immense scale. He scripted these works to begin with(1947, 1953, 1954), and was later principally engaged as historical consultant (1947, 1955, 1956, [1957]). In that capacity, he collaborated in 1955 and 1956 with Micheál Mac Liammóir and Denis Johnston on their scripts for pageants on St.Patrick and on the Táin Bó Cuailgne, at times finding it difficult to square the historical liberties taken by these artists with his own role. On Irish radio and television Hayes-McCoy was most active in the mid-1960s; editing and contributing to Thomas Davis lectures series, writing scripts for a series of thirty children's programmes on all aspects of Irish history, and preparing/contributing on air to the television series "Irish battles" and "The long winter". As well as writing for RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, he contributed scripts to BBC Northern Ireland's schools radio programmes. In 1959 Hayes-McCoy succeeded to the chair of his former history professor at UCG with the full remit of lecturing (in English), administering examinations to undergraduates, and supervising postgraduate theses – among those of his students who continued in the field of history were Nicholas Canny, Martin Coen, Patrick Melvin, Peter Toner, Tony Claffey, and Breandán Ó Bric. After his appointment to UCG, the family home remained in Dublin and Hayes-McCoy commuted to Galway weekly during term time. In the early 1960s Hayes-McCoy became a spokesperson for the movement rekindled by the Old Galway Society to preserve the landmark "Lion's Tower" in that city. The ultimate failure of the campaign informed Hayes-McCoy's regret, expressed a year later, that Ireland was forgetful about its past and that "we don't bother to find out about it or to maintain our ancient heritage", and, on a perceived spirit of conformity: "take my own city of Galway, it is now more prosperous than it was, but it is no longer distinctive. I do not