Wild Old Times

In this special Halloween episode, we take a look at the Irishmen who created some of the most enduring vampire fiction - Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu. We'll also look at the Irish vampire myths that some people say might have inspired them, and some more modern Irish contributions to the vampire movie genre.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history,...

Gertrude Blood was a member of the Irish landed gentry who everyone believed had hit the jackpot when she married Lord Colin Campbell, an aristocrat with links to the highest echelons of English society. But Colin had a scandalous secret, one that would lead to the 19th century's most famous divorce trial. One that was summed up in a single piece of evidence: the question of What The Butler Saw.  ...

Irish mythology is thick with prophecy, the inescapable visions of blonde-haired prophets and the geasa laid on heroes that bring doom when broken. So join us on a journey that takes us from the madness of King Sweeney to the dubious prophecies of St Malachy, through the prophets and prophecy of Ireland.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written...

Although the word "soviet" makes people think of the USSR these days, it meant something quite different back in the early history of the Irish labour movement. It was when rather than strike, workers would seize control of a business themselves and run it - a way to show that worker-centred enterprises were possible. Find out the history of the movement, and how it was ruthlessly brought to an en...

The collapse of the Tipperary Joint Stock Bank was one of the greatest financial scandals of the nineteenth century. The greed and immorality of two brothers, John and James Sadleir, ruined hundreds of lives and left scars on the Irish psyche that remain to this day.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe. Our...

There's a place in the Caribbean where they celebrate St Patrick's Day with a week-long party, where some of the greatest albums of all time were recorded, and where a future Irish president made a documentary. One of the smallest islands in the West Indies, the colony of Montserrat was founded by Irish settlers and was home to native Irish speakers up until the 19th century. But that's only one p...

Although nowadays he moulders in obscurity, for thirty years Dion Boucicault was probably Ireland's most successful playwright. His plays packed out theatres on both sides of the Atlantic, and his scandals and political entanglements made front page news. Join us this episode for his wild old story.  Here's the video I mention in the episode that describes the stage mechanism Dion created for The...

The railway line along Donegal's northern coastline was a strange endeavour, and arguably one that was never meant to succeed. It had a long history of mismanagement and failure, but in the end it might have been the success that made the county what it is today.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe. Our logo...

The Walt Disney movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People has an infamous reputation among Irish film students. In this episode we unpick the roots of Darby's version of Irishness, and how it has shaped Ireland's global image - including making the leprechaun the symbol that none of us want. You can watch the episode of Walt Disney Presents that I mention here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgSNP...

After a brief digression across World War 2 propaganda, we return to the history of Irish films with a look at some films made in Ireland in the years after the war. From a personal favourite to an acknowledged classic, these show how Ireland's film industry developed despite the heavy hand of the Catholic Church.   The following films were mentioned in this episode and are available online: - A P...

In a break from our history of the Irish film industry, we look at how both sides of the conflict portrayed Ireland in their propaganda movies. From an American comedy starring a future Hollywood star to a German film with literal blood on its hands, these films show how Ireland was less a place and more a symbol during those wartime years.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscu...

In our last episode, we covered the history of Irish film in the years before it gained independence. But a new era for the country meant a new era for the Irish film industry, so in this episode we look at the films made in Ireland and by Irish people during those early years of Irish independence.   The following films were mentioned in this episode and are available online. Irish Destiny: https...

Ireland is a country that punches above its weight these days, both in films made here and as a location for films to be made. This is the result of a history stretching back nearly a hundred and thirty years, with many ups and downs in the time. In this first part of an ongoing series, we'll look at the history of film in Ireland before it gained independence in 1922. Featuring one returning char...

In this episode we ask the question: where does folklore end and fiction begin? Every country's destiny is shaped by its myths and legends, but do they need to be real to have that impact? Ireland as a nation owes more than it might be willing to admit to the inventive mind of a Scottish schoolteacher who enchanted Europe.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Iris...

The history of poitin, Irish moonshine, is a history of Ireland itself. It has been around for over a millennia, surviving both attempts to destroy it and to tame it. Join us as we travel from monks through revenuers to trendy cocktail bars on a history of Ireland's unquenchable spirit.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by C...

In this episode we're going to talk about the Sligo woman who brought a king from his throne and the world to their feet. Across three continents, from Europe to America to Australia she broke hearts and roused passions wherever she went. She was born as Eliza Gilbert but the world knew here better as the unstoppable Lola Montez.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners...

The river Shannon has cut through the centre of Ireland since history began, defining the island's history. In the 1920s, as an independent Ireland sought to find itself, they began a plan to harness the ancient river's power and use it to drive the whole country into the modern era. The result was, for a time, the largest hydroelectric dam in the world - and a country that understood that it coul...

Once a war hero, Colonel Thomas Blood became one of the most notorious Presbyterian dissenter rebels against the Anglican rule of the British crown. His plot to kidnap the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland made him infamous, and his brazen kidnapping of an English Duke from the heart of London was a national scandal. But these were only a prelude to his greatest crime - an assault on the Tower of London,...

Oscar Wilde is one of the most famous Irish writers of all time. His writings are well known, leading many to forget that his mother was probably the greatest female Irish writer of her generation. His scandalous private life overshadows his brother's equally tempestuous time. And his fame means that "the Wilde libel case" will usually refer to his doomed attempt to clear his name - and not the fa...

The presidency of Ireland is a role with little actual power, but some people have still projected a great amount of presence in it. Michael D Higgins and Mary Robinson are both presidents who have left an imprint on the Irish psyche. Against them Patrick Hillery fades into the background, despite being Ireland's president for 14 years. But he was a man who actually had a very large impact on Irel...

The Irish have a reputation for eccentricity, and it's not entirely undeserved. Join us on a tour through some of the most memorable, from one of Dublin's most loved characters, to Dublin's most famous madams, via vegan farmers, aristocratic jailrats, and the only High Queen of Ireland. Ireland wouldn't be the same without wild old characters like these   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the stra...

Although Ireland gained its independence in 1922, it remained a part of the British Empire for another 14 years. During that time three men served as governor general - the representative of the British crown in its dominion. The last of them was the least likely man imaginable - an Easter Rising veteran named Domhnall Ua Buachalla.   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corne...

For the season that's in it, we take a look at the history of Christmas in Ireland. Follow us down the centuries, from the ancient midwinter magic of Newgrange, through to English kings in Dublin, a young future priest in Wexford, and a homesick nurse in Donegal. We'll also take a look at some uniquely Irish Christmas traditions, including one very dear to my own heart.   Wild Old Times is a podca...

Nowadays, Dublin native Dionysus Lardner is a pretty obscure name. But in the first half of the 19th century, he  was one of the most famous scientists in the world. His "Cabinet Cyclopedia" had some of the greatest writers of the day sharing their knowledge with the public, and his lecture tour of America reached fifty thousand people across over a hundred lectures. But it was his wild personal l...

In 19th century Donegal, few men were as hated as Black Jack Adair. Mothers would scare their children to sleep with his name, and even after his death a monument to him was destroyed. But why was he so despised, and what were the mysterious cursing stones one woman hoped to destroy him with?   Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presente...