Irish History Podcast

There is a photo essay to accompany this episode here   Conwy castle in Wales in one of Europe's most spectacular medieval castles. Built in the 1280s by Edward I the castle has withstood sieges and the ravages of time. On Sat October 8th I organised a supporters trip to the castle. Early the following morning, as the sun rose over the medieval town I recorded this episode. Using the acoustic...

In this final episode of Ireland's Last Aristocrat , you will hear how Olive Packenham Mahon adjusted to life in Ireland after the War of Independence. This follows her story through the chaotic early days of the Irish Free State, her futile attempts to budget as money ran out and how she would end up an eccentric living in a mansion that crumbled around her.  There will be a bonus episode of...

Olive's unpublished diary and letters reveal a story of war, revolution and scandalous relationships in Ireland during the War of Independence. After being raised in splendour with servants taking care of her every need ( see part I ), this episode follows Olive Packenham Mahon through the Irish revolutionary era. After the outbreak of World War I everything changed.  The Packenham Mahons and...

Olive Packenham Mahon was born into wealth and privilege in 1894, but the legacy of a secret funeral and the spectre of war and revolution defined her life.  She was no ordinary aristocrat - Olive was the last of her kind... A special thanks to Oisin O'Driscoll, Martin Fagan & Tony Aspel and all the team at Strokestown Park House for their time. Olive Packenham Mahon's home Strokestown Pa...

Olive Pakenham Mahon was one of Ireland's last Aristocrats. Haunted by a secret funeral in her families past, revolution and war defined her life. She was anything but normal... Subscribe to the Irish History Podcast where you listen to podcasts https://linktr.ee/irishhistory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may not recognise the name Bridget O’Donnel, but she is one of the most recognisable women in Irish history. In December 1849 her image (pictured in the episode artwork and here ) appeared in The Illustrated London News. Over the following decades she became the face of the Great Famine. Today she is one of the most recognisable women in Irish history, but who was Bridget O’Donnel? Is it possi...

In this special episode brought to you by NOW , I look into why humans are fascinated with dragons. Did you know mythology around dragons is older than organised religion and spiritual beliefs of any kind? Meanwhile images of dragons has been found on all continents in societies from ancient Ireland to China. In this podcast I look at why dragon myths are so old, where did this mythology came...

2022 has been stressful so this episode treats you to 15 minutes of escapism. It brings you back to Dublin in 1320 in a soundscape of the medieval city. Reconstructed by trawling through 700 year old records for distinctive sounds; it was originally released back in 2014 but is definitely worth another listen.  I am currently binge editing audio for an upcoming series but I will be back next...

Over the next two weeks I will be busy writing and editing an upcoming series called Ireland's Last Aristocrat. In the meantime I have dusted down two episodes I thought you might enjoy diving back into. This podcast was released in 2019. It's one of was the most listened to and generated the most feedback! It asks if the Great Hunger was a genocide. Become a supporter and join me on the trip to C...

Since the dawn of history humans have been intrigued by the weather. However while it has the potential to sustain or destroy life, our ability to accurately forecast it is very recent. In this podcast I am joined by meteorologists Evelyn Cusack and Noel Fitzpatrick to explain the fascinating history of weather forecasting. Our desire to predict the weather is a story driven by war, natural disast...

The 1950s were a dismal time in Ireland. While the economy tanked, the catholic church, at the height of its power, maintained strict control over social life. Desperate to find a better life, nearly 500,000 Irish people emigrated. This staggering figure was equivalent to 80% of those born in the Free State between 1931 and 1941. This was a level of emigration unseen since the days of the Great Hu...

Hey folks, I have a few important announcements for you: 🎙️🎙️Starting in September supporters (at the $5 tier or more) will receive an exclusive series on the Civil War with Dr Brian Hanley from Trinity College Dublin. You can hear more on this above. Become a supporter to get the series Patreon - Patreon.com/irishpodcast Acast+ - https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory 🛥️🏰I am delighted to invite...

In the series finale 'Redemption', we follow Ellen's life in Australia where a strange and unexpected redemption awaits. Support the show: Patreon https://patreon.com/Irishpodcast Acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory This week's special supporters are: Z Hamming R Downes E Zimmer G Hickey R Hurley M Nutty E Rushe P Kopf C Wilson J Guth K McNamara M Kelly L Rosewood D Gleason C Stapleton MJ...

The trials are over, the sentences have been passed down and there is nothing left but the punishment. However as we have seen in the story so far, this is story is if anything unpredictable. Support the show: Patreon https://patreon.com/Irishpodcast Acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory This week's special supporters are StephenA M Mulhern B Donohoe K Connolly S Wall G Browne D Healy B Cle...

Given the popularity of true crime genre, we are increasingly familiar with how murder investigations work in the 21st century. However they were quite different in the 19th century. In the third deep dive of Murder at Mother Mountain I am joined by Dr Niamh Howlin to explain how murder investigations & trials worked in the 1840s. Niamh is an expert on 19th century law and she explains ho...

The trial begins in Nenagh Courthouse in August 1846. What lies ahead for the accused is more uncertain than ever - murder in 19th century Ireland carries the death sentence. Get add free early access to the next episode and help fund the show Patreon https://patreon.com/Irishpodcast Acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory This week's special supporters are  B Flaherty E Fogarty H L...

In part 2 of Murder at Mother Mountain Ellen’s life changes forever on March 10th 1846 when the violence that overshadowed her life finally comes to her door... Support the show www.patreon.com/irishpodcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory This week's special supporters are  M Renee D Mosier  A Dacy A O'Brien  M Kelly J A C McGowan K L. Daly  E Laurent B Walsh D Hill ...

To accompany Murder at Murder Mountain , I am releasing five deep dive episodes which delve into the history of the early 19th century Ireland in greater detail. These will be released between the main episodes.  This is deep dive looks at the pre-Famine catholic church. While religion was very important during Ellen Kennedy's childhood, the catholic church emerging from centuries of repressi...

Ellen Kennedy was born into in Western Tipperary in 1803. Her youth was one nurtured by violence. Hunger and food shortages were common. The stark inequalities lead to frequent outbreaks of violence. In this deeply unequal society young women like Ellen faced the threat of abduction and forced marriage. Ellen however was far from average... Support the show and get early access to the next episode...

Ellen Kennedy was born into in Western Tipperary in 1803. Her youth was one nurtured by violence… Listen to an exclusive preview of episode 1 now at https:// patreon.com/irishpodcast or Acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last decade there has been countless events to mark the centenary of the Irish Revolution. However 2022 is also the 175th anniversary of Black ‘47, one of worst years of the Great Hunger. This has received little or no attention. This begs the question does the Great Famine matter anymore or is it fading in to the distant past? In this podcast I looked at the impact of the Great Fami...

Ireland has some very strange place names. They range from the perplexing – Skeoghvosteen in Kilkenny, to the scandalous - Slutsend in Dublin and Bastardstown in Co Wexford. But where do these names come from and what do they tell us about our history? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you think of the Middle Ages what springs to mind? Medieval battles, warfare and general hardship? Certainly not fun. However while medieval Ireland was a violent place by any standard people were still able to enjoy themselves. In this episode I explore what our medieval ancestors did for fun. From football to archery, poetry to the pub they knew how to have a good time! Hosted on Acast. See...

Traditional music is central to Irish culture and identity in the 21st century. Contrary to what we might think, this is a relatively recent development. As late as the 1960s Trad was perceived as unfashionable and musicians were not allowed to play in pubs.  60 years later it has become extremely popular and recognised the world over. So what happen? Last weekend I sat down with Tom Mulligan...

This live podcast pokes in to the darker corners of the past looking at life in Victorian Waterford. Recorded live in Katty Barry’s in Waterford, it's a strange journey through macabre inquests that took place in pubs through to dentists who peddled cocaine! The second half of the podcast looks at a bizarre murder involving a veteran of the Famine. Support your history www.patreon.com/irishpodcast...