Irish History Podcast

In this episode we return to the the scene of the crime Clonearl bog in Croghan where the body was found. This will help us understand who exactly may have carried out the murder… Sound by Jason Looney Artwork by Keith Hynes Support the show - www.patreon.com/irishpodcast Check out the shop - www.irishhistorypodcast.ie Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcasts Patreon www.patreo...

Bogs are strange places. Their unique properties slow down the process of decay. They not only preserve bodies, but also evidence of what may have happened to them... Sound by Jason Looney Artwork by Keith Hynes Check out the shop - www.irishhistorypodcast.ie Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcasts Patreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcast Acast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistor...

Marie Cassidy the state pathologist arrives in Croghan to examine the remains of the victim. When Kevin Barry leads her to the corpse she makes a startling discovery. Sound by Jason Looney Artwork by Keith Hynes Support the show - www.patreon.com/irishpodcast Check out the shop - www.irishhistorypodcast.ie Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcasts Patreon www.patreon.com/irishpo...

Croghan, Co Offaly is a remarkable place. The scenery is stunning; the local community are friendly and welcoming. However their future is far from certain - the major employer in the region is closing down. In the midst of this crisis, local people are increasingly talking about a dark chapter in their past, a murder that came to light in 2003. This is the start of the Road to Oldcroghan…. Sound...

Episode 1 of the Road to Oldcroghan drops on October 5th. Exclusive early access available at patreon.com/irishpodcast. Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcasts Patreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcast Acast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory 📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢 I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me...

From the 1790s onwards numerous Black anti-slavery activists visited Ireland to build support for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery itself. This would see some of the most famous African Americans in history including Frederick Douglas visit Ireland. I was delighted to interview Christine Kinealy, one of the leading historians of 19th century Ireland, for this episode. She discusse...

Preban cemetery is not only where the communities in the surrounding region bury their dead, but it also has an important place in day to day life for many in the area. In this podcast, the final episode in 'Stories from a Living Graveyard’ Damian and myself look at how the graveyard has been used through the 20th century through to the present day. The series will be released daily as part of Her...

The Great Famine haunts every graveyard in Ireland. Alongside victims of the Great Hunger, many graveyards include the names of those who were forced to emigrate. In this podcast we look at how these events affected the communities around Preban. This episode is the sixth of seven in 'Stories from a Living Graveyard’. The series will be released daily as part of Heritage Week 2020. Sound by Jason...

Graveyards chronicle the history of the communities where we. At Preban, Co Wicklow one of the most tragic stories is that of the Mulhall family. In this episode local resident Helen Byrne talks about the fate of the Mulhall family, who were killed in an avalanche in the hills above Wicklow a story that was covered across the world at the time. This episode is the fourth of seven in 'Stories from...

In the summer of 1798 large parts of Ireland were ravaged by one of the largest rebellions in Irish history. Numerous people in communities around Preban marched off to fight alongside the rebels. Some paid a heavy price and their graves can be found in Preban Graveyard. In this episode you will hear the story of the 1798 rebellion and how people from Preban were involved. This episode is the four...

St Aidan's well is located in the environs Preban graveyard. Rituals have been performed at this holy well for centuries possibly even longer. Although these traditions are now dying out, in this episode we hear the words of the late Maura Carty who can remember pilgrims coming to the well. We also interview Dr Louise Nugent an expert on pilgrimmage and holy sites to hear more about this important...

In part II of 'Stories from a Living Graveyard’ Damian and myself journey back into the earliest history of Preban. This takes us deep into the medieval period. We follow the story of the graveyard through the late Middle Ages and the religious turmoil that followed the Reformation. We also talk to archaeologist Chris Corlett to hear the fascinating story of the stonemasons who carved some of the...

The ancient graveyard of Preban is situated in the southern foothills of the Wicklow Mountains near the picteuresque town of Tinahely. While its history stretches back over 1,000 years, it fell into severe disrepair through the later 20th century. In 2010 local residents in the Preban Graveyard Committee set about cleaning up the cemetery. In the course of their work they discovered incredible sto...

This seven part series starting Monday August 17th, explores fascinating stories from a forgotten graveyard. Until 2010 Preban cemetery in Co Wicklow was completely overgrown and largely inaccessible. When the local community set about restoring their graveyard they discovered remarkable personal histories of their ancestors. These incude 1798 rebels, famine emigrants not to mention rock art that...

During the Second World War Irish Military Intelligence stepped up their activities monitoring potential threats to the Irish state. Their targets included the family of the far right Irish American activist Aileen O’Brien. Through the course of this investigation Irish Military Intelligence collected a unique set of letters that provided a fascinating and unusual insight into this families e...

Over the last few weeks I have been paralysed by writers block. In the hope of clearing my mind, I headed off to explore an old stately home. While often crumbling ruins, buildings like this are absorbing places - they were once the houses of the wealthiest people in Ireland in the 18th & 19th century. The building I visited wasn't quite Downton Abbey but in its heyday this mansion was im...

Ireland remained neutral in the Second World War. However by the summer of 1940 a German invasion seemed increasingly likely. Having conquered Western Europe the Nazis prepared Operation Sea Lion, an invasion of Britain which would inevitably have led to an invasion of Ireland.  While preparations were made for a defence of the country, Ireland's intelligence community increased their surveil...

The diet of the rural poor in Ireland prior to the Famine is one of the most unusual in modern history. Adult males consumed as much as 14lb (6.35kg) of potatoes per day. Last week I tried this diet and in this podcast you find out what happened. The results make this the most unusual podcast I've made.  Regina Sexton, a food historian in University College Cork also explains how people ate t...

This show look at a story related to the series Partisans. Its about the life of a Basque family briefly mentioned in that series - the Gallastegis - who moved to Ireland in the aftermath of the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.  This show was produced and researched by Ignacio Irigoien and Steward Reddin. I was delighted to be asked to narrate it and I am very grateful to be...

Through the 18th and 19th century, large numbers of Irishmen served in the British Army. However there were also many Irishwomen whose lives were interwoven with the military. While not soldiers they became part of the army through marriage to members of the regiments stationed in Ireland. This lead to unusual and captivating lives. In this episode I interview historian Dr Aoife Bhreatnach about a...

This is the final episode in the series Partisans. While the Spanish Civil War came to an end in 1939 and the Irish returned home for many Spaniards, Basques and Catalans the conflict would not end for decades. To conclude the series I interview the expert Nick Lloyd for his insights into what happened after Franco took power. Nick explains what the Franco's regime was like, who were the winners a...

This podcast, the second last in Partisans, looks at the battle of the Ebro - the last major showdown in the Spanish Civil War. While the show looks at how the war ended for the Irish fighters, it also tackles one of the great mysteries of the Spanish Civil War - what happened to Frank Ryan. This intriguing story continues to perplex and divide historians today. Research - Stewart Reddin Additiona...

The enduring images of the Spanish Civil War depict armed fighters of one kind or another. This podcast, however, follows the story of a different Irish experience - that of Hannah Ormsby, an Irish nurse who arrived in Spain in the summer of 1937. The savagery of the war ensured she would be treated no different than other antifascists. Hannah had to work in appaling conditions often under fire fr...

The most notorious incident of the Spanish Civil War was the bombing of Guernica by the Nazi Condor Legion. Immortalised by Pablo Picasso's painting it was the first time in world history carpet bombing was deployed against a civilian population. It was part of an overall campaign called 'The War in the North'. This saw General Franco turn his forces agains the antifascist zone along the north coa...

This episode continues Partisans - Irish Stories from the Spanish Civil War. In this podcast we follow the Irish in Spain into battle. The show begins with campaigns in Andalusia and takes you through one of the most famous battles of entire war - Jarama. We will see how the Blueshirts and the Antifascist International Brigaders fared when they faced the realities of war. This includes numerous fi...