Irish History Podcast

As we prepare to celebrate Halloween, this episode is a timely exploration of the history of the supernatural in Ireland. Ghosts have long played an important role in Irish history and culture. In this podcast I am joined by Dr Clodagh Tait, a historian of the supernatural. Our conversation focuses on a specific type of ghost referred to as a crisis apparition. These usually appeared far from home...

I have come down with a cold so rather than subject you to me coughing and spluttering through a show I have selected a classic from the archives.  As I explain, I recently listened back to this episode after a chance meeting with my guest Cormac Leonard. The episode on the history of the Deaf community is the definition of forgotten history. Until recently the community was largely ignored b...

In the 1920s and 30s Irish emigrants in Britain faced widespread racism and discrimination. Labelled drunks, subversives, and a threat to society, right wing politicians whipped up fear and hatred against the community. This podcast tells the forgotten stories of these emigrants. The episode begins with humorous story of Martin King whose drunken escapades after downing half a bottle of whiskey re...

In 1923 as the Irish revolution came to an end, large parts of the North Roscommon town of Arigna lay in ruins. While war and revolution had swept across Ireland over the previous years few places shared Arigna’s unique experience. When workers occupied local coalmines demanding better working conditions this began years of intense and bitter conflict with the authorities. This is the story of the...

At the turn of the 20th century alcoholism was a major problem in Irish society. The island had 17,300 pubs while around 40% of all prison sentences were alcohol related. There was a general sense alcohol addiction was out of control. The stereotype of the happy-go-lucky drunk certainly masked the reality of the Irish alcoholism. In this podcast I explore addiction in Ireland at the turn of the 20...

Every book has an origin story. My new book ‘A Lethal Legacy – A History of Ireland in 18 Murders’ is no different. While the book goes on sale today, the origin story goes back to 2015 when I found a trove of old letters belonging to a grandmother I never knew. Tune in to find out more. THE BOOK LAUNCH IS ON TONIGHT (SEP 14) AT 6P.M. IN HODGES FIGGIS BOOKSHOP ON DAWSON ST. Get your eBook, audiobo...

This podcast looks at forgotten story of the tsunami that hit Cork in 1755, the volcanic winter of 1816 and a meteor that was way to close for comfort in 1908. Although they dont feature prominently in history, they had huge impact at the time. Articles referenced in the show A seismic tsunami in the Irish annals, recorded at Iona in October 720 https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.05224 Folklore about the...

In 1821 George IV was the first British monarch to visit Ireland in modern times. It was a historic occasion for multiple reasons. Not only was he the first king to set foot on Irish soil since the 17th century but he was the first to do so without an army. Many held out hope the king's arrival might usher in a new era in Irish history. However George himself had other ideas. Beginning as he meant...

The Great Hunger left deep scars on the Irish society. Many of those who survived the 1840s never fully survived the harrowing ordeal they had endured. They were traumatised in body and spirit. For the rest of their lives, they carried the physical and psychological injuries the Great Hunger inflicted on them. This podcast follows the life one of the last survivors in Dublin - Catherine Mulhern. T...

In 1984, the Conservative Party, lead by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, gathered in the seaside town of Brighton for their annual conference. In the early hours of October 12th a bomb ripped through the Grand Hotel where Thatcher and several other conservative leaders were staying. The following day the Provisional IRA would claim responsibility for the attack. This triggered one of...

Bunmahon is an idyllic seaside town in Co Waterford but it has a deep dark history. It's a story that begins in an abandoned mine and ends in a search for a lost town... Need I say more? You can find out more about Bunmahon at the local visitor centre . My upcoming book 'A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders' will be released on September 14th 2023.  Pre-Order at Easons today a...

This episode was originally released in 2019. Over the past week I was recording the audio version of 'A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders' so I didnt have time to prepare a new episode but this is worth a relisten! Normal service resumes next week. “In the later half 1888 London was gripped by fear when five women were murdered within a few months of each other in the East End of...

As I mention in the episode I am recording the audio version of A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders this week! Don't forget to pre-order at Easons and use the code FD10 to get 10% off! Edward O’Rourke is not a name you expect to encounter in the history of Eastern Europe, yet he is a celebrated figure in the Polish city of Gdansk for the role he played in opposing the rise of...

'The Road to War' is the first episode in a five part Irish History Podcast production on the Irish Civil War. The full series, exclusively available for supporters, features the leading Irish historian Dr Brian Hanley from Trinity College Dublin. Over the five episodes the series covers the full story of the Irish Civil War from the National Army assault on the Four Courts through to the IRA orde...

**This is the second of two episodes on the story of Irish people who fought in the French Resistance. Part I was released last week.** Few Irish people recognise the names Sr Katherine Anne McCarthy or Patricia O'Sullivan. However during the Second World War II they were among the dozens of Irish women who fought in the underground war against the Nazi occupation of France. The stories of these w...

The struggle of the French Resistance against the Nazi Occupation of France remains one of the most famous chapters in World War II history. It has been immortalized in numerous film and books. However the story of the dozens of Irish people who served in the Resistance has been almost completely forgotten. In this podcast I interview Dr David Murphy from Maynoooth University who has researched th...

This episode needs a bit of an introduction. While the term Rotten Prod, short for Rotten Protestant, sounds like a sectarian slur, the phrase has a very different and fascinating history. It actually originated within the Protestant community in Ulster to describe a person considered disloyal to Unionism. At the turn of the 20th century, the majority of Ulster Protestants were Unionists, meaning...

This episode is short, but has a big reveal! For nearly two years I have been working on a new book and I can finally tell you all about it. Published by Harper Collins, it's called 'A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders.' In this podcast I explain what you can expect from the book, how it was shaped by you and, most importantly, how you can get your hands on a copy. A Lethal Legacy...

The 1916 Rising is one of the most famous events in Irish history but it’s easy to forget it took place in a city that 300,000 people called home. In this podcast (originally released over three years ago) I explore Dublin on eve of the rising revealing what the city was like in the early 20th century. You will hear the sounds of Dublin, what the city looked like, even how it smelled by follo...

The Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland took place over 370 years ago. Despite the passage of time the man who led that conquest remains one of the most reviled figures in Irish history. In this podcast I look at why he, above others, is so reviled in Ireland. ****Get tickets for my new walking tour mentioned in the episode are available here .**** The episode is recorded in the ruins of Dunhill Castl...

In 1397 Ramón de Perellós left the city of Avignon in the Kingdom of France, setting out on a 2,000 km journey to Ireland. His ultimate destination was a fabled gateway to the afterlife on Station Island, Lough Derg, Co Donegal. In this episode you will follow in the footsteps of de Perellós on this medieval pilgrimage. Forget the problems of the modern world and prepare yourself for a g...

The history of Belfast has been dominated by the Troubles of the late 20th century and the longer history of sectarian conflict in the city. However Belfast holds a lesser-known yet significant chapter in its past—it's connections to the slave trade. In this episode, I am joined by Tom Thorpe who uncovers Belfast's complex ties to slavery in the United States.  Join us as Tom sheds light on h...

In the 1880s Charles Stewart Parnell was the most famous Irish politician of his generation. Dubbed 'the uncrowned king of Ireland' he was respected and admired across the political spectrum. However 1890 he was embroiled in a sensational scandal that rocked the Victorian world when it emerged he had been in a decade long relationship with a married woman. In this episode I am joined by Dr Lloyd (...

Disert is a remote townland in the Bluestack Mountains in Co Donegal. For reasons that are not entirely clear, our ancestors have been drawn here for thousands of years. There is no question it is a special place. Located in the shade of a sacred mountain - Carnaween - it was a site of pagan worship associated with some of the most famous figures in Irish mythology. There are stories relating to F...

In this episode Neil Jackman and myself continue our journey down the Lingaun Valley, one of Ireland’s oldest frontiers. As we move closer to the present day we explore an 800 year old church, a castle and a battlefield from the 1798 rebellion looking at how this once contested frontier fell into obscurity after thousands of year. Support the show at  patreon.com/irishpodcast Check out Neil’s...