Irish History Podcast

The Lingaun Valley is a little known valley that forms the border between Co Kilkenny and Co Tipperary. However for thousands of years this small river formed one of the most important frontiers in Ireland. While the societies and kingdoms that fought and died over this valley are long vanished the region is littered with their remains in the tombs, religious sites, castles and battlefields. A few...

Have you ever wondered about your ancestors and who they were were? Were they on the right side of history? Maybe you’re curious to find out if your family have dark secrets?  In this podcast genealogist Martin Costello gives you a step by step guide to tracing your family. Over the episode I follow Martin’s steps and trace my ancestors back to the Great Hunger. Along the way I found out a fe...

Emigration has been one of the defining features of Irish life since the Great Hunger. Generations have been drawn to the United States in the hope of finding a better life across the Atlantic. Many succeeded but for some these dreams became nightmares.  Over the last few years The Bad Bridget Project in Queens University Belfast by Dr Elaine Farrell and Dr Leanne McCormick has focused on cri...

In 1895 Bridget Cleary was a confident independent woman in a rapidly changing Ireland. This brought her into conflict with dark and sinister figures in her own community.  After being labelled a 'changeling' (a fairy who had taken the place of the real person) Bridget was tortured in a brutal ritual. This podcast, based in an original episode released in 2016, explores Cleary's life and why...

Until 1981 a woman was considered the property of her husband under Irish law. A husband could even sue another man for damaging his property if he had an affair with his wife. Referred to as 'criminal conversation’ these trials were demeaning and humiliating for the women involved. 'Women on trial looks' looks at the story of Alice Morton. When her marriage fell apart in 1919, she found herself a...

On June 22nd 1922, the British Field Marshall, Henry Wilson was shot dead in London. The assassination sparked a major political crisis in Ireland. The British government blamed the killing on a faction of the IRA opposed to the recent Anglo-Irish Treaty. When they demanded action be taken against them, Michael Collins oversaw an attack on an IRA unit occupying the Four Courts in Dublin. This spar...

Spike Island in Cork Harbour is often referred to as 'Ireland’s Alcatraz'. While this famous island prison began life as a monastery it was transformed into a fortress during the American Revolutionary War. However Spike island gained it's notorious reputation during the Great Hunger of the 1840s when a prison was opened in the fort. This episode recorded on Spike island tells the story of Ireland...

Between 1840 and 1860 the population of New York almost trebled growing from 300,000 to 800,000. This influx of migrants from Europe gave birth to modern Manhattan. At the heart of this story were the 250,000 Irish people who made the city their home in the aftermath of the Great Hunger.  This is the story of the Famine Irish in New York. In this episode I interview Dr Tyler Anbinder from Geo...

This episode continues the story of emigration and Irish Coffin Ships during the Great Famine. Dr Cian T. McMahon, the author of The Coffin Ship - Life and Death at Sea during the Great Famine discusses The death rate onboard coffin ships What factors determined whether someone lived or died. How Irish Famine emigrants adjusted to life in the U.S. You can get a copy of The Coffin Ship - Life and D...

Between 1845 - 1855 over two million people left Ireland to escape hunger, poverty and disease during the Great Hunger. The experience of these emigrants was often harrowing. The term Coffin Ship has became synonymous with their journeys across the Atlantic.  While the term conveys misery, what was the experience actually like? In the first of two podcasts on the subject, I am joined by Dr Ci...

Are we living through historic times? The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the Queen's death, Liz Truss and Elon Musk have all dominated the headlines in 2022. However headlines don't always make history. Will the events of our lifetime be remembered in the future? In this episode I look at how the last twelve months might be remembered by future historians. Become a supporter at https://patreon.com/i...

Life in Dublin at the turn of the 20th century was difficult to say the least. Working Class Dubliners were lucky if they reached 50. In those five or so decades, they worked dangerous jobs and lived in appalling conditions. In this episode I am joined by Dr Ciara Breathnach. Ciara has spent several years researching the records of Dublin's Coroners Court for her book 'Ordinary Lives, Death, and S...

Castlekevin was once a thriving settlement deep in the Wicklow Mountains. However in the 14th century after decades of warfare the historical record fell silent.  Over the past year the Roundwood & District Historical & Folklore Society have been working with a team of archaeologists to uncover the story of this lost town and castle. Using ground penetrating radar, drones and ecologic...

The Black Death changed Europe and Ireland forever. This disease which swept across the continent through 1348 carried off around 40% of the population. Its aftermath was no less sensational as social upheavel, wars and revolts broke out across Europe. Ireland was no different, indeed it was arguably affected in more profound ways than most of the continent. Over last few months I have produced a...

Believe it or not, it was a crime to sell contraception in Ireland between 1935 and 1979. The Irish government also banned all literature on family planning for decades as well. This had a profound impact on life in Ireland. Couples couldn't plan families or engage in recreational sex without fear of pregnancy. This devastated relationships and left many people with a very limited understanding of...

While Ireland remained neutral in the Second World War several Nazi agents were smuggled into the country. Their aims varied, some sought to establish contact with the IRA while others were spies. In this episode, I interview historian Marc McMenamin about the attempts of Irish Military Intelligence's to catch these spies and agents. Marc also explains the attitude of the IRA towards these individ...

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...