Episodes

  • The 1930s stood out as one of the most dramatic decades in modern history. Fascism was on the rise, and Europe was hurtling towards the Second World War.

    However, it was a peculiar time in Ireland. The Revolutionary Era was firmly in the rearview, and the optimism and hope it once inspired had long faded. Irish society was increasingly dominated by the Catholic Church and conservative political forces. This podcast delves into life in Ireland during the 1930s by examining the experiences of a series of writers. These writers were critical of Irish society, and due to their political or religious beliefs, they found themselves labeled as outsiders. This podcast tracks their journeys as they left Ireland for London, where they mingled with the most renowned writers of the age, such as T.S. Eliot and George Orwell, and were drawn into the dramatic global politics of the time.


    My guest is Katrina Goldstone. Katrina has published a book Irish Writers and the 30s and is available here https://www.routledge.com/Irish-Writers-and-the-Thirties-Art-Exile-and-War/Goldstone/p/book/9780367634995


    You can find Katrina’s website https://www.katrinagoldstone.com/

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  • In 1851 there were nearly 90,000 orphans in Irish Workhouses. Many of these children had lost their parents to hunger and disease. Others had been abandoned. This podcast explores the lives of these resilient children as they turned into young adults and rebelled against a world that had forsaken them...

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  • Telling the time in hours and minutes seems so natural that we don’t even question where it came from. However it is a pretty recent development. For most of history our ancestors didn’t have clocks and understood time itself in a very different way.


    In this podcast we will journey back through the centuries to explore how our ancestors measured time. Its an intriguing story. In the medieval world the length of an hour changed every day while Dublin in the 1870s had two separate time zones!


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    Support the show and get my exclusive series on the Troubles www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

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  • On April 13th, 1922, three IRA volunteers chased a man through Central Park in New York. In front of dozens of witnesses, they shot him four times before escaping. This event marked the culmination of an international manhunt as the IRA tracked an informer across the world.

    In this episode, I am joined by New York Times Senior Editor Mark Bulik. During the interview, Mark shares the intriguing story of Patrick 'Cruxie' O'Connor and why he was hunted by the IRA in 1920s New York.


    Follow up on the episode at my new socials.

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    Get Mark's book Ambush at Central Park - When the IRA Came to New York

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  • During the Great Hunger of the 1840s, vast sums of money were sent to Ireland by people across the world. One of the most remarkable stories is that of the First African Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. Even though many of the congregants were slaves, they still sent a donation.


    In this podcast, I interview Anelise Shrout, who shares this and other stories of remarkable generosity. Anelise also reveals why people chose to give money to Ireland above other causes and crises. We also discuss the motivation behind what was arguably the most controversial of all donations during the Great Hunger - that of the Charleston Hibernian Society, whose members were supporters of slavery and enslaves themselves.


    Get Anelise's book "Aiding Ireland - The Great Famine and the Rise of Transnational Philanthropy" at https://nyupress.org/9781479824601/aiding-ireland/.

    Follow Anelise on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr.a.h.shrout/ and check out her website at https://www.anelisehshrout.com/.


    Become a supporter and get the next episode of my exclusive series on the Troubles at https://www.patreon.com/irishpodcast


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  • Through most of the 20th century, authorities in Ireland operated a strict censorship regime when it came to film. At its height, around one in every three films was censored in Ireland. The reasons for this are often hard to fathom today. Scenes that showed a dancer's legs or even a long kiss were often edited out. Allusions to sex were considered far too racy. And this was all before they even got into the films that strayed into politics or religion


    In this episode, I am joined by Aoife Breathnach and Lloyd Maedbh Houston to explore the very strange world of film censorship in Ireland on both sides of the border. 


    Want to hear more? Lloyd joins Aoife on a special season of her podcast, Censored, that looks at censorship in film in Ireland. I highly recommend checking this out. You can find it at link to the podcast: https://play.acast.com/s/censored.

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  • In the mid 19th century Mormonism was one of the fastest growing religions in the world. However when Mormon missionaries arrived in Ireland in 1840 they failed to establish a foothold. Over time Ireland gained a reputation as the most hostile country on earth for Mormons.


    This podcast explores why this was the case. The answer is the complexities of Irish identity, our relationship with Catholicism and scandals surrounding the 19th century Mormon practice of polygamy.


    The show starts however with the bizarre story of a 19th century Irish conman who played a role in getting the church off the ground in the 1830s.


    Sources.

    If you are interested in exploring more about the history of Mormonism I would recommend the podcast Mormon Stories has an extensive back catalogue. https://www.mormonstories.org


    Brent Barlow’s PhD thesis on the history of Mormonism is extremely useful - https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4503/


    The website https://sites.google.com/site/patrickhenrymcguire2 is an excellent resource on the Irish born Mormon Patrick McGuire


    Irish Mormons- Reconciling identity in Global Mormonism by Hazel O’Brien is analysis of contemporary Mormonism. https://www.google.ie/books/edition/Irish_Mormons/WbW7EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0


    Support the show and get my exclusive series on the outbreak of the Troubles

    Patreon.com/irishpodcast

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  • The story of the Samson is one most bizarre shipwrecks in Irish history.


    When this enormous sea crane ship crashed into the Irish coast, it's owners got more than they bargained for.


    While an RAF helicopter rescued the crew, a local man battled mountainous seas to climb aboard and claim the ship as his own!


    This began a 40 day saga…


    Check out pictures of wreck the Samson on new channels


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    Support the show at: www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

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  • In the 1780s work began on a new city in Ireland. Called New Geneva it was designed to provide a new home for exiled revolutionaries from Switzerland.

    Today there are few traces of this now lost city. This masks a fascinating and dark history. When New Geneva failed, life there descended into barbarism and brutality.


    I have posted images of New Geneva to my new WhatsApp and Telegram channels

    WhatsApp Irish History Channel

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    Key sources

    Whatmore, R. Terrorists, Anarchists, and Republicans: The Genevans and the Irish in Time of Revolution https://www.omahonys.ie/terrorists-anarchists-and-republicans-p-10509914.html

    Durey, M. Andrew Bryson’s Ordeal An Epilogue to the 1798 Rebellion https://www.corkuniversitypress.com/9781859181447/andrew-brysons-ordeal/

    Support the show at patreon.com/irishpodcast


    Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

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  • We've been on an extraordinary journey since the show launched 14 years ago. From medieval battlefields to revolutions we've shared ringside seats to some of the greatest moments in history. My plan for 2024 is to embark on an even more ambitious journey with you. All is explained in this short episode...


    Become a supporter www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

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  • New York, Boston, and Chicago dominate the history of Irish migration to the United States. However by 1900 one of the most Irish cities in the US was Butte Montana. Situated high in the Rocky mountains, Butte was just one of hundreds of Irish communities dotted across the American West. 


    Beginning back in the California Goldrush of the 1850s, tens of thousands of Irish immigrants ventured into the American West. Seeking opportunity, they were often greeted with racism and distrust. This podcast tells the stories of the men and women who forged vibrant Irish communities in the face of adversity. 


    My guest is historian Alan Noonan the author of 'Mining Irish-American Lives Western Communities from 1849 to 1920'. Alan shares the fascinating history of the Irish in the American West. He details the personal stories of larger-than-life figures, such as Mother Jones and Marcus Daly, who shaped the Irish story in the American West.


    You can get Alan's book 'Mining Irish-American Lives Western Communities from 1849 to 1920' here https://upcolorado.com/university-press-of-colorado/item/6201-mining-irish-american-lives. Check out Alan's website at noonanhistory.com


    What did you think?

    I would love to hear what you made of the episode. I will be starting a discussion on Friday with a few of my own reflections on an episode I thoroughly enjoyed making. You can find this discussion at https://patreon.com/irishpodcast


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  • In the past decade, podcasting has taken the world by storm. The advent of smartphones and the ground-breaking podcast 'Serial' would see podcasting surge in popularity.

    In 2020 alone over a million new shows were launched. But does it have a future? Some are not convinced.


    In the second and final part of my series on the history of podcasting I look at how podcasting became so popular and where it’s heading. The show features Blindboy, Jennifer Forde, Sam Bungey, Brian Greene and Sinead the host of Mens Rea.


    The final episode of the year will be out next week when we will look at the story of the Irish In the American West.

    Contributors to the episode

    Brian Greene https://www.briangreene.com/

    Blindboy Podcast https://play.acast.com/s/blindboy

    Mens Rea https://mensreapod.com/

    West Cork https://www.westcorkpodcast.com/

    Snugcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/snugcast/id1603925189

    I mentioned This is the satire podcast from the Onion I mentioned https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/a-very-fatal-murder/id1333714430

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  • ‘You might not be a revolutionary, but you are living through a revolution.’

     

    Podcasting is much older than you might imagine. A decade before the true crime show Serial took the world by storm, creators were making some of the earliest shows.

     

    This podcast is a nostalgic trip through the early days of the internet in Ireland when podcasting emerged. Brian Greene who was making shows in the mid 2000s shares his memories of the early days of podcasting. I also interview some of your favourite hosts including Blindboy and Sinead, the host of Mens Rea.

     

    The show also includes an ancient artefact of podcasting – an episode from the mid 2000s.

     

    Special thanks to Brian Greene for his interview and sharing his research, Blindboy and Sinead the host of Men’s Rea.

     

    Thanks to Jennifer Forde & Sam Bungey the team behind West Cork, DJ Walsh & Eoin Tabb the hosts of Snugcast. While they feature in the next episode their interviews and insights were extremely useful in shaping this series.

     

    Brian Greene https://www.briangreene.com/

    Blindboy Podcast https://play.acast.com/s/blindboy

    Mens Rea https://mensreapod.com/

    West Cork https://www.westcorkpodcast.com/

    Snugcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/snugcast/id1603925189

     

    Support the show

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  • It’s a dark evening in early November 1847.


    A carriage makes it's way through lawless starving countryside in North Roscommon.


    A gun shot rings out, a man falls dead.


    A family mourns but a community rejoices.


    While the Great Hunger of the 1840s resulted in one million deaths, this one murder encapsulated the stark choices facing that generation of Irish people in a one gripping story. It is retold in this episode.


    Assassinated: A Story of Vengeance & Murder in the Great Hunger is the studio recording of chapter 4 of my new book ‘A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders’.

    You can get the full audiobook here

    The hardback is available here 

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  • In the mid 1860s, Andersonville became one of the most feared places in America.


    This sleepy corner of Georgia gained notoriety in the later stages of the US Civil War when the Confederacy opened a prison camp there. Nearly one third of all prisoners who entered Andersonville never left. 


    Among their number were hundreds of Irish men. This podcast tells their stories.


    I am joined by historian Damian Shiels who runs the Andersonville Irish project. An expert on Irish involvement in the US Civil War, Damian explains what Andersonville was and why conditions were so bad. He also shares his latest research including stories of prisoners who had fled the Great Hunger at home.


    You can find out more about the Andersonville Irish at https://irishamericancivilwar.com/andersonville-irish/

    Listen to my 2018 episode with Damian where we discuss broader Irish involvement in the US Civil War. https://play.acast.com/s/irishhistory/the-us-civil-war-and-the-great-famine


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  • Writing histories of people who led secret lives is difficult because they leave few records. Yet that is precisely what my guest in today’s show has done. In this podcast, Dr Maurice Casey, shares the fascinating history of Rose McKenna and Sydney Arnold and how he uncovered their secret lives.


    In the early 20th century, this Latvian-Irish couple participated in two revolutions in Ireland and Russia. While Rose tried to arms for the IRA in London, they were also contemporaries of Ho Chi Minh when they lived in Moscow.


    Maurice shares this forgotten story with you in this episode.

     

    You can read Maurice’s article on McKenna & Arnold here

     

    Support the show-

    Patreon - Patreon.com/irishpodcast

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    My latest book, the Irish Times bestseller is available https://linktr.ee/alethallegacy

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  • 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, often informing an emigrant about an imminent death in their family. We discuss where these stories and beliefs came from, why they were shared and how they have survived into the 21st century!


    You can read Clodagh's article mentioned in the show here https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14780038.2023.2258606


    Voice Actor Therese Murray also narrates a traditional Irish ghost story which took pace in Philadelphia in the late 19th century. This was taken from the book True Irish Ghost Stories by St. John Seymour which is available here https://archive.org/details/trueirishghostst14099gut


    Sound by Kate Dunlea

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  • 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 by historians. 


    In this episode Cormac explains how the deaf community shaped Irish history. He also shares individual stories such as John Neville who spent most of his life in a workhouse and the IRA volunteer William Leavey.

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  • 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 revealed the racism at the heart of British society.


    The show goes on to look at what was often the grave consequences of this bigotry. In Liverpool the racist Irish Immigration Investigation Bureau campaigned against the Irish in the city. Meanwhile the deadly 1937 Kirkintilloch fire in Scotland illustrated the dangerous conditions in which seasonal workers lived. 


    Written, narrated and produced by Fin Dwyer

    Additional Narrations Aidan Crowe

    Sound Kate Dunlea.

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  • 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 Arigna Soviet


    You can find Oisín Ó Drisceoil's essay on the Arigna Soviet in Labour HIstory in Irish History here.

    Find out more about the Arigna Mining Experience at https://www.arignaminingexperience.ie/

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