Episodes
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Learning a new language is hard, and when the Duolingo bird is outside your bedroom threatening your family unless you keep up your streak and do your German lessons today - it can be a bit overwhelming. But when it comes to the Native American Navajo language, even the Duolingo bird misses some of his lessons. That's because this incredible language is so complicated that if you weren't ingrained in the Navajo culture for your whole life you would have a terrible time even asking what time of the day it is.
Thanks to its complicated nature, the Navajo language was perfect for encrypting messages. And so when the Second World War made its way to the shores of the United Sates, it's no wonder that a program to use Navajo men to encrypt and decode messages for wartime communication was implemented. Enter the Navajo Code Talkers, a unit initially comprised of 30 native speakers but would rise to well over 300 by the war's end. And their mission was as simple as it was vital - transmit messages, and make sure the enemy cannot decode them.
Join Arron this week as he explores the origins of using the Navajo as code talkers, dives into how the language itself worked, and shows how the language was morphed into a code that was so effective that it remains the only verbal code during the Second World War to never have been broken.
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter, or head to the linktree in the podcast's about section!
Chapters:
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(0:00) Intro
(05:25) Episode Start - The Navajo Code Talkers
(06:34) A Quick History of Relaying Messages in War
(12:37) Native American Code Talkers
(13:46) Philip Jonhston
(17:12) Forming the Navajo Code Talkers and Trials
(20:49) Learning (or at least understanding) Navajo
(31:48) Understanding the Navajo Code
(34:58) Some Country Names Translated
(40:12) Some Thoughts on the Code
(43:40) Wartime Example and A Navajo Speaking the Code
(52:23) Expansion of the Navajo Code Talkers
(58:22) Post-War Recognition
(01:02:41) Post Show Banter
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Conflict is inherent to the human experience. It has shaped our world since the earliest times when Ungo Bungo wanted Bongo Dongo's priceless large rock collection. To this day nothing had changed. With resources aplenty and neighbours who can't stand to live next to each other, many have resorted to conflict to get their way. It is no surprise that Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz's words still resonate to this day: "War is regarded as nothing but the continuation of state policy with other means."
And with the undeniable fact that war and conflict will always be with us so long as humans roam the earth, what has Ireland done to ensure its safety - especially in recent years with conventional warfare once again unfolding in Europe? Well, it turns out the answer is to do nothing. Since the inception of the state, Ireland has always pursued a policy of neutrality which has resulted in a defence force so neglected that when a Russian ship parked itself off our coast to investigate our underwater data cables that links Europe to the US - we could do nothing about it, and had to wait for the British RAF and Royal Navy to see them off. But how did we even get to this point? And were we ever really a neutral country that we can just neglect the importance of the defence of the island?
Join Arron and Conor this week as they look into the history of Irish neutrality, investigate times where the Irish state has very clearly taken sides in global conflicts, see how the Irish Defence Forces have been so neglected that estimates show they would be defeated in less than an hour, and discuss our vision for a much better and stronger army capable of safeguarding the people of Ireland.
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to check us out on social media! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and X/Twitter, or head to the link.tree in the podcast's about section!
Chapters:
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(00:00) Intro
(01:42) Context
(05:53) Historical Background
(11:12) Examples of Some Non-Neutral Actions
(24:44) Neglect of the IDF and Our Security Concerns
(44:10) Defending Ireland
(01:02:28) Inability to Safeguard the State
(01:08:32) Russia, the threat to Europe, and Irish Defence
(01:23:50) Ireland and the World Stage
(01:41:58) Our Conclusions
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Missing episodes?
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Many moons ago a young man called Conor began exploring the outbreak and initial stages of the Irish Civil War. Unfortunately he was ambushed by a squad of Anti-Treaty IRA and hauled all the way down south to the (real capital) city of Cork. Luckily for him he managed to escape, but not before witnessing the newly formed Irish Free State take the fight directly to the IRA who ran from Dublin down to the province of Munster. Our war hero has returned to tell us all about the events of the first proper campaign of the Free State Army.
(For legal reasons all of this is a joke. Remember folks, despite being the youngest of the three it's actually Granda Keego who is the oldest and of course was there to witness all of these events firsthand.)
From troubles in training the new army, to parking 18-pounder artillery guns right outside post offices and one of the first amphibious landings in modern military history, join Conor this week as we look at the Munster Offensive - the decisive military stroke of the Civil War that would see much of the Anti-Treaty IRA scattered and any hope for their victory in this conflict was quickly and decisively destroyed.
This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!
(00:00) Intro
(01:08) Recap
(06:52) The IRA and the Munster Republic
(11:50) The Free State Offensive Begins
(13:13) Battle of Limerick
(23:24) Taking Waterford
(33:00) Battle of Killmallock
(56:15) The National Army Conduct Amphibious Landings
(01:12:57) Post Show Banter
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The history of health and medicine is such a crazy ride that it's truly a shock to consider just how good the quality of healthcare is today as opposed to even as recent in human history as a century ago. But in order to get to this point we have had a long and varied history of absolutely crazy medical procedures that you wonder how anyone was even left alive to improve on some of these things.
From sucking boils and blisters off your arms, hands, and your bare bottom to cursing the Amazon delivery driver for all eternity for delivering someone else's urine sample, and even drinking that golden liquid for its health benefits after you eat some cabbage, join Hayley this week as she delves into these absolutely bonkers practices that helped pave the way for our modern understanding of medicine. And just a little word of warning, you might need to have a bucket on standby when you hear some of these!
This episode was presented by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!
(00:00) Intro
(01:30) Ancient Egyptian Procedures
(04:12) Ancient Greek Procedures
(08:04) Hippocrates' Obsession With Hemorrhoids
(12:36) Ancient Greek Honourable Mentions
(14:16) Ancient Roman Procedures
(26:35) The Black Death and Medieval Practices
(37:27) John of Gaddesden, Mental Health, and the Rose of Medicine
(41:59) Bald's Leechbook and Elf Disease
(45:31) Medieval Surgeon's Practices
(55:30) Urine, the "Liquid Window"
(58:41) Avicenna and the Epicentre of Lovesickness
(01:01:30) Post-Show Banter
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How do you improve the millions of weapons of war that we've come to know throughout history? Do you perhaps create bullets that can be loaded into magazines to move away from single shot muskets and rifles? Would you instead create a massive tube and fill it with the biggest lead ball you can find to create a cannon and do away with catapults? Perhaps you would instead strap a massive bomb to the underbelly of a crop duster and create a bomber plane to hit targets well behind enemy lines? Well no matter which option you picked here you're wrong! As these investors show, the best improvements to any weapon of war is to create some of the wackiest concepts known to man!
From a crane designed to pick up and drop Roman ships like a claw machine in an arcade, to the very rockets that inspired the national anthem of the USA that originated in India, and strapping a jet engine to a propeller aircraft in the hopes of creating a plane that can break the sound barrier, the world is full of some absolutely wacky weapons of war. So join Arron this week as the takes the gang through 10 weapons of war that didn't exactly shape history but are so crazy in either design or concept that they're sure to leave you scratching your head.
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!
(00:00) Intro
(02:00) The Shewee Gift
(05:58) Dorothy Thompson's Review of Mein Kampf
(13:05) Archimedes' Claw
(21:42) The Kpinga
(30:50) Puckle Gun
(39:30) Nock Gun
(50:42) Mysorean Rockets
(58:11) The Drip Rifle
(01:08:01) The Kettering Bug
(01:13:01) Bat Bombs
(01:20:53) Soviet Anti-Tank Dogs
(01:29:29) Republic XF84H Thunderscreech
(01:38:38) Post-show banter
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The Irish struggle for independence spans centuries of conflict and contains many prominent figures, from the FitzGeralds of Kildare to Michael Collins. From military figures to politicians and humble labourers, many Irish men and women are remembered for their contributions to this ultimate goal. One such figure who was instrumental in the success of the Irish War of Independence was Kerry born Tom Barry.
From humble beginnings as a mischievous school boy to becoming a prominent and incredibly effective guerrilla commander, Irish republican Tom Barry is very well known for his role during the independence war of 1919-1921, and for his position as an Anti-Treatyite leading into the Civil War. But how much else do you know about this life?
Join Conor this week as he takes the gang through the life of Tom Barry and explore the tactical mastery of this revolutionary fighter, all the way from his birth to his death.
This episode was presented by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!
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What better way to spend your day than listening to the emergence of the theories that helped to start the bloodiest war in human history? Nothing, that's the answer. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the gang as they explore the origins of one of the deadliest and most controversial "sciences" ever put to paper.
From its origins and links with Darwinism, its emergence as a "legitimate science", and its links to the tyrannical Third Reich and its use of eugenics to justify the terrible actions of their regime. Hayley has been threatening this episode for a long time now, and it's finally here.
Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!
This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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History is great. It's accessible to all, there are millions of written histories across plenty of subjects, and it helps us to understand how we got here. Facts and figures paint a story of how we came to be where we are today, and historical debate helps us to greater understand the past. But what happens when you just... don't do your research and then go onto a podcast that brings in millions of views?
Well, the answer is you get Darryl Cooper - host of the MartyrMade Podcast and described by the Tucker Carlson Show as possibly being "the best and most honest popular historian in the United States."... Sorry America, you don't deserve this.
Cooper's interview has taken the internet by storm and has been responded to by a great number of historians from the humble amateur to the professional. But now it's our turn, and boy do we have some things to say. I mean just LOOK at how long this episode is!
This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan, Hayley O'Connor, and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music 0 Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!
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The most common thing in the history of humanity is our need to fight each other on both national and international theatres of war. But what happens when you've had enough of shooting the humans and want something else to shoot at instead? Well in our quest to wage war in every conceivable way possible, throughout history we've conscripted animals to go to war with us!
Join Arron this week as he takes the gang through some of his favourite war animal stories, ranging from the humble message carrying pigeons of the First and Second World Wars to Cairo the dog who helped in the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound, and along the way we'll find some artillery bears, horses being promoted to staff sergeant, and a camel who fired the final shot at the Battle of Berlin!
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
Be sure to follow us on our social media platforms! We have pages on Instragram, TikTok, and Twitter/X. Just search for That's Old News and give us a follow!
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Spooky scary skeletons most certainly send shivers down your spine, but of course they are not the only haunting figures that go bump in the night. Irish Mythology is home to many creepy creatures that have inspired many haunting figures throughout history, but the Irish ones are the best on the simple and inarguable fact that I said so.
Join the gang this week as they do a second part to the mythology arc by delving into some of these haunting figures from our mythology, ranging from the infamous wailing Banshee to a completely different understanding of fairies - sorry Tinkerbell, you're not coming out of this one unscathed!
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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The Winter War 1939-1940 was a military embarrassment for the Soviet Union, suffering hundreds of thousands of casualties for little territorial gain. And standing in their way was the legendary Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä, who alone clocked in well over 200 kills with his rifle alone and 500 kills altogether with little more than a rifle, iron sights, and a fondness for chomping down on a bit of snow.
Join Conor this week as he takes the gang through the incredible story of this legendary hunter, see how he used the terrain and weather of Finland in the winter to get the upper hand on the Soviets, and wonder how you're so bad at Call of Duty when this guy loved to do it all just with his trusty rifle and not a single telescopic sight to be seen anywhere.
This episode was presented by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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Have you ever sat back and thought to yourself "I wonder what some of the worst ways to die in history were"? Well Hayley does... Hayley thinks about it... a lot. She's okay (we think) but some of the methods of torture and execution that she stumbled upon were so varied in their style and method that it made for a fascinating episode! And it's worth sticking around until the end when we rank them all in a tier list! Because we are perfectly sane individuals.
Join Hayley this week as she takes the lads through the gruesome world of torturing and executing people throughout history, and learn about everything from environmentally friendly bamboo torture to the infamous Brazen Bull, along with nine other methods from all over the world.
This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro episode - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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James Bond, Ethan Hunt, Austin Powers. These are just some of the greatest spies to grace our lives, but all pale in comparison to the spymaster himself - GARBO! This Spanish chicken farmer almost singlehandedly secured the defeat of the Germans during the Second World War and his story is absolutely phenomenal.
Join Arron this week as he takes the group through the incredible story of this chicken farmer turned spymaster supreme, and learn how he created the greatest spy network in Britain and used it to fool the Germans at every opportunity. And just when you think the wacky antics are over, agent Garbo has another ace up his sleeve!
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Conor Daly and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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When we think about gods and goddesses our minds usually jump to the Roman Pantheon or the Greek Parthenon, but what if I told you the Irish have our own little cluster of gods and goddesses? All with their own wacky adventures, weird origin stories, and hilarious moments, they mark the first histories of Ireland and how the Irish came to be.
From the Tuatha Dé Danann and the goddess Ériu who gave the island her name, to the crazy tale of the warrior Cú Chulainn with some terrible relationship troubles, and a fish who even with a single lick of its shiny body it bestows the world's knowledge on a person... but only if they suck their thumb like a baby. Join Arron, Conor, and Hayley this week as we look into the incredible world of Irish mythology.
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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Irish military history is a topic hundreds of years in the making, ranging from service under the old Gaelic lords to "Wild Geese" regiments raised throughout Europe and, of course, an entwined history with the British Army. Much of this came to an end with the emergence of the Irish Free State, and later Republic of Ireland. Ever eager to prove ourselves on the world stage, it was only natural that Irish peacekeepers would be sent to the Congo as part of the UN - but disaster was lurking.
Join Conor this week as he takes us through the devastating ambush on Irish peacekeepers in the Congo and explains the lack of care gone into the planning of the mission that led to the ambush, the lack of quality equipment, and our thoughts on one of the first deployments of Irish troops since the creation of the new state.
This episode was presented by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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What do you get when you take the phrase "Keep it in the family" WAY too seriously? A family tree that forms a perfect circle! And there is no better example in history of the dangers of a bit of how's your father with someone a bit too closely related to your father than the Habsburg dynasty.
Join Hayley this week as she takes us on a journey to Spain at the end of the 17th century, where Habsburg King Charles II spawned into the world with every debuff known to man and destroyed ay chance of his lineage carrying on the throne of Spain! Remember folks, if your family tree has a diagonal line in it then you've gone wrong somewhere and you might get a case of the infamous "Habsburg Jaw".
This episode was presented by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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Controversial? Never heard of it! Would have been nice to know before we decided this may be a good episode though... can't wait to see our ratings plummet after this one.
In all seriousness, welcome to our first dive into the far more controversial and topical conversations of the day - this time being the Russo-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas War. Being graduates of military history and strategic studies, this is Arron and Conor's bread and butter and they want to at least try their hand at discussing these subjects. So if you want an overview of these conflicts in as close to our usual style as possible then this is the episode for you!
There will certainly be disagreements aplenty, and we appreciate any and all disagreements that are raised by our listeners as long as they are done respectfully. We understand the heightened emotions for some of these topics, but as historians we could not avoid talking about these subjects just because they are mired in controversy. So join Arron and Conor this week as they take their first dive into both of these wars, and be sure to let us know what you think!
This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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Sometimes people ask us if there's a bad way of doing history, and usually the answer depends on what they want to research - but if you're looking for a perfect example of doing it completely wrong then look no further than the abysmal and stressful Leaving Cert Higher Level History exam!
The Leaving Cert is almost over now, and with the release of the exam to the public the gang have decided to look it over and give you our unfiltered thoughts on the exam, what it expects of students, and how the whole way we make students learn history in secondary schools actually does more to drive hopeful historians away from the field than to keep them interested!
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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Let's face it guys, we've all imagined ourselves as brave soldiers charging against enemy forces in defiance of them at some point in our lives, but unfortunately for us it's always just a dream. For Jack Churchill however, he lived it - and he excelled at being an absolute madman at every opportunity.
Join Arron this week as he takes the gang through the exciting and unbelievable life of John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, better known to the world as "Mad Jack" Churchill. From the Battle of Dunkirk to the end of the British Mandate of Palestine and finally working for the Ministry of Defense, Jack's life is so incredibly varied and exciting that it reads like fiction, and yet it was true.
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Conor Daly and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. The short audio clips of "The March of the Cameron Men" and "Will Ye No Come Back Again" were recorded by the Queen's Own Highlanders.
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If some of these discussion topics don't come across as controversial to some of you then we missed the ball with this one, but nevertheless as historians we must be willing to confront difficult topics and see where the facts point us. This episode is most certainly best enjoyed with your finest whiskey to hand, and it's a long one this time folks.
Join Arron, Hayley, and Conor as they get into some of the finer details of discussing history, with topics ranging from how much Catholicism affects Irish identity, to the nature of Ireland as a colony or not of the British Empire, along with some more light hearted topics like should we value historical accuracy or authenticity more. As always, your input is very much welcomed in episodes like this and we'd love to know what you think about these topics so be sure to let us know!
This episode was presented by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro song - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.
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