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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 week with a fresh episode!
Join me on patreon, get access to hours of bonus content and join me on my upcoming trip to the stunning Conwy Castle in Wales - www.patreon.com/irishpodcast
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Since the dawn of history humans have been intrigued by the weather. However while it has the potential to sustain or destroy life, our ability to accurately forecast it is very recent. In this podcast I am joined by meteorologists Evelyn Cusack and Noel Fitzpatrick to explain the fascinating history of weather forecasting. Our desire to predict the weather is a story driven by war, natural disasters, human ingenuity and super computers.
You can find the Met Eireann podcast here https://www.met.ie/education/the-met-eireann-podcast/. The specific episode referenced by Noel in relation to Newgrange is available here https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-met-%C3%A9ireann-podcast/id1469018144
Become a member on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Irishpodcast and get access to
My upcoming exclusive series on the Civil War with Dr Brian HanleyJoin me on the supporters' trip to Conwy Castle in WalesEarly access to the showAd free episodesHours of supporters only contentBecome a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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The 1950s were a dismal time in Ireland. While the economy tanked, the catholic church, at the height of its power, maintained strict control over social life. Desperate to find a better life, nearly 500,000 Irish people emigrated. This staggering figure was equivalent to 80% of those born in the Free State between 1931 and 1941. This was a level of emigration unseen since the days of the Great Hunger of the 1840s.
The vast majority went to Britain with many making London their home. However they found the English capital isolating, lonely and unwelcoming. The poster in boarding houses stating ‘No Dogs, No Blacks, No Irish’ embodied the racism they faced. While many of the 1950s generation are no longer with us, in the late 1990s author Catherine Dunne recorded their stories. The experiences of these emigrants were the basis for her book An Unconsidered People - the Irish in London.
In this moving episode Catherine recounts the experiences they shared with her, the racism they faced as well as the isolation and loneliness. She also reveals the importance of solidarity within the Irish community, the legendary Irish clubs such as the Galtymore in Cricklewood and how many made a better life in the face of adversity.
You can find Catherine’s book An Unconsidered People - the Irish in London at https://www.newisland.ie/nonfiction/an-unconsidered-people-the-irish-in-london
Follow Catherine’s
catherinedunneauthor.com
facebook.com/Author.CatherineDunne
twitter.com/DunneCatherine
Become a member on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Irishpodcast and get
My upcoming exclusive series on the Civil War with Dr Brian HanleyJoin me on the supporters' trip to Conwy Castle in WalesEarly access to the showAd free episodesHours of supporters only contentBecome a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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One of the most important buildings in terms of Irish history or archaeology is located in North County Dublin. Strange as it may sound, this building is not very old. It actually only dates from the later 20th century and it was originally an electronics factory.
However it is now owned by the National Museum of Ireland and houses millions of artifacts amassed over the decades. This fascinating complex, which measures over 200,000 sq feet, is not open to the public. However last Autumn when I was organising the upcoming Irish History Summit in association with the National Museum I got an exclusive tour.
In this podcast recorded behind the scenes at the museum you will hear the stories behind some incredible artifacts. Nigel Monaghan tells the story behind a 4000 million year old meteorite that was an ornament in an Irish farmhouse for decades. Later in the episode Brenda Malone explains the remarkable story of an Irish man who served in the RAF during the World War II and captured some pivotal moments of the conflict on camera.
Get your tickets to the Irish History Summit (Saturday Jan 15th)
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/irish-history-summit-2022-tickets-194400466027
National Museum links
https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/Natural-History-Collections/Collections-List/Meteorites-and-Space
https://twitter.com/NMIreland
https://www.instagram.com/nationalmuseumofireland
Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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To accompany Murder at Murder Mountain, I am releasing five deep dive episodes which delve into the history of the early 19th century Ireland in greater detail. These will be released between the main episodes.
This is deep dive looks at the pre-Famine catholic church. While religion was very important during Ellen Kennedy's childhood, the catholic church emerging from centuries of repression was a very different organsation than it is today. In this podcast Salvador Ryan, professor of Ecclesiastical History in Maynooth, discusses religion and wider spiritual beliefs in the decades before the famine.
He also explains why rituals surrounding pattern days and ancient holy wells (also mentioned in episode one) were frowned on by the church hierarchy.
Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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Over the last decade there has been countless events to mark the centenary of the Irish Revolution. However 2022 is also the 175th anniversary of Black ‘47, one of worst years of the Great Hunger. This has received little or no attention. This begs the question does the Great Famine matter anymore or is it fading in to the distant past?
In this podcast I looked at the impact of the Great Famine, asking what if any meaning it has for day to day life in the 21st century.
Sources mentioned:
The school's folklore collection is available at https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes
My series on the great Famine is available here https://irishhistorypodcast.ie/category/podcast/the-great-famine/
The article on the Year of Slaughter - the Famine of the 1740s is available here https://irishhistorypodcast.ie/1741-the-year-of-slaughter/
The Special Supporters for this episode are
S Steinkerchner
K Chapman
A Stewart-Mailhiot
K Samar
B O'Donovan
K Costello
B Dunphy
Tarabu
J Donelan
J.M. Culver
W Edwards
D Lawall
T McCool
J Lavin
D Federman
Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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Ireland has some very strange place names. They range from the perplexing – Skeoghvosteen in Kilkenny, to the scandalous - Slutsend in Dublin and Bastardstown in Co Wexford. But where do these names come from and what do they tell us about our history?
Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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Traditional music is central to Irish culture and identity in the 21st century. Contrary to what we might think, this is a relatively recent development. As late as the 1960s Trad was perceived as unfashionable and musicians were not allowed to play in pubs.
60 years later it has become extremely popular and recognised the world over. So what happen?
Last weekend I sat down with Tom Mulligan, a legend in Trad scene to talk about the history of Trad over the century. Tom hales from a well known musical family and owns the Cobblestone, the best known traditional music pub in the country. Indeed it was become something of a cultural institution over the last 35 years.
In this interview Tom explains the roots of modern trad from Poland, Africa, the USA and back to Ireland. He also elaborates on the intriguing story of how trad went from a marginal genre in Irish society to its contemporary popularity.
While Trad has enjoyed a resurgence in recent decades, it faces an uncertain future in the 2020s. Property speculation in Dublin has seen numerous live music venues close in recent years to make way for hotels. There are fewer and fewer spaces for musicians in the city.
Last year saw Tom's pub the Cobblestone became the latest to be earmarked for 'development'. Given its historic role in developing and nurturing trad music, this provoked large demonstrations and a campaign #dublinisdying. While the plans to build a hotel on the site were withdrawn last week, Tom explains how the Cobblestone is not out of the woods yet.
Follow the Cobblestone on twitter and Insta
Music by Liam Costello
Support the show at Patreon.com/irishpodcast or https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory
This week's special supporters are
T Troy
S Lucas
Alexander
W McGuire
C Steuland
T Higgins
R Spowart
D Bohan
Greg
P McKey
P Myers
B Brady
B McDonough
K Stauffer
M Mulvale
T Murray
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Stephen’s Green is one of Dublin’s well known areas. Located in the heart of the city centre, the Green is home to several prestigous instiutions and businesses including the Royal College of Surgeons, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Shelbourne Hotel.
It's history however is very different. Originally a swampy marshland, it was home to numerous brothels and the city gallows. In this podcast I am joined by historian Frank Hopkins to explore the history of St Stephen's Green.
We begin on the gallows as Frank explains how public executions were a form of entertainment for many Dubliners. Then moving through the centuries Frank explains who the notorious bodysnatchers of Goat Alley were and the history behind Copperfaced Jack, the man after whom the famous night club is named.
The show ends by introducing a certain A Hitler who was regular sight around St Stephens Green in the early 20th century!
You can find Frank’s excellent book St Stephen's Green: A History of the Green online and in all good bookshops.
What does 50/13 mean?
With your support I am planning on releasing 50 episodes this year. 13 is the number of episodes I have produced so far with your support so we are on track! You can support the show and get ad free episodes, early access to the show and exclusive episodes.
Each week I acknowledge listeners who support the show. This week's special supporters are
The week's special supporters are:
J Arbaugh
D Eggleston
M Fields
W Tolan
S Corbet
R D Moore
L Slavens
J Reilly
C Donoghue
D D Rau
J Bates
D Celment
B Conneely
J Looney
R Morahan
B White
Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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In this episode you will step back a century to experience life in a Victorian mansion.
Kylemore Abbey is a stunning mansion located in the wilds of Connemara in the West of Ireland. While it hugs the shoreline of the remote Pollacappul lake, this stately home could rival any great house in Ireland. With over seventy rooms including a ballroom, the house frequently entertained high profile visitors from England.
The Henry family who built the house could impress their guests with sumptuous meals. Lavish dinner tables were stocked from hunts on the lakes, rivers and mountains around the house. Visitors also feasted on exotic fruits grown in glass houses on the 15,000 acre Kylemore estate.
Oh and did I mention Kylemore even had a Turkish bath?
In this podcast recorded in Kylemore Eithne O'Halloran reveals the fascinating history of the Abbey.
Find out how to visit the abbey at kylemoreabbey.com
Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.
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![15 Minutes in Medieval Dublin [From the Archives]](https://is5-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts125/v4/9a/35/17/9a3517d2-fa58-43f4-21f6-cccb9e503bfe/mza_11111542642149387421.png/80x80bb.jpg)