Irish History Podcast
Fin Dwyer
300 episodes
From the Norman Invasion to the War of Independence, the Great Famine to the Troubles, the Irish History Podcast takes you on a journey through the most fascinating stories in Ireland's past. Whether it’s the siege of Dublin in 1171 or gun battles in the 1920s, the podcast vividly recreates a sense of time and place. Each episode is meticulously researched, creating character-driven narratives that are engaging and accessible for all.
More about the show
Since the first episode was released back in 2010, the podcast has covered scores of captivating stories. Major multi-part series have explored the Great Famine, the Norman Invasion, and Irish involvement in the Spanish Civil War. If you are looking for standalone episodes, there are lots of great interviews with leading Irish historians covering topics from medieval sex magic to Irish connections in the Jack the Ripper murders!
Why not start with 'Three Days in July', an acclaimed mini-series from the summer of 2024. It explores the early years of the Troubles and the forgotten story of a young Londoner who was shot dead by the British Army in Belfast in 1970.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes page 2 of 6
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Hugh O’Flaherty & The Vatican Escape Line in World War II
This special episode of the Irish History Podcast is made in partnership with An Post. In Nazi-occupied Rome, the Irish priest Hugh O’Flaherty risked everything to save thousands from certain death. By running a…
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The French Invasion: Ireland’s Year of Terror?
This episode covers one of the most famous events in our history. It’s part of the 1798 Rebellion series, but you can dive straight in if you don't want the gripping backstory! In the closing months of 1796, Ireland…
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The Jackson Spy Affair: The Downfall of the Society of United Irishmen
This episode returns to the story of the 1798 Rebellion, but also stands alone as its own story. In 1793, war broke out between the British Empire and Revolutionary France. This episode explores what happened when a…
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Airbrushed from History: The Great Hunger in Dublin
This week, we’re taking a break from our series on the 1798 Rebellion for a fascinating conversation about the Great Famine in Dublin and why this key chapter in the city’s history has been largely forgotten. When…
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The French Revolution & the Society of United Irishmen
While this episode fits into a bigger series on the 1798 Rebellion, it’s also designed to stand on its own. The French Revolution of 1789 electrified Ireland, inspiring hope and fear in equal measure. It would lead to…
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The Rising Storm: The American War of Independence & Ireland
This episode is part of a wider series on the 1798 Rebellion, but you can enjoy it as a stand-alone story. When the American Revolution broke out in the 1770s, it sent shock waves across the Atlantic, transforming…
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The Penal Laws: An Irish Apartheid?
This podcast opens a broader series on the 1798 Rebellion, but also works as a stand alone episode. For over a century, Irish Catholics and Presbyterians were subjected to the Penal Laws. Although the vast majority of…
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1798: The Year Ireland Changed Forever
The 1790s remain one of the most important decades in modern Irish history. After years of rising tensions, the island was rocked by the 1798 Rebellion—the largest uprising in Irish history. In just a few months, more…
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The Irish Immigrants Who Built Britain's NHS
In the 1960s, over 30,000 Irish immigrants were working in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). While the NHS is often celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest achievements, the vital contributions of these Irish…
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Celebrating Conquest? Ireland’s Culture War over William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror has been dead for nearly a thousand years, and he never set foot in Ireland—so how did he end up at the centre of a modern Irish culture war? With Normandy gearing up for “The Year of the Norman”…
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The Secret Life of May O’Callaghan: The Kremlin’s Irish Insider
In 1973, just two people attended the lonely funeral of May O’Callaghan, an Irish emigrant in North London. Few could have imagined that this quiet woman from Wexford had once stood at the very heart of Soviet power.…
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Ireland's Liberator - The Life of Daniel O'Connell
This special episode of the Irish History Podcast, in partnership with An Post, marks the 250th anniversary of Daniel O’Connell’s birth. In this podcast, I explore the life and legacy of one of Ireland’s most…
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Who Will History Remember?
How do we decide who the most significant people in our history are? Whose story is worth telling? In this episode, I’m joined by Eoin Kinsella, managing editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography, to explore how he…
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Yola: A History of Ireland’s Lost Language
When we think of Ireland’s past, we usually envisage an island shaped by two languages: Irish and English. But hidden in the history of South Wexford is Yola, a unique dialect that survived for centuries after the…
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Irish Americans & The Troubles: Unwelcome Outsiders or Allies?
This episode continues the story of NORAID - the Irish American organisation who were the voice of the IRA in the US. Jamie Goldrick and I delve into the complicated history of wider Irish American involvement in the…
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NORAID: Did Irish Americans Fund the Provisional IRA?
In this episode, we explore the fascinating and controversial story of NORAID, the Irish American organisation at the heart of the new documentary NORAID: Irish America & the IRA. Joined by the film’s producer, Jamie…
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Irish Asylums: A Dark History We Don’t Talk About. Why?
In the 1950s, more than 20,000 people—over one percent of the adult population of Ireland—were locked away in mental asylums. This was the highest rate in the world, with more people confined in asylums than in all…
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Banned: The Hidden History of Contraception in Ireland (Listener Favourite)
While we’re on the last week of our summer break, we’re bringing you one of our most popular episodes from the back catalogue. For over four decades, contraception was not just taboo in Ireland—it was illegal. From…
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[Classic Replay] A Criminal Conversation: Affairs & Divorce in 1920s Ireland
A story from the 1920s that will reshape the way you view our great grandparents lives! Unfortunately, there’s no new show this week, but I wanted to re-share an episode I really enjoyed making two years ago. It'll…
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The Irish Wake: A History
The Irish funeral wake is a unique tradition where family and friends gather around the body of the deceased to share stories, remember their life, and celebrate their legacy. Often resembling a lively party with…
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Midwives & Mothers: A History of Birth in Ireland
In times past, childbirth was a profoundly communal and intimate experience, guided by the steady hands and wisdom of community midwives. Known as Bean Ghlúine—the Women of the Knee—these women were among the most…
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Glenmalure & Memories of a Lost World - How Did Electrification Change Rural Ireland?
Nestled deep in the Wicklow Mountains, Glenmalure was once a stronghold for rebels and a sanctuary from the outside world. But long after the echoes of rebellion faded, the valley remained a place apart, where the…
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Glendalough & The History Tourists Are Never Told
Glendalough is one of Ireland’s most iconic and picturesque destinations. Its medieval monastery and stunning mountain landscape attract around one million tourists every year. However behind the postcard-perfect…
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A History of Ireland's Last Great Wilderness
Vast, windswept, and seemingly untouched—the landscape around the Sally Gap in Wicklow is a place where history appears to vanish into the heather and mist. With no houses and few traces of human settlement, this…
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Breaking Ireland's Bandit Country: The Wicklow Military Road
In 1800, in the wake of the 1798 Rebellion, the British military began construction of the Wicklow Military Road. Designed to bring control to the so-called “bandit country” of the Wicklow Mountains, this road now…
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What happened to Ireland’s Protestant Community after the Revolution?
Between 1911 and 1926, the Irish Protestant population fell by over 30%. This podcast explores why this happened, as well as how the majority who remained adapted to life in the Free State. Hosted on Acast. See…
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The IRA's Great Escape: Mountjoy Jail, 1925
In 1925, nineteen IRA prisoners orchestrated a daring escape from Mountjoy Jail in the heart of Dublin. Join me and historian Sam McGrath as we delve into the history of the IRA following the Civil War and uncover the…
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Stories We Don't Tell: Realities of Surviving the Great Hunger
The history of the Great Hunger is often recounted through statistics and impersonal narratives. There are many reasons for this, but one significant factor is that many survivors were reluctant to share their stories…
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Typhoid Mary: Victim or Villain
Typhoid Mary has inspired books, movies, and even a Marvel character, but the history of the Irish woman behind the name is less well known. Mary Mallon was born in County Tyrone in the late 19th century before…
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Coffin Ships: What Famine Emigrants Endured [Classic Replay]
By 1855, over two million Irish people had fled Ireland to escape the devastation of the Great Hunger. The journeys of these emigrants were often harrowing, and the term "Coffin Ship" has become synonymous with their…
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A History of Beer in Ireland
Being hard drinkers is one of the most common stereotypes of Irish people around the world. While Irish consumption of alcohol is nowhere near the highest in Europe, there is no question beer and pubs are deeply…
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The Bloody Summer of 1170: An Epic of Siege, Invasion & Conquest in Medieval Ireland
In May 1170, a small group of mercenaries landed in a remote corner of County Wexford, setting the stage for a dramatic chapter in Irish history. Just fourteen miles away, in the medieval city of Waterford, their…
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1798, Magdalene Laundries, and Exploring an Irish bandit Country - Keeping You in the Loop!
Why is there no show this week? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Michael Collins: History Masked by Myths and Conspiracies
Over a century after his death, Michael Collins remains one of Irish history's most iconic figures. Yet, his life and untimely death are still shrouded in myth and conspiracy. In this compelling episode, I am joined by…
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Irish Emigrants in Tsarist Russia: A History
Margaretta Eagar is a little-known figure in Irish history. In the early 20th century, she worked as a governess to the last Romanov Tsars of Russia. Eagar was just one of thousands of Irish people who emigrated to…
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St Brigid: Pagan Goddess or Christian Saint?
St. Brigid is one of Ireland's most well-known saints. While Christian churches have experienced a crisis of faith in recent decades, she seems to buck the trend. People of all faiths and none can identify with this…
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Hitler's Irish Translator: Nazi Sympathiser or Following Orders?
In March 1939, James Murphy, a Cork man, became a wanted figure in Nazi Germany. As Europe hurtled towards war, Murphy published an unedited English translation of Hitler’s notorious book, Mein Kampf, which revealed…
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The Irish Catholic Church: How did it become so powerful?
Over the past three decades, the Catholic Church has been engulfed by numerous sexual abuse scandals and accusations of power abuse. This has prompted many to question how it initially gained such influence in Ireland.…
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Winston Churchill: The Irish View on a British Legend
Winston Churchill is one of the most famous figures of the 20th century. Hailed in Britain as the man who won the war, his legacy in Ireland is far more complex. In this episode, I delve into history behind the…
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Irish Lives in Victorian London: History and Influence
Victorian London was a city of immense wealth, but also shocking poverty. The historian Jerry White described it as "a metropolis of wealth, grandeur, culture, and sophistication alongside a hell of starving,…
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Why Didn't Irish People Eat Fish During the Great Hunger?
During the Great Hunger of the 1840s, one million Irish perished from starvation and hunger-related diseases. However, Ireland is surrounded by some of the best fishing grounds in Europe. This begs the question: why…
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Why Was Life Expectancy So Low in Ireland Until 1900?
Life expectancy in Ireland has doubled over the past 200 years, but why was it so low for so long? In this podcast, I delve into the factors that kept life expectancy down in Ireland's history and what those numbers…
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1719: The Irish Rescue of the Polish Princess Bride
In 1719, the 17-year-old Polish Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska was seized by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. While the move shocked many in Europe, in the following months a group of Irish exiles plotted a…
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Societal Collapse: Did It Happen in Irish History?
In this episode, I explore the ruins of a Temple and the intriguing concept of societal collapse and its relevance to Irish history. Often depicted as dramatic and apocalyptic, societal collapse is a topic that has…
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Your Prehistoric Ancestors: More Sophisticated than you think!
Check out my new podcast 'Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast' with Damian Shiels https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod In this captivating episode, I explore the enigmatic world of prehistoric Ireland. I am…
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Stigma, Famine & Emigration: A History of Mental Health in Ireland
By the late 1950s, over 20,000 individuals in the Republic of Ireland were confined in asylums—a staggering figure equivalent to 1 in every 133 Irish people at the time. This episode delves into how such a situation…
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The Dirtiest City in Europe? Why Did Typhoid Thrive in Victorian Dublin?
In 1900, the life expectancy in Dublin was a mere 49 years, a stark indicator of the city's dire living conditions. The Victorian city was notorious for its filth and disease, which proved an ideal breeding ground for…
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Emily Anderson: The Forgotten Irish Woman of Bletchley Park
In this captivating episode of the Irish History Podcast, Jackie Ni Chionna joins me to discuss the remarkable but forgotten Irish woman, Emily Anderson. Emily was an Irish code breaker who played a pivotal role at…
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The Making of a Ghost Town - The Rise and Fall of the Irish Kings of Cotton
In the 1850s, Portlaw was Ireland's most successful town. The population had grown tenfold in the previous 30 years. The local Cotton Mill, built by the Malcomson Family, provided work for thousands of people. However,…
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Who was the first Irish person to cross the Atlantic Ocean?
I am delighted to share the very first episode of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast. It's a new show I am making with historian Damian Shiels which looks at Irish-American History. It's separate from the…
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