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...

At the turn of the 20th century alcoholism was a major problem in Irish society. The island had 17,300 pubs while around 40% of all prison sentences were alcohol related. There was a general sense alcohol addiction was out of control. The stereotype of the happy-go-lucky drunk certainly masked the reality of the Irish alcoholism. In this podcast I explore addiction in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century by focusing on the life of one woman - the Sligo native Sarah Garvey. ***My latest...

Every book has an origin story. My new book ‘A Lethal Legacy – A History of Ireland in 18 Murders’ is no different. While the book goes on sale today, the origin story goes back to 2015 when I found a trove of old letters belonging to a grandmother I never knew. Tune in to find out more. THE BOOK LAUNCH IS ON TONIGHT (SEP 14) AT 6P.M. IN HODGES FIGGIS BOOKSHOP ON DAWSON ST. Get your eBook, audiobook, kindle or hardcopy here A Lethal Legacy | Linktree Become a member at...

This podcast looks at forgotten story of the tsunami that hit Cork in 1755, the volcanic winter of 1816 and a meteor that was way to close for comfort in 1908. Although they dont feature prominently in history, they had huge impact at the time. Articles referenced in the show A seismic tsunami in the Irish annals, recorded at Iona in October 720 https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.05224 Folklore about the Cork tsunami...

In 1821 George IV was the first British monarch to visit Ireland in modern times. It was a historic occasion for multiple reasons. Not only was he the first king to set foot on Irish soil since the 17th century but he was the first to do so without an army. Many held out hope the king's arrival might usher in a new era in Irish history. However George himself had other ideas. Beginning as he meant to continue, George was dead drunk on arrival. The following weeks were defined by pomp,...

The Great Hunger left deep scars on the Irish society. Many of those who survived the 1840s never fully survived the harrowing ordeal they had endured. They were traumatised in body and spirit. For the rest of their lives, they carried the physical and psychological injuries the Great Hunger inflicted on them. This podcast follows the life one of the last survivors in Dublin - Catherine Mulhern. This podcast was included in an early draft of my upcoming book A Lethal Legacy – A History of...

In 1984, the Conservative Party, lead by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, gathered in the seaside town of Brighton for their annual conference. In the early hours of October 12th a bomb ripped through the Grand Hotel where Thatcher and several other conservative leaders were staying. The following day the Provisional IRA would claim responsibility for the attack. This triggered one of the largest manhunts in history. While the plan was audacious, the police operation to catch...

Bunmahon is an idyllic seaside town in Co Waterford but it has a deep dark history. It's a story that begins in an abandoned mine and ends in a search for a lost town... Need I say more? You can find out more about Bunmahon at the local visitor centre. My upcoming book 'A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders' will be released on September 14th 2023.  Pre-Order at Easons today and get 10% off when you use the coupon code FD10...

This episode was originally released in 2019. Over the past week I was recording the audio version of 'A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders' so I didnt have time to prepare a new episode but this is worth a relisten! Normal service resumes next week.“In the later half 1888 London was gripped by fear when five women were murdered within a few months of each other in the East End of the city. Initially dubbed the Whitechapel murders after the district where they took place, they...

As I mention in the episode I am recording the audio version of A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders this week! Don't forget to pre-order at Easons and use the code FD10 to get 10% off!Edward O’Rourke is not a name you expect to encounter in the history of Eastern Europe, yet he is a celebrated figure in the Polish city of Gdansk for the role he played in opposing the rise of the Nazis in the city in the 1930s. In this episode I am joined by the Irish Times journalist Derek...

'The Road to War' is the first episode in a five part Irish History Podcast production on the Irish Civil War. The full series, exclusively available for supporters, features the leading Irish historian Dr Brian Hanley from Trinity College Dublin. Over the five episodes the series covers the full story of the Irish Civil War from the National Army assault on the Four Courts through to the IRA order to dump arms in 1923. The series also explores the legacy and memory of the conflict, looking...

**This is the second of two episodes on the story of Irish people who fought in the French Resistance. Part I was released last week.** Few Irish people recognise the names Sr Katherine Anne McCarthy or Patricia O'Sullivan. However during the Second World War II they were among the dozens of Irish women who fought in the underground war against the Nazi occupation of France. The stories of these women are unbelievable. My guest in this episode, Dr David Murphy, from Maynooth University...

The struggle of the French Resistance against the Nazi Occupation of France remains one of the most famous chapters in World War II history. It has been immortalized in numerous film and books. However the story of the dozens of Irish people who served in the Resistance has been almost completely forgotten. In this podcast I interview Dr David Murphy from Maynoooth University who has researched the Irish people who served in the Resistance. While the writer Samuel Beckett is the most famous...

This episode needs a bit of an introduction. While the term Rotten Prod, short for Rotten Protestant, sounds like a sectarian slur, the phrase has a very different and fascinating history. It actually originated within the Protestant community in Ulster to describe a person considered disloyal to Unionism. At the turn of the 20th century, the majority of Ulster Protestants were Unionists, meaning they supported Ireland remaining in the United Kingdom. However a largely forgotten minority,...

Mother Mountain is situated in a remote corner of Co Tipperary. An axe-murder that took place here in March 1846 shocked Irish society. Indeed had it not been obscured by the Great Famine Mother Mountain may well have been remembered alongside Maamtrasna as one of the notorious Irish murder cases of the 19th century. Find out why.... Book your place on my Famine tour at www.dublinfaminetour.ie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This episode...

This episode is short, but has a big reveal! For nearly two years I have been working on a new book and I can finally tell you all about it. Published by Harper Collins, it's called 'A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders.' In this podcast I explain what you can expect from the book, how it was shaped by you and, most importantly, how you can get your hands on a copy. A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland hits the shelves on September 14th. Pre-order your copy today today from...

The 1916 Rising is one of the most famous events in Irish history but it’s easy to forget it took place in a city that 300,000 people called home. In this podcast (originally released over three years ago) I explore Dublin on eve of the rising revealing what the city was like in the early 20th century. You will hear the sounds of Dublin, what the city looked like, even how it smelled by following the city coroner Dr Louis A Byrne. He and his contemporaries would find Dublin of the 2020s...

The Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland took place over 370 years ago. Despite the passage of time the man who led that conquest remains one of the most reviled figures in Irish history. In this podcast I look at why he, above others, is so reviled in Ireland. ****Get tickets for my new walking tour mentioned in the episode are available here.**** The episode is recorded in the ruins of Dunhill Castle. An exclusive supporters video tour of the castle is available here. Become a member at...

In 1397 Ramón de Perellós left the city of Avignon in the Kingdom of France, setting out on a 2,000 km journey to Ireland. His ultimate destination was a fabled gateway to the afterlife on Station Island, Lough Derg, Co Donegal. In this episode you will follow in the footsteps of de Perellós on this medieval pilgrimage. Forget the problems of the modern world and prepare yourself for a gruelling journey by land and sea through medieval Europe.  Written produced and narrated by Fin Dwyer,...

The history of Belfast has been dominated by the Troubles of the late 20th century and the longer history of sectarian conflict in the city. However Belfast holds a lesser-known yet significant chapter in its past—it's connections to the slave trade. In this episode, I am joined by Tom Thorpe who uncovers Belfast's complex ties to slavery in the United States.  Join us as Tom sheds light on how Belfast's economy became intertwined with the slave trade and explores the emergence of a radical...

In the 1880s Charles Stewart Parnell was the most famous Irish politician of his generation. Dubbed 'the uncrowned king of Ireland' he was respected and admired across the political spectrum. However 1890 he was embroiled in a sensational scandal that rocked the Victorian world when it emerged he had been in a decade long relationship with a married woman. In this episode I am joined by Dr Lloyd (Meadhbh) Houston. Their recent book Irish Modernism and the Politics of Sexual Health explores...

Disert is a remote townland in the Bluestack Mountains in Co Donegal. For reasons that are not entirely clear, our ancestors have been drawn here for thousands of years. There is no question it is a special place. Located in the shade of a sacred mountain - Carnaween - it was a site of pagan worship associated with some of the most famous figures in Irish mythology. There are stories relating to Finn MacCumhail (McCool), Diarmaid and Grainne in the surrounding area. It was also used by early...

In this episode Neil Jackman and myself continue our journey down the Lingaun Valley, one of Ireland’s oldest frontiers. As we move closer to the present day we explore an 800 year old church, a castle and a battlefield from the 1798 rebellion looking at how this once contested frontier fell into obscurity after thousands of year. Support the show at patreon.com/irishpodcast Check out Neil’s episodes 26 and 28 of Neil’s Podcast Amplify Archaeology which cover topics related the Lingaun. If...

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 weeks ago I met up with archaeologist Neil Jackman, an expert in the region and we spent a...

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 few secrets my great grandparents would prefer had remained in the 19th century! These are the resources...