Irish History Podcast

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 …

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 contribution…

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 Y…

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…

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 Irelan…

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, …

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 centu…

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 i…

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’…

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 asyl…

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…

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 ye…

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 live…

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 …

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 ap…

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 pos…

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 set…

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,…

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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 W…