Irish History Podcast

This show covers the chaotic years between 1186 and 1189. Assassinations, warfare and violence break out across Ireland as many of the key figures in the story so far struggle to survive in what is a…

Bad, possibly mad and very dangerous, Prince John was one of the most notorious men of the Middle Ages. While his cruel reputation is preserved in the Robin Hood myths his real life notoriety began i…

A few weeks ago I hit the road with a recorder taking in some of the best medieval sites in Ireland. The show takes in 1000 years of Irish history in one day-trip. Starting in around the year 600 in …

Magna Carta is the most famous medieval document ever written and the story behind it a fascinating. Forged amidst a civil war in England some people even claim it is the cornerstone of modern democr…

This podcast tells the story of Irish-Americans who have been forgotten by history. These were the revolutionaries, feminists, socialists, and trade union organisers in the early 20th century . Often…

This episode covers a frenetic period of activity. The show starts in 1181 when Hugh de Lacy is suspected of treason by Kking Henry II. The Normans in Ireland wait with bated breath to see what futur…

This show sees the arrival of the man who is probably the most important figure in our story after Strongbow. Hugh de Lacy, the Lord of Meath ruled over 800,000 acres of land north of Dublin. When he…

So far in the story of the invasion the kingdoms of Munster - Desmond and Thomond have escaped relatively unscathed. That is until this episode. In this show we see a fresh Norman army land in Waterf…

The last show on the Norman Invasion ended in somewhat dramatic circumstances with the death of Strongbow, the leader of the Norman Invasion. As you can imagine the fall out from this was immense.

The…

Many of the foods you will eat on Christmas day were unknown to medieval Europeans. Turkey, cranberries and even potatoes only arrived in Europe after the conquest of the Americas began. This podcast…

This podcast takes the story to a pivotal year in the Norman Invasion of Ireland - 1176. The episode begins where part XII left off - the aftermath of Raymond le Gros' successful siege of Limerick. R…

In 1173 Strongbow returned to Ireland after fighting in Normandy for his king Henry II. Within months he faced one of the biggest crises since the invasion had begun as Gaelic resistance to the Invas…

In the Spring of 1925 newspapers around the world carried stories that a famine had broken out in Ireland. The Manchester Guardian reported 750,000 people were at risk, a figure repeated by the Sovie…

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The year is 1174, much of Ireland is reeling from 5 years of warfare since the Norman Invasion began in earnest in 1169. The island is gripped by sweeping change and chaos. This podcast is an enthral…

On November 2nd 1324, Petronilla of Meath, one of 12 people charged with witchcraft in Kilkenny was burned at the stake in the town. She was the first person to suffer this horrendous fate in Irish h…

The story of protest in medieval Ireland is a forgotten but fascinating chapter in our history. While forthright and often violent these protests voiced the concerns of ordinary people so often exclu…

At Easter 1172, Henry II left Ireland, having spent six months on the island. Before departing he conferred the Kingdom of Meath onto the Norman baron Hugh de Lacy. However Meath already a king, in f…

On October 17th, 1172, Henry II became the first King of England to set foot in Ireland. Henry had come in the hope to proclaiming himself lord over the entire island. Awaiting him were not just his …

Despite their victory at the siege of Dublin (covered in Part VII), Strongbow and his Normans followers in Ireland are by no means in a secure position. In Wexford their comrade-in-arms Robert FitzSt…