Irish History Podcast

Its National Tree Week! In this special episode brought to you by Wolfgang Reforest, I investigate the history of Ireland's woodlands and forests. The show begins by looking what an actual native Irish woodland because woodlands and forests looked very different in the past. Then we embark on a journery through 12,500 years of our history. From the distant past when 80% of the island was covered with forests through to the 1920s when there was scarcely a single tree in the Irish landscape, the story of our woodlands and forests is interwoven with the history of humans on the island.From the development of agriculture to the Norman Invasion major changes in the way we live our lives has had huge consequences for the trees in the landscape.Follow the show @ Irishhistory on Insta irishhistory on Twitteririshhistorychannel on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1888 Ireland's most unusual railway, the Lartigue monorail, opened for business. Although largely forgotten, the story of this unique train is intriguing. Operating between the 1880s and the 1920s, it carried everything from tourists to livestock.This show (recorded in Listowel, Co Kerry) explains how this train inspired by camels in the Sahara went onto support an early form of mass tourism in the west of Ireland. Special thanks to John Looney, Martin Griffin and Michael Guerin for their time. Sound by - Jason LooneyAdditional Narrations - Therese Murray. Support your historyPatreon - https://patreon.com/irishpodcastIrish History Podcast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistoryYou can visit the Lartigue Monorail and Museum and ride the monorail today. Find out more at https://www.lartiguemonorail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grace O'Malley or Granuaile is an iconic name in Irish history. Born in 1530, she emerged as a powerful leader in the West of Ireland in ruthless and violent era as the Tudor reconquest of the Island was in full swing. Grace is often called a pirate queen, a chieftain or even in some tellings a queen of the west. In this episode I interview her biographer Anne Chambers about the real woman and her remarkable life. Anne's book 'Grace O'Malley Ireland's Pirate Queen' is available at her website http://www.graceomalley.com/.Check out the pin of grace in the shop https://irishhistory.bigcartel.com/product/grace-o-malley-pin Support the showPatreon: https://patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've made it! This is the final episode in the War of Independence series. The episode begins as Michael Collins and an Irish negotiating team lock horns with Lloyd George and Winston Churchill in London. When a controversial treaty is agreed we return to Dublin to see how it is received. The show also includes extensive recreations of the famous Treaty debates from Aidan and Therese.I hope you enjoy the show. Thank you so much for you support. I have some really great content lined up for coming weeks. These include shows on Grace O'Malley the 16th century pirate queenThe history of Ireland's monorail. A history of hurling. A six part series on life in pre-famine Ireland told through a 19th century murder.A series on the history of podcasting in Ireland (its older than you think!)Sound - Jason LooneyAddition research - Sam McGrathAdditional Narrations - Aidan Crowe and Therese Murraywww.irishhistorypodcast.ie/shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second last episode in the War of Independence series. In this podcast we travel to Belfast in the summer of 1921. Despite major violence, the city was preparing for what was only its third visit from a reigning monarch since 1690.With George V due to arrive on June 22nd over 10,000 troops were drafted into Belfast in a massive security operation. What unfolded was unquestionably the most significant royal visit to Ireland since the 17th century.Sound by Jason Looney, additional research Sam McGrath with additional narrations from Aidan Crowe & Therese Murray.The three episodes in Endgame are being released over 8 days. Its around 2 hours of content from scripts totalling over 20,000 words. It took a lot of time to make and would not have been possible without the support of listeners on patreon and Acast+. If you are not listening on Acast+ or Patreon you can support the show herehttps://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistoryhttps://patreon.com/irishpodcastCheck out the range of pewter figures of Irish revolutionaries from the War of Independence at https://irishhistory.bigcartel.com/category/handcrafted-historic-models Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first of three episodes which will be released over the next 8 days to conclude the War of Independence Series. Endgame I is a fast moving show that takes you back to Cork in the opening weeks of 1921. The war develops a new ferocity with the declaration of martial law. The episode is based around one of the enduring controversies of the war - the kidnapping of the widow Maria Lindsay. The episode also looks at the IRA's worst defeat - the Clonmult ambush and the largest battle of the war - Crossbarry. Then we move to Dublin and finish with the IRA assault on the Customs House. Sound by Jason LooneyAdditional Research Sam McGrath Additional Narrations by Aidan Crowe and Therese MurrayHand painted pewter figures of Irish Revolutionary - https://irishhistory.bigcartel.com/category/handcrafted-historic-models Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Crean was born outside Anascaul, Co. Kerry in 1877. One of eleven children from a small farming family, Crean grew up in a world where Antarctica was still a largely unknown continent.Although overlooked by history, Crean went on to become one of the most distinguished Antarctic explorers of his age. Over the course of his life he would play a key role in several attempts to reach the South Pole. With very limited protective clothing he frequently found himself battling temperatures of -60 C(-76 F). Through these trials he emerged as a tenacious and courageous figure. The stories of Crean's endurance and will to survive are at times unbelievable.In this episode I interview Michael Smith. His book An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor brought the remarkable life of Crean to public attention after nearly a century in obscurity.Sound by Jason Looney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine radio had existed during the Great Famine. What would it sound like if you could go to an archive and listen to news reports from 1847?To mark the 150th Anniversary of the Great Hunger in 1997, BBC Merseyside created news reports as if their journalists were reporting live from 1847. With the permission of BBC Merseyside I am delighted to share some of these reports with you in this special episode. Given each report is based on actual events from Liverpool in 1847, this is history like you have never heard it before.Thanks to Pauline McAdam for talking to me about the making of the reports, Mick Ord for sharing them with me and BBC Merseyside for permission to republish them.Sound by Jason LooneyApologies for the delay in getting this show out - I got Covid-19 :( Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The life of Nicholas Boran was extraordinary. Known as 'Nixie', he was born outside Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny in 1904. At the age of 18 he fought in the Civil War alongside Dan Breen in Tipperary. The harrowing violence he witnessed in the conflict permanently scarred him and challenges the romanticised myths that often surround the life of Dan Breen. While this had an enduring legacy, Nixie would gain a national reputation for his actions following the Civil War. After the conflict he returned home but soon found himself in another struggle in Castlecomer. The town was built around coalmines and many of the mine workers toiled in appalling conditions.The pay was poor, the hours were long and conditions were extremely dangerous. With limited legal protections, children as young as 14 were sent to work in the mines. From the 1920s Nixie set about changing this. This began a decades long struggle with the Catholic Church, the Irish government and the local mine owners.In this episode I interview Nixie's daughter, Anne Boran. Anne has recently published a fascinating biography of her late father. In this episode she provides fascinating details about life in the Castlecomer Coalfields and how the Civil War changed her father. Perhaps most interesting of all is how his attempts to improve life in Castlecomer resulted in the Catholic Church attempting to excommunicate him. Its a fascinating story.The history of Castlecomer and its coalmines up until 1921 is the focus of this series https://irishhistorypodcast.ie/category/podcast/communism-coal/Anne's book "Challenge to Power: Nixie Boran (1904-1971), Freedom and the Castlecomer Coal Miners" is available here http://www.geographypublications.com/product/challange-power-nixie-boran-1904-1971-freedom-castlecomer-coal-miners/ Sound by Jason Looney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-194400466027National Museum linkshttps://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Collections-Research/Natural-History-Collections/Collections-List/Meteorites-and-Spacehttps://twitter.com/NMIrelandhttps://www.instagram.com/nationalmuseumofireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.