

Irish History Podcast
Fin Dwyer
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.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
Mentioned books

Feb 11, 2019 • 41min
A Very Irish Murder in Cincinnati
In April 1894 Cincinnati's Irish Amercian community was rocked by a shocking and brutal murder. It was so scandalous that many newspapers in Ireland refused to even mention it, even though both the victim and the perpetrator were both Irish.In this podcast you will hear the extraordinary story of Mollie Gilmartin unearthed for the first time in over a century...Thanks to Muireann Hogan for her narration.Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 28, 2019 • 42min
A 21st Century Witch Hunt | Kilkenny Witch Trial of 1324 III
The city of Kilkenny was rocked by the notorious witchcraft trial of 1324 (covered in the last two episodes). These events took place seven centuries ago in the long distant past. To conclude the series on the trial embarked on my own witch hunt in the 21st century. I wanted to find if anything remained of the supposed witch Alice Kyteler who disappeared in 1324.I took a recorder and soon found myself in buildings Alice herself used to frequent. Over the course of a few days I was able to unearth numerous places and artefacts associated with Alice Kyteler giving you a unique insight into her notorious trial and the events surrounding it.Thanks to Grace Fegan, Elizabeth Keyes & Peter Kenny for their time and interviews.Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 15, 2019 • 6min
Plan 2019: New Series Announced & New York Event.
The series on the Great Hunger of the 1840s will finish in the summer of 2019, but I have been busy planning something new. Find out what it is in this major announcement. I am visiting New York for the first time and speaking at the American Irish Historical Society on February 28th. You can get tickets at aihs.orgBecome a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 21, 2018 • 35min
Kilkenny Witchcraft Trial of 1324 (Part II)
This podcast continues the fascinating tale of one of the first witchcraft trials in European history. It took place in Kilkenny in 1324.This show picks up the story as the trial and surrounding scandal began in March 1324. This would see the Bishop Ossory clash with Alice Kyteler and her powerful but dangerous allies. The consequences would be devastating for those caught in the middle.Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 20, 2018 • 33min
Kilkenny Witchcraft Trial of 1324 (Part I)
Growing up in Kilkenny I was surrounded by medieval history - its what drew me to study the past in the first place.One of the most famous or perhaps notorious incidents in Kilkenny's medieval history took place in 1324 when the Bishop of Ossory accused Alice Kyteler, a powerful merchant in the city, of heresy and witchraft. This sparked a lethal struggle in the town that would end in shocking brutality.This is the first of two podcasts on the trial. This show sets the scene by painting a picture of life in Kilkenny in the 1320s and introducing the main characters the next episode will follow the trial itself.Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 13, 2018 • 58min
The 1848 Famine Rebellion | The Great Famine XXVIII
1848 was a year of revolt & rebellion across Europe and Ireland was no different. However unique to Ireland, the 1848 uprising took place to the back drop of one of the worst famine’s in modern history – the Great Hunger.While it has been overshadowed by the much larger 1798 rebellion and the 1916 Rising, the story of the Famine rebellion is a fascinating if forgotten history.In this podcast we take a journey through radical politics in Ireland tracing the origins of the famine revolt in the extreme violence of the 1798 rebellion to the pacifism of Daniel O’Connell’s Repeal Movement.Along the way you will encounter some of 19th century Ireland’s most controversial revolutionaries from John Mitchel to William Smith O’Brien in what is a fascinating story haunted by the spectre of the Great Famine.This also gives us a chance to take a proper look at how Ireland’s political leaders reacted to the Great Famine which reveals a story of machiavellian deals and betrayal.This is all told by focusing on the story of a very ordinary rebel, the Tipperary native Martin Ryan.Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 14, 2018 • 43min
Heroes of The Great Hunger - Famine Aid in the 1840s | The Great Famine XXVII
The history of the Great Hunger is rooted in stories of greed, racism and senseless suffering. This episode however sheds light on some of the amazing stories of compassion and solidarity that saved thousands of lives.While it can be difficult not to focus on the disastrous actions of the British Government, it is also important to remember the forgotten heroes of the Great Famine – the Victorian equivalent of aid workers.This podcast brings you the story some of these unlikely heroes from a Polish Count Pawel Strelecki to the Evangelical Protestant from Vermont Asenath Nicholson. Their stories of sacrifice in the 1840s are remarkable. The podcast also looks at the stories of generosity among slaves, native americans and prisoners who donated money to the famine relief despite facing extreme hardships themsleves.Thanks to Olga Jazienicka for the help with the polish pronouniations (which are still pretty terrible - apologies!)Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 15, 2018 • 22min
BONUS: Ireland's Most Famous Highwayman & Cromwell's Siege of Wexford
This bonus episode contains the first two shows in my podcast series 'This Week in Irish history'. These shows look at the life of Ireland's most famous highwayman and Cromwell's Siege of Wexford in 1649.Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 4, 2018 • 53min
Our Darkest Hour? The Forgotten Famine of 1847-48 | The Great Famine XXVI
Many histories of the Great Hunger refer to the famine ending in 1847. It is true that the famine did start to ease in some parts of the island in the following years.However in the west the catastrophe was far from over - some of the darkest chapters lay ahead as 1847 drew to a close.This episode focuses in on one area – Clifden in Co Galway where the famine in 1848 was arguably even worse than it had been during Black ’47. This show also looks at who was responsible, how the British Government created the illusion (that persists to the present day) that the famine was nearing an end in 1847 and why they did this.We also look at the brutal struggle for survival in Clifden. This saw people pushed to the extremes and break the greatest of human taboos – cannibalism.Thanks to Aidan Crowe, Josh Clarke, Tara Lonij, Janet Johnson, Danny Burke, Caitlin White, Wayne O'Brien, Mark Laherty, Conor Lenehan, John Brennan, Sean Comiskey, Denis O'Donnell & Christopher Devine for their help in making the show. Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 17, 2018 • 2min
How To Get My New Podcast Series: 'This Week in Irish History'
On October 1st my new free weekly podcast series 'This Week in Irish History' begins.This short episode tells you want you can expect, what's in the first four shows and the simple step you need to take to make sure you dont miss out on Ireland's newest podcast. Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcastsPatreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcastAcast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993Promo code FD10 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.