
Irish History Podcast
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.
Latest episodes

Jan 27, 2015 • 19min
(1177) The Norman Invasion XV - The Invasion of Munster
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 Waterford bent on conquering Munster. They are however stepping into a minefield of bloody feuds that stretch back centuries. In this episode I take a different approach, focusing on experience of the Gaelic Irish rather than the Normans. This takes us into a bitter world of dynastic feuds and bloody struggles for domination in the world of Gaelic Munster. Add a Norman army into the mix and the results are explosive.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 12, 2015 • 29min
(1176-77) The Norman Invasion XIV – New Blood
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 episode begins with a group of Normans lead by Raymond le Gros who hear the news when they are deep in Gaelic territory. No one knows how the kings of Gaelic Ireland will react when they hear the news. Some will surely take the chance to revolt. Raymond tries to keep the news secret while he attempts to escape back to the safety of Dublin. Meanwhile other Norman knights in Ireland, seize the opportunity to launch new conquests. This results in one of the most dramatic events of the entire invasion - the conquest of Eastern Ulster.You can find a map of medieval Ireland here 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 22, 2014 • 8min
Grubs Up - Food in Medieval Ireland
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 looks at the world of medieval food to see at what was available . You will be surprised at the variety of food in medieval Ireland (if you had the money). This show also looks at the strange, lethal and somewhat scary world of takeaway food in medieval Ireland.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 9, 2014 • 19min
(1175-76) The Norman Invasion XIII – The End of the Beginning
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. Raymond makes his way back to Dublin where he receives the shock of lifetime. He is not welcomed by his fellow Normans but instead faces accusations of treachery. This show sees the Normans turn on each other and then ends in the most dramatic of circumstances! Listen to find out more about these intriguing events.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 3, 2014 • 30min
(1173-75) The Norman Invasion XII - Revolt and Reprisal
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 Invasion surged. Not only was his castle at Kilkenny destroyed but west of the Shannon Ireland's most powerful king Rory O'Connor was planning a major assault on the colony. The Norman presence in Ireland teetered on the brink of potential annihilation. Listen to the podcast to find out what happened.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 11, 2014 • 15min
Did the Irish Government Cover Up Mass Starvation in 1920s?
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 Soviet Union's daily Pravda. However there is no mention of this "famine" in Irish history books so in I went to the National Archives in search of evidence. What I found was tragic details of yet another cover up. Listen to the show to find out what I discovered.If you have any questions or queries about this show you can mail me at history@irishhistorypodcast.ie or find me at Irishhistory on twitter and irishhistorypodcast.ieBecome 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 10, 2014 • 3min
Update on the Norman Invasion
This is a brief update on whats coming next in the Norman invasion series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 7, 2014 • 28min
(1174) The Norman Invasion XI: A Tour of Ireland in 1174
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 enthralling journey through this land ravaged by conflict. Before I continue the story of the invasion this episodes stops and takes stock of how the invasion so far was changing life in Ireland. Taking the form of a tour around Ireland it looks at the varying impacts across the Island from war-torn Meath and Leinster to Ulster and Connacht revealing a population traumatised, living in uncertain times with only more chaos and upheaval on the horizon. The show looks at Ireland through eyes of Marcus Judeus one of the earliest Jews recorded in Ireland who had probably arrived in Dublin in the aftermath of the conquest.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 30, 2014 • 18min
Halloween Special: Ireland's First Witch-Burning (Kilkenny 1324)
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 history. In this festively themed podcast I trace the story behind this fascinating case and those accused and convicted of witchcraft. What actually happened in Kilkenny in 1324? Was Petronilla of Meath a witch? And what were medieval witches supposed to have done anyway? Contact me with any questions, queries and suggestions for future shows at history@irishhistorypodcast.ieBecome 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 20, 2014 • 16min
Riots, Murder and The Mob; Protest in Medieval Ireland
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 excluded from written records. In this podcast I look at five protests from late medieval Ireland including a water tax in 1244 and Ireland's first recorded strike in 1299. The intriguing stories behind these protests are brought to light for the first time in centuries in this 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.