The Irish Peace Corps in the Congo

The History of Ireland: Rebellion, Empire, and Independence — Fexingo History · Sep 23, 2026 · 5m · transcript

This episode moves beyond Ireland’s long struggle with British rule to explore a surprising chapter of global humanitarian history: the Irish Peace Corps’ deployment to the Congo Free State. While most listeners know the story of the Famine or the Easter Rising, few recall how Irish missionaries and aid workers interacted with King Leopold II’s brutal colonial regime in the late nineteenth century. We examine the complex moral terrain faced by figures like Father Damien and the volunteers who sought to bring light to the Congo Basin, often operating under the shadow of the rubber terror. The…