Shows / The History of Ireland
The History of Ireland
The story of how Ireland became Ireland: its revolution, its gods, and the myths in between.
Learn more at www.thehistoryofireland.com or support the show through Patreon for bonus content and ad free listening!
www.patreon.com/thehistoryofireland
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
The History of IrelandS4 EP4 – The Kings of Early Medieval Ireland
The latest episode of the podcast is up and live for all Patreon listeners. A deep dive into the political dynasties of Ireland from about 500CE to 800CE. It's…
The History of IrelandS4EP3 – A Wednesday in 795 Pt.2
Here's the second part of our day in the life of Flann Mac Cathasaig. In this episode he leaves the ringfort and heads out into society. We explore what his…
The History of IrelandS4EP2 – A Wednesday in 795
Who was the average person in early medieval Ireland? Nobody wrote about them, so we're going to build one. Meet Flann Mac Cathasaig. In this episode we…
The History of IrelandS4EP1 – Ireland Before The Vikings
A new season — and a new invasion. Or is it? Before the Vikings arrive, we step into Ireland around 800 AD: a country of roughly 150 kings, with no towns and…
The History of IrelandS3 EP23 – The Good People
I'm very excited to share this episode, it is an interview with the author Hannah Kent. Hannah wrote the amazing novel The Good People which is a fictional…
The History of IrelandS3 EP22 – Are You A Witch Or Are You A Fairy?
In this episode, up a week early for History Nerds, we look at how Bridget Cleary's last night on earth, how was killed and the wider implications of her court…
The History of IrelandS3 EP21 – They're Making A Fairy Of Me
In 1895, Bridget Cleary — young, educated, and a little too stylish for County Tipperary's liking — fell ill with a fever. Within days, her husband and…
The History of IrelandS3 EP20 – How the Tuatha Dé Evolved into Fairies
The old gods of Ireland never really died — they went under the hills, and people learned not to say their name. We follow the Tuatha Dé into folklore, where…
The History of IrelandS3 EP19 - The Children of Lír in the Classroom
In today's episode we finish off the last section of The Fate of the Children of Lír and explore how really it was the Christian Brothers who cemented it in…
The History of IrelandS3 EP18 — Why The Children of Lír Was The Perfect Story For 19th Century Nationalists
In this episode we look at how the Children of Lír slowly gained popularity over the 19th century and see what happens when you turn someone's children into…
The History of IrelandS3 EP17 — The Lie Behind The Children of Lír
In this episode we look at The Fate of the Children of Lír and explore how Ireland's most famous myth is not a myth at all. In fact, it's a Christian parable…
The History of IrelandThe Black & Tans in Palestine
A slight diversion from our current series on mythology to look at a unique connection between Ireland and Palestine. If you'd like to donate to support the…
The History of IrelandS3 EP16 — The Scholars on the Edge of the World
The Fate of the Children of Tuireann Pt. 3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The History of IrelandS3 EP15 — The Fines That Made Brehon Law Tick
In this episode Lug issues a fine to the Children of Tuireann and we look at how fines were the bedrock of medieval Ireland's decentralised system of laws…
The History of IrelandS3 EP 14 — Ireland's First Psychopath?
In the latest episode we dive into the Fate of the Children of Tuireann, a story from the 15th century that builds on The Second Battle of Moytura and…
The History of IrelandS3 EP13 — Honour Price & Fidchell
In this episode we explore the concept of honour price and how it was one of the most important legal concept in early medieval Ireland. We then dive back into…
The History of IrelandS3 E12 — The Kings of Early Medieval Ireland Meet Étain
In this episode we look at how early medieval Ireland was ruled through a series of different kings and over kings, as well as continue our story of Etain, who…
The History of IrelandS3 EP11 – The Unique Oddness of Irish Mythology
In this episode we get back into The Wooing of Étain, exploring her life as a fly and witness how she is reborn 1000 years later... Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS3 EP10 – How Patrick Became Our Patron Saint
In this episode we look at how a Welsh bishop with fringe apocalyptic ideas became the patron saint of Ireland – defeating a whole load of druids in the…
The History of IrelandS3 EP9 — How Druids Learned To Read The Moon Through Story
Did Étain represent the moon? And did The Wooing of Étain teach druids how to read the moon's movement over decades? In this episode we explore how connected…
The History of IrelandS3 EP8 — A Lost Story of how the God's Fought Over Newgrange
In this episode we look at the history behind how The Wooing of Étain was uncovered and then dive into the story itself — as the Dagda swindles a poor man out…
The History of IrelandS3 EP7 — Were the Fomorians a Metaphor for Vikings?
In this episode we finally get to the big clash between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé. It's a brutal and beautiful piece of literature. It also may have been…
The History of IrelandS3 EP6 – Why is Ireland's Father Deity So Different?
In this episode we follow one of the strangest (and maybe raunchiest) moments in ancient Irish stories as the Dagda prepares for battle. Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS3 EP5 – How Lugh shows what the Irish cared about
In this episode we greet the arrival of Lugh as the Tuatha Dé prepare for battle. We also dive into what the characters of Lugh and Bres tell us about what the…
The History of IrelandS3 EP4 – How Bres the Beautiful came to be
In this episode we look at life in Ireland under the rulership of Bres the Beautiful and learn who is father was, as well as explore what a story of Dian Cecht…
The History of IrelandS3 EP3 – The Coming of the Tuatha Dé
In this episode we dive into the First Battle of Moytura, telling the story of how the Tuatha Dé came to Ireland. If you'd like to dive into the originals…
The History of IrelandS3 EP2 – The Filí
In this episode we look at the people behind the Irish mythological stories and explore how the stories we have today are a fascinating blend of Irish paganism…
The History of IrelandS3 EP01 – Newgrange, The Celts & The People of the Sídhe
It's a whole new season and we're doing something a little different – diving into the rich tapestry of Irish mythology. But before we jump into tales of gods…
The History of IrelandS2 EP30 – The Aftermath of the Irish Civil War
In this episode we look at the aftermath of the Irish Civil War and how it's still influencing Irish politics to this day. Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS2 EP29 – How The Free State Failed Women
In this episode, we look at how Maggie Doherty and the McCarthy sisters were totally and utterly failed by the Free State and how their stories highlight how…
The History of IrelandS2 EP28 – The End of the Irish Civil War
In this episode we look at the last dying gasps of the Irish Civil War and dive into the psychological genius of De Valera's order to dump arms. Hosted on…
The History of IrelandS2 EP27 – The Death of Liam Lynch
"I'm glad one of the old crowd got me" is what Liam Lynch said after he was shot in the Knockmealdown Mountains and in this episode we look at the dying…
The History of IrelandS2 EP26 – Kerry's Month of Terror
Irish men blowing each other to smithereens – there's a reason March 1923 is often referred to as the month of terror. In this episode we explore the…
The History of IrelandS2 EP25 – A Guerrilla Winter
In this episode we look at the winter of 1922 into 1923 – time when the Civil War became increasingly bitter and the anti-Treaty side became more and more…
The History of IrelandS2 EP24 – The Life & Times of Harry Boland with Shite Talk History
In this episode we join forces with Shite Talk History to tell the story of the amazing Harry Boland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
The History of IrelandS2 EP23 – Best Friends & Executions
In this episode we explore a friendship that ended in executions that was said to have "killed the new State at its birth.“ Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS2 EP22 – The History of Halloween
In this episode we celebrate 1,000,000 downloads by going down the supernatural rabbit hole that is the history of Halloween. From druids to evil spirts, from…
The History of IrelandS2 EP21 – The Irish Free State Is Born & A TD Is Murdered
In this episode we look at December 6th, the day the Irish Free State official came into being. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The History of IrelandS2 EP20 – The First Attempt At An Irish Constitution
In this episode we look at the creation of Irish Free State constitution which was brought into law on December 6th 1922. Here's the Radiolab episode on the…
The History of IrelandS2 EP19 – Weaponising the Sacraments
In this episode we look at how the Catholic Church worked to bring about peace in 1922, choosing the Treaty and turning against the anti-Treaty Republicans…
The History of IrelandS2 EP18 – The Executions Begin
In this episode we look at the first series of executions carried out by the Free State in November 1922. The image used for this episode is of Erskine…
The History of IrelandS2 EP17 – Roadside Murders
In this episode we tell the sad story of Tadhg Kennefick and try to make sense of the horrific violence of the Irish Civil war. Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS2 EP16 – The Special Powers Act
In this episode we look at what has been described as one of the most draconian pieces of legislation ever to be passed in a liberal democracy and see how the…
The History of IrelandS2 EP15 – How Collins Approached Northern Ireland
In this episode we look at the second failed Craig-Collins pact and try to untangle the complicated web that was Michael Collins's approach to the North in…
The History of IrelandInterview – Alexander Poots On The Writing Northern Ireland
From CS Lewis's bourgeois Protestant upbringing to Seamus Heaney's beautiful attempts at understanding his home, this episode I interview Alexander Poots…
The History of IrelandS2 EP14 – The McMahon Murders
In this episode we look at the failed attempts to bring peace to Northern Ireland in 1922 and how this affected one poor family in particular. Hosted on Acast…
The History of IrelandS2 EP13 – Drawing the Border
What's this? A new episode! Finally! Thanks so much for baring with me. Happy to say the show is back and raring to go. This episode takes a look at how the…
The History of IrelandS2 EP12 – Young Lawlor & The Legalities of Conflict
In this episode we investigate how the anti-Treaty IRA were coping, as well as the Army Emergency Power Resolution and its ramifications. Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS2 EP11 – The Man Who Wasn't Collins
In this episode we take a look at WT Cosgrave – the conservative witty Dubliner who replaced Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins to become the leader of the…
The History of IrelandS2 EP10 – The Funeral of Michael Collins
In this episode we examine the ramifications of Michael Collins death — his funeral the reprisals that followed, and who would take his place. Hosted on Acast…
The History of IrelandS2 EP09 – Béal na Bláth
In this episode we explore one of the most tragic (and hotly debated) moments of the Irish Civil War, the death of Michael Collins. Hosted on Acast. See…
The History of IrelandS2 EP08 – The Limerick Line, Rochestown & Griffith's Last Days
A jam packed episode as we explore what was going on in and around the first week of August 1922. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The History of IrelandInterview – The Lives of Liam Lynch & Rory O'Conner with Gerard Shannon
Loved this chat with Gerard Shannon, a fascinating historian currently writing a book on Liam Lynch. Over the course of the interview we get deep into the…
The History of IrelandS2 EP07 – The Battle of Dublin
After the Four Courts was blown to smithereens fighting continued for several days in and around Dublin. In this episode we imagine what it must have been like…
The History of IrelandS2 EP06 – The Bombing of the Four Courts
In this episode we look at the event traditionally viewed as the start of the Irish Civil War. These first unsteady and unwilling steps into civil war paved…
The History of IrelandInterview – The Diaries of Michael Collins with Anne Dolan & Will Murphy
Today on the centenary of the death of Michael Collins I'm sharing excerpts from an interview with Anne Dolan and Will Murphy authors of Michael Collins: The…
The History of IrelandS2 EP05 – The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson
The death of Sir Henry Wilson is a complicated affair that gives us a fascinating insight into the intersectional nature of the Ireland at the time. Whether…
The History of IrelandS2 EP04 – Packs & Politics
In this episode we look at the election of 1922, which despite Sinn Fein's best efforts set a positive democratic tone for Irish politics for years to come…
The History of IrelandPodcast Announcement — Bonus Content, Ad Free listening & more
After chatting to a whole heap of listeners I've decided to bite the bullet and start a Patreon page. Though I'm dubious of podcasts constantly bugging…
The History of IrelandS2 EP03 – Wade Through Irish Blood
In this episode we look at the anti-Treaty IRA and ask whether Éamon de Valera could have done more to stop the Irish Civil War. Hosted on Acast. See…