Irish History Podcast

Episoder

• Hitler’s Irish Relatives: The Strange True Story 15.07.2026 20min

  A video version of this episode is available on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/irish-history-podcast/id363368392On the day Hitler invaded Poland, another Hitler was making headlines in Britain. It was not the dictator, but his Irish sister-in-law, Bridget Hitler, who had been hauled before the courts in London over a mundane, unpaid electricity bill. This episode explores the life of this woman and the strange reality of the "Irish Hitlers."For eight decades, the story of Bridget and her son has been muddied by sensational claims: that she hosted a young Adolf Hitler in her Liverpool flat, that she helped shape his infamous physical appearance, and that she enjoyed intimate access to his private mountain retreat. But how much of this narrative is grounded in reality, and how much is the product of post-war myth-making?In this episode, I reconstruct the documented history of this Irish woman’s connection to the Hitler family. We follow the journey from when Hitler’s brother, Alois, arrived in Dublin and married Bridget, through to how she reacted when her brother-in-law became the most notorious figure in history. I also reveal how much of what has been written about Bridget is based on a memoir that may actually be a forgery.Sound and Video Editing: Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Living on the Wrong Side of History: My Family Secrets 08.07.2026 38min

  Family history is often where the heroic version of the past falls apart.We like to imagine our ancestors standing on the right side of history. Someone in the GPO in 1916 or in the IRA in 1920. We like to think they made brave choice when it mattered. But most people were not heroes, revolutionaries or figures from the history books. They were ordinary people trying to survive events they could not control.That is what makes family secrets so revealing. They show us how people actually lived through history, without knowing how things would turn out. They hedged their bets, backed the side they thought would win, followed the crowd, made compromises and sometimes buried the truth when it all looked very different in hindsight.In this episode, I look at the murkier side of family history through my own ancestors. Across five generations, the stories include a shotgun marriage, someone being sent to prison during the Great Famine for stealing food, support for the local landlord and opposition to Irish independence, followed by a very convenient change of heart when independence became unavoidable.These are not exactly stories that have aged well, but they are probably far more common than we like to admit. From the Great Famine to the Irish Revolution and beyond, this episode is about the awkward, uncomfortable and often hidden ways ordinary people lived through extraordinary times.Sound: Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The Irish Crown Jewels Robbery: Ireland’s Crime of the Century? 24.06.2026 47min

  In the summer of 1907, the Irish Crown Jewels were stolen from the heart of British power in Ireland, under the noses of the police, the military and the political establishment. Worth £50,000 at the time, their disappearance made headlines around the world. It was also deeply humiliating for the British authorities, coming just days before King Edward VII was due to visit Dublin.On the surface, it seemed like the perfect crime. The jewels were never recovered, and more than a century later, it remains unclear exactly when the theft even took place.But behind the mystery lay something even more explosive. Within days, detectives uncovered a scandal the British government could not afford to make public. This would lead to a major cover-up.In this episode, I take you back to Edwardian Dublin to explore Ireland’s most infamous unsolved crime: a story of privilege, scandal and secrecy at the heart of British rule in Ireland.Sound by Kate DunleaSupport the podcast: patreon.com/Irishpodcast.Sources:Myles Dungan, The stealing of the Irish Crown Jewels: an unsolved crime https://www.amazon.com/stealing-Irish-Crown-Jewels-unsolved-ebook/dp/B00C80K09G/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bOREnIOZl9l8Nl9OFsawFw.NpvKSTSvbFr7u5uAzCkP6Ex_SzFeGsfO5PF1fPu5Bsg&dib_tag=se&keywords=9781860591822&linkCode=qs&qid=1781869038&s=books&sr=1-1F. Bamford & Viola Banks Vicious circle; the case of the missing Irish crown jewels https://archive.org/details/viciouscircle0000unse/page/202/mode/2upBulmer Hobson Burean of Military History Witness Statement https://bmh.militaryarchives.ie/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1089.pdf#page=2Sean Murphy A Centenary Report on the Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels in 1907https://www.academia.edu/9802230/A_Centenary_Report_on_the_Theft_of_the_Irish_Crown_Jewels_in_1907 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• From White Settlers to Fascists: The IRA’s Troubling Allies 19.06.2026 39min

  Irish republicans had many natural allies during the War of Independence. Irish communities in the United States offered vital support, while revolutionaries in India and Egypt were also fighting for freedom from the British Empire. But the search for allies also led Irish republicans into far more complicated territory.Across the British Empire, they courted support not from colonised peoples, but from European settlers and their descendants in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, many of them with Irish roots. In Europe, they looked to the Vatican, despite the Catholic Church’s long-standing suspicion of republicanism and revolution. Most controversially, Irish republicans also sought contact with Benito Mussolini, who was on his way to becoming Europe’s first fascist dictatorIn this final episode of Brothers in Pain, Dr Brian Hanley explores the uncomfortable history of Irish republican alliances abroad. From South Africa to the Papacy and fascist Italy, this episode asks why Irish revolutionaries sought support in such unlikely places, what they gained, and what these choices reveal about the Irish Revolution, empire and the wider world after the First World War.This is the final episode of Brothers in Pain a groundbreaking Global history of the Irish War of Independence by Dr Brian HanleyWritten, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian Hanley.Check out Brian's publications here https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The Battle for Liverpool and New York: The Irish Revolution in the Atlantic World 12.06.2026 39min

  Liverpool and New York haunt the story of Irish independence in a way few other places do. Though separated by more than 5,000 kilometres of ocean, both ports were part of a wider Atlantic world in which Ireland occupied a central place.By the 1920s Liverpool and New York were among the most Irish cities on the planet. Both had been transformed by generations of Irish migration and in both cities Irish politics shaped everyday life.During the War of Independence, these communities became crucial to the republican movement. Money, weapons, propaganda and people moved through the ports, while IRA networks operated on both sides of the Atlantic. But this was not simply a story of support for Irish independence. In Liverpool and New York, Irish politics were fiercely contested.Supporters of the Republic organised, fundraised and agitated, while opponents of independence also made their voices heard. Anti-Irish politics, loyalism, class tensions and divisions within the diaspora all shaped how the conflict was understood abroad.In this episode of Brothers in Pain, Dr Brian Hanley explores the role of Liverpool and New York in the Irish War of Independence, revealing how two great port cities helped shape the revolution, and how Ireland’s struggle in turn reshaped politics across the Atlantic world.This is the second last episode of Brothers in Pain a groundbreaking Global history of the Irish War of Independence by Dr Brian HanleyWritten, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian Hanley. Check out Brian's publications here https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Ogham: The Mystery of Ireland’s Oldest Writing 10.06.2026 36min

  Ogham is Ireland’s oldest known writing system, dating back more than 1,500 years. If you have ever seen strange lines carved along the edge of an old stone, you may have been looking at ogham.But what did those marks mean? Who carved them? Were they gravestones, boundary markers, family claims to lands or something else entirely?In this episode, I speak with ogham expert Dr Nora White about how this ancient writing system worked, where it came from and what it reveals about early Ireland. These short inscriptions preserve some of the earliest evidence of the Irish language, along with names, ancestors, territories and hints of a society changing through migration, Christianity and contact with Britain and the wider world.Ogham may look simple, but it opens a window onto one of the most fascinating and mysterious periods in Irish history.Support the show www.patreon.com/irishpodcastDr Nora White is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Early Irish at Maynooth University. Sheis currently leading a Research Ireland-funded project: Early Medieval Irish Scripts on Stone(EMISoS). She previously worked on the Ogham in 3D project at the Dublin Institute for AdvancedStudies and subsequently (2021-2025) on the joint Maynooth University and University of GlasgowOG(H)AM project (https://ogham.glasgow.ac.uk/).Digital corpus (in progress) of ogham in Ireland and Britain: https://ogham.celt.dias.ie/listSound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Taking the War to England: The IRA in Britain 05.06.2026 33min

  'We are doing this because you are doing it in Ireland'.These were the words of an IRA volunteer in Manchester explaining attacks in Britain during the Irish War of Independence.During the conflict, Britain and particularly England became a major battlefield. Britain was not only geographically close to Ireland, it was also home to large Irish communities in many major cities. Between 1919 and 1922, the IRA made sustained efforts to bring the conflict across the Irish Sea, carrying out hundreds of attacks, most of them in England.This forgotten front of the war included major attacks on the Liverpool docks, the targeting of Black and Tans in Britain and several high-profile incidents, most notably the killing of the British field marshal Sir Henry Wilson.The war also consumed and divided British politics in a way few other issues did until Brexit nearly a century later. Political parties, trade unions and communities were split over what should happen in Ireland, while massive and sometimes violent demonstrations swept across Britain.In this episode of Brothers in Pain, a global history of the Irish Revolution, Dr Brian Hanley explores the IRA’s campaign in Britain and how the wider question of Irish independence dominated British politics at the time.This is the eight episode in the Brothers in Pain Series a groundbreaking Global history of the Irish War of Independence by Dr Brian HanleyWritten, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian Hanley. Check out Brian's publications here https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• A Conspiracy of Fear & Silence: The Maamtrasna Murders 03.06.2026 1t

  In August 1882, a brutal mass murder in a remote valley in the west of Ireland shocked the world. At Maamtrasna, a family, the Joyces, were attacked in their home. The victims ranged from a teenage girl to an 80-year-old woman. The police quickly suspected that the killers had been neighbours and even relatives of the Joyce family. However, a motive was elusive. As wider Irish society was shocked by the killings, injustice was followed by injustice.Indeed, the trials would soon overshadow the crime itself, unfolding into one of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in the legal history of Ireland or the UK. In this episode, Margaret Kelleher joins me to explore this intriguing case. We dig into the dark events that unfolded in Maamtrasna in the summer of 1882 and examine why an innocent man, Myles Joyce, was sent to the gallows after a trial conducted entirely in English, a language he could neither speak nor understand.The episode reveals what we know happened in Maamtrasna on that fateful night and how perjury and a rush to convict rather than find genuine justice lay at the heart of this intriguing case. This is the story of how a brutal murder in an isolated mountain community ended up having massive political implications, leaving a legacy that continues to reverberate today.Support the show: Patreon.com/irishpodcastMargaret's book The Maamtrasna Murders: Language, Life and Death in Nineteenth-Century Ireland is available here https://www.ucdpress.ie/page/detail/the-maamtrasna-murders/?k=9781910820421My guest is Margaret Kelleher, Professor and Chair of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at University College Dublin (research profile: https://people.ucd.ie/margaret.o.kelleher). She is a board member of the Museum of Literature Ireland (https://moli.ie/) and a member of the Royal Irish Academy. Her latest book, Mary and Padraic Colum: Lives and the Dream, is forthcoming from UCD Press in the Autumn of this year. Her monograph Maamtrasna Murders: Language, Life and Death in Nineteenth-Century Ireland (UCD Press, 2018) was awarded the Michael J. Durkan Prize for Books in Language and Culture by the American Conference for Irish Studies in 2019, and in 2020 was shortlisted for the Michel Déon Prize. She was Cullman Center Fellow at New York Public Library from 2022-2023 and Parnell Fellow in Irish Studies at Magdalene College, Cambridge from 2023-2024. Sound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Daily Life in the Middle Ages: Worse Than You Think [Listener Favourite] 27.05.2026 38min

  A recent hospital visit means there is no new episode this week, but it reminded me of this classic from early 2024! Tune in to find out more How difficult was life in the Middle Ages? This is something archaeologists and historians have debated for decades. In recent years, new techniques, including genetic analysis, have given us new insights into the lives of our distant ancestors in the Medieval Era. Their findings are unsettling. Life in the Middle Ages was far more difficult than we imagine.My guest in this episode is Prof. Eileen Murphy from Queen's University Belfast. Eileen has recently published groundbreaking research on daily life in early medieval Ireland, based on her analysis of human remains excavated in Co. Roscommon. In this podcast, she answers all your questions on what life was like.Eileen shares her discoveries on how people survived in a hard and difficult world. It's not for the faint of heart.This episode is not suitable for children.Our interview is based on the book "The Forgotten Cemetery: Excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon," available for free at https://www.tii.ie/technical-services/archaeology/publications/tii-heritage/.Eileen is the deputy head of the School of Built & Natural Heritage at Queen's University Belfast: https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/NBE/.Sound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Dublin Port Has Seen It All: 1,200 Years of History. 20.05.2026 45min

  Dublin is famous for its Georgian squares, medieval cathedral, castle and revolutionary history. But the cornerstone of Dublin's history is undoubtedly the port.Nearly 1,200 years ago, the Vikings established a settlement on the banks of the Liffey, and from that moment, Dublin's fate was tied to the sea. The port became the gateway where Ireland met the wider world. Ships carried goods, armies, ideas and people in and out of the city, connecting Dublin to Britain, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and the far reaches of empire.But Dublin Port's history is far more than commerce. It witnessed slavery and trade, military occupation and revolution, famine and emigration, labour struggles and war. It was also shaped by a centuries-long battle against nature itself. Sandbanks, silting and storms forced generations of engineers to reshape the coastline with quays, docks, lighthouses and massive sea walls, creating one of Ireland's most remarkable engineering achievements.In this episode, recorded on the Great South Wall, I speak with historian Lar Joye, Heritage Director at Dublin Port, to explore the extraordinary 1,200-year history of Dublin Port. From Viking traders and Norman conquerors to famine emigrants and dock workers this is the story of a place that has witnessed every major turning point in Irish history.Sound by Kate Dunlea.My guest Lar Joye has served as Port Heritage Director at Dublin Port since 2017, where he cares for the 300-year-old Port Archive and leads projects that reconnect the working port with the city through heritage, culture and public access. Before joining Dublin Port, he worked as a film archivist and as Curator of Irish Military History at the National Museum of Ireland, where he led the team behind the award-winning "Soldiers and Chiefs" exhibition on the Irish soldier at home and abroad from 1550 to the present.He is a well-known lecturer and media contributor on topics ranging from the history of Dublin Port and its dockers to Irish soldiers in the British Army and the First World War, and he played a significant role in the Decade of Commemorations between 2012 and 2018. At Dublin Port he has initiated projects such as the Dublin Port Memory and Story oral history project and the development of new walking routes and cultural spaces, illustrating how archives, place and community stories can be brought together for contemporary audiences.Programme of Events for 2026 Events - Dublin PortBus tours of the port: Behind the Scenes Tours are Open - Dublin PortDistributed Museum - Dublin Port Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Solidarity, Suspicion and Conspiracy: Jews and the Irish Revolution 15.05.2026 28min

  As the Irish Revolution broke out, Europe was gripped by political upheaval, fear of revolution, and rising antisemitism. In conservative and right-wing circles, the so-called “Jewish Question” loomed large. Claims that Jews were secretly fomenting revolution across the world became increasingly common, feeding conspiracy theories that shaped how many people interpreted events from Russia to Ireland.In this episode of Brothers in Pain, Dr Brian Hanley explores how these ideas influenced perceptions of the Irish Revolution. Leading British figures repeatedly claimed that Jews were secretly behind unrest in Ireland, reflecting the wider antisemitic beliefs circulating in British and European politics at the time.But the story was far more complex than conspiracy and prejudice. Jewish communities in Ireland and across the world responded to the Irish Revolution in different ways. Some Jewish figures, including Michael Noyek and Robert Briscoe, became prominent Irish republicans. Others were more cautious, concerned by political instability, violence, and antisemitism within parts of Irish nationalist politics.Brian also examines the uncomfortable reality that some leading Irish nationalist figures, including John Devoy and Arthur Griffith expressed antisemitic views. The result was a complicated history, shaped by solidarity, suspicion and racism.This is the seventh episode in the Brothers in Pain Series a groundbreaking Global history of the Irish War of Independence by Dr Brian HanleyWritten, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian Hanley. Check out Brian's publications here https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Drogheda & Beyond: The Terrifying Reality of Siege Warfare in Ireland 13.05.2026 44min

  Between 1641 and 1653, Ireland was engulfed by devastating war. It was a period of extraordinary violence, famine and social collapse. The death toll was staggering. As many as 25% of the population may have perished.At the heart of this conflict was siege warfare. Across Ireland, towns, castles, forts and fortified houses came under attack. Some were taken by storm, while others were blockaded until starvation and disease did their work. Defenders faced cannon fire, tunnelling, psychological warfare and the terrifying prospect of what might happen if the walls were breached. Meanwhile, thousands of civilians had no escape and suffered appallingly. In this episode, I’m joined by historian Padraig Lenihan to explore the brutal reality of siege warfare in 17th-century Ireland. We look at why these conflicts were so destructive, how sieges were fought, and why warfare in Ireland was often more violent than in Britain during the same period. We also examine the infamous massacre at Drogheda, placing it in the wider context of the wars in Ireland and Britain, and asking whether it was exceptional or part of a broader pattern of violence.You can get Padraig’s book, Siege Warfare in Ireland, 1641-1653 which offers a fascinating insight into one of the darkest periods in Irish history: https://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2025/siege-in-ireland-1641-53Sound: Kate DunleaRequest: My guest on the last episode, James Doherty, is looking for photographs of Irish Army soldiers in Kilkenny Castle during the Emergency. If you have any information, please get in touch at info@irishhistorypodcast.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Forgotten Allies: How Egypt and India Supported the Irish Revolution 01.05.2026 32min

  During the Irish War of Independence, republicans in Ireland looked far beyond Britain and America for support. In Egypt and India, they found allies. Secret meetings took place between IRA representatives and Egyptian revolutionaries, while Irish republicans also made contact with Indian nationalists who were waging their own struggle against British rule. Across the Empire, activists began to see their causes as connected, bound together by a common enemy and a shared desire for freedom.But this was never a simple story of solidarity. For generations, Irish people had also served the British Empire in India and the Middle East as soldiers, policemen and civil servants. This episode explores the forgotten links between Ireland, Egypt and India, revealing how the Irish Revolution was shaped not only by events at home, but by anti-colonial struggles unfolding across the wider world.Support the show and get ad-free early episodes at patreon.com/irishpodcastThe series is researched, written, and presented by Dr Brian Hanley. Brian is a historian at Trinity College Dublin and has written extensively on the Irish Revolution, republicanism, and radical politics in the twentieth century. You can find a list of his publications here: https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpWritten, Researched and Narrated by Dr Brian HanleyProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian:In researching these episodes, I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars:Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Operation Green: Hitler's Plan for Ireland 29.04.2026 38min

  In 1939, Ireland declared itself neutral in the Second World War. But neutrality did not mean the island was safe. Indeed, both Germany and Britain developed plans to occupy the entire island.This episode focuses on Operation Green, Hitler's secret invasion plan for Ireland, and Plan W, the Irish government's defensive strategy. Historian James Doherty joins me to explain this intriguing aspect of the Second World War in Ireland. We begin by exploring why Ireland was important to both sides in the war. Then James details the German invasion plan and the why the British were determined to stop them. He also explores the controversial Irish Army defence plans and whether they would have worked.Sound by Kate Dunlea.James Doherty is a historian based in Waterford with interests in Military History and the history of smuggling in Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. He is currently researching Ireland during the Emergency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Divided Loyalties: The Irish Who Fought for Britain 24.04.2026 29min

  The Irish War of Independence & Revolution saw the IRA pitted against Crown forces across the island. However, on the ground in Ireland, allegiance was often more complicated than is sometimes remembered.Ireland had a long tradition of service in the British Army, and during the conflict thousands of Irishmen served not only in British military ranks but also in the police forces sent to crush the revolution. Even the Black and Tans, remembered as outsiders and occupiers, included surprising numbers of Irish recruits.This episode explores the uncomfortable and often forgotten story of the Irish who fought for Britain. Who were these men? Why did they serve the Crown, in Ireland and across the Empire? What drew them into the British Army, the Royal Irish Constabulary, and even the ranks of the Black and Tans? And what does their story reveal about Ireland’s deep and complicated relationship with the British Empire?This is Episode 5 of Brothers in Pain, a global history of the Irish Revolution.The series is researched, written, and presented by Dr Brian Hanley. Brian is a historian at Trinity College Dublin and has written extensively on the Irish Revolution, republicanism, and radical politics in the twentieth century. You can find a list of his publications here: https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpWritten, Researched and Narrated by Dr Brian HanleyProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian:In researching these episodes, I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars:Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• The Irish Language: Why Ireland Became English-Speaking 22.04.2026 35min

  How did Ireland become an English-speaking country? Was it colonialism, the Great Hunger, the education system or emigration that drove the shift from Irish to English?In this episode, I am joined by Dr Nicholas Wolf to explore one of the biggest questions in Irish history: how Irish, once the dominant language of the island, lost ground over the centuries. Nicholas explains how this is a multifaceted story, beginning in the wars of the seventeenth century but continuing through the Great Famine of the 1840s and beyond.While he explores the impact conquest, plantation and emigration, Nicholas also explains why English became so necessary in everyday life in Ireland.About Nicholas WolfNicholas Wolf is a historian and librarian at New York University, where he is co-head of NYU Library’s Data Services department and associate director of research and publishing initiatives at Glucksman Ireland House. He is the author of An Irish-Speaking Island (2014), a social and cultural history of Ireland’s Irish-language community in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that was awarded the Michael J. Durkan Prize for Books on Language and Culture and the Donald Murphy Prize for Distinguished First Books. His research into the social and cultural history of the Irish language, Irish Catholicism, and Ireland’s population history has received grants and fellowships from the Gardiner Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Newberry Library, and Newman College at the University of Melbourne.Get An Irish-Speaking Island (2014) https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/A/An-Irish-Speaking-IslandNicholas’s website: https://nmwolf.netLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-wolf-204a24335Check out this digitisation project Nicholas was involved in, focusing on the bilingual historical newspaper An Gaodhal: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/angaodhalSound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• A White Mans Nation? The Irish Revolution & Black Radicals 17.04.2026 34min

  “The Irish fight for liberty is the greatest epic of the modern age… those suffering together under British imperialism must learn to coordinate their effort before they can hope to be free.”These words from the Black radical Cyril Briggs captured how many people of colour viewed the Irish War of Independence. Today, the Irish Revolution is usually remembered as a struggle shaped by empire, nationalism and religion. But race also haunted this history. As Ireland fought for freedom, racial tensions were erupting across the world. In 1919, the United States was convulsed by the Red Summer, when white mobs launched brutal attacks on African American communities. At the same time, many opponents of Irish independence portrayed the conflict in Ireland as a racial struggle.Yet the relationship between Irish republicans and Black radicals was never straightforward. While Black activists looked to Ireland with hope, many Irish leaders were slow to support Black struggles and some even argued that Ireland deserved freedom precisely because the Irish were white.This episode uncovers the forgotten story of solidarity, suspicion and betrayal between Irish and Black radicals and reveals how deeply the politics of race shaped the Irish War of Independence.This is the fourth episode in Brothers in Pain a groundbreaking Global history of the Irish War of Independence by Dr Brian HanleyWritten, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian Hanley. Check out Brian's publications here https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• From the Banshee to Burial: The Strange History of Irish Funerals 15.04.2026 31min

  Irish funerals and wakes are one of the more famous aspects of our culture. Often taking the form of a celebration, it has been said we do death well. However the modern Irish funeral is not the timeless tradition we often imagine. In this episode of the Irish History Podcast I explore the strange history of Irish funerals and the lost world of 19th-century death customs.Drawing on folklore and first-hand accounts, I explore the history behind the banshee (bean sí) and other less well known death omens. I also trace the strange and unsettling rituals, superstitions and wake traditions that once surrounded death in Ireland - customs that can be difficult to relate to today.From the banshee to the grave, this is a journey into a lost world of grief, ritual and belief.Written, researched, and presented by Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaVoice Actors: Aidan Crowe and Therese MurrayIf you want to learn more about wakes, check out this episode recorded in the Irish Wake Museum https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/the-irish-wake-a-historySources* Patricia Lysaght, The Banshee: The Irish Death-Messenger https://archive.org/details/bansheeirishdeat0000lysa* St. John Seymour, True Irish Ghost Stories https://archive.org/details/trueirishghostst00seymialaDuchas.ie, the National Folklore Archivehttps://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4602737/4599804/4634242https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427971/4362341/4466724https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649683/4646384/4650807https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427866/4351921/4435336https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649683/4646384/4650807https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4758475/4747226/4779806https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5008831/4959379/5072669https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4623003/4622767/4630843https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742070/4732588/4819790https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922035/4920905/4955848https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922258/4864961/5021036https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4706331/4703491/4726094 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Comrades in Arms? The IRA and Soviet Russia 03.04.2026 27min

  "Intercourse between Bolshevism and Sinn Féin" These were the words one British newspaper used to describe the relationship between the Irish Republican movement and the fledgling Soviet Union during the Irish Revolution. It was an unlikely pairing. Ireland became a deeply conservative, Catholic country where communism was viewed with suspicion and fear. Yet during the Irish War of Independence, as British forces fought republicans across the island, whispers of Soviet support and communist sympathy rippled through both Dublin and London.But how real was this link? Did the IRA truly seek Soviet weapons and backing? And what did Moscow make of Irish republicanism? This episode uncovers the remarkable and forgotten story of how Ireland and Soviet Russia came to view each other as potential allies, and why that relationship would ultimately collapse. This is the third episode in Brothers in Pain ia groundbreaking series by Dr Brian Hanley that explores the international dimensions of the Irish War of Independence.  Written, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian Hanley. Check out Brian's publications here https://www.tcd.ie/history/staff/brian-hanley.phpProducer: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, John Belchem, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
• Hidden Lives: The Gay Community in Post-Independence Ireland 01.04.2026 36min

  For Dublin's gay community, Irish Independence and the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922 heralded anything but freedom. While the new state promised change, the gay community faced decades of repression, arrest, and severe punishment. Yet despite this, they continued to build lives, relationships, and communities in the shadow of fear.In this episode, I am joined by historian Averill Earls to discuss her book Love in the Lav, a fascinating history of the community in Dublin in the decades after Irish independence. While repression is central to the story, this conversation also uncovers a more complicated picture of the community's relationship with wider Irish society and the ways people navigated a world shaped by surveillance, stigma, and silence.Become a supporter of the show patreon.com/irishpodcastGet your copy of Averill's book Love in the LavIn Ireland - https://www.hodgesfiggis.ie/book/love-in-the-lav/averill-earls/9781439924167In the US Bookshop.org - https://bookshop.org/p/books/love-in-the-lav-a-social-biography-of-same-sex-desire-in-ireland-1922-1972-averill-earls/99753665e753ea33?ean=9781439924167&next=tAverill Earls is Associate Professor of History at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, Executive Producer of Dig: A History Podcast, and co-convener of the Reminiscence and Remembrance Oral History Project for LGBTQ+ Ireland.Sound: Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.