Irish History Podcast

Forgotten Allies: How Egypt and India Supported the Irish Revolution

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

During the Irish War of Independence, republicans in Ireland looked far beyond Britain and America for support. In Egypt and India, they found allies....

Operation Green: Hitler's Plan for Ireland

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 de...

Divided Loyalties: The Irish Who Fought for Britain

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Irish War of Independence & Revolution saw the IRA pitted against Crown forces across the island. However, on the ground in Ireland, allegianc...

The Irish Language: Why Ireland Became English-Speaking

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How did Ireland become an English-speaking country? Was it colonialism, the Great Hunger, the education system or emigration that drove the shift from...

A White Mans Nation? The Irish Revolution & Black Radicals

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“The Irish fight for liberty is the greatest epic of the modern age… those suffering together under British imperialism must learn to coordinate t...

From the Banshee to Burial: The Strange History of Irish Funerals

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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....

Comrades in Arms? The IRA and Soviet Russia

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"Intercourse between Sinn Féin and the Bolsheviks" These were the words one British newspaper used to describe the relationship between the Irish Rep...

Hidden Lives: The Gay Community in Post-Independence Ireland

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 pro...

The IRA & the Battle for America

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“Keep handing it to the Micks. The Roman Catholic Irish are, and always have been, the only un-Americanised people in the United States.” &nb...

World War II in Ireland: What was it really like?

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At the outbreak of World War II, Ireland declared itself neutral. But neutrality didn't mean the country was untouched by the conflict. Known as the T...

The Smugglers & Gun Runners: Who armed the IRA?

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

"There were spies, informers and degenerates of every kind and we were here to do business." These were the words an IRA activist describing his despe...

Brothers in Pain: New Series Preview

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Irish War of Independence often conjures images of guerrilla fighters on lonely mountainsides, on the run from the Black and Tans. While that is p...

St. Patrick's Day Parades: Tradition or American Invention?

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On March 17th, thousands of St. Patrick's Day Parades take place across the globe. New York's parade, dating back to the 1760s, draws three million pe...

Éamon de Valera: Visionary or Victorian?

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Éamon de Valera is one of the most influential figures in modern Irish history. Born in New York in 1880s and raised in rural Limerick, he rose from ...

The Irish in America's Indian Wars: A Dark History

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the late nineteenth century the United States pushed west and its expansion unleashed devastating violence against Native Americans. Forced from th...

Wild Animals and Public Entertainment in Georgian Ireland

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, lions, tigers and even elephants toured towns and cities across Ireland. Long before modern zoo...

Why Didn't the Romans Invade Ireland?

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

While the Roman Empire conquered much of western Europe and established a powerful presence in Britain, Ireland remained beyond its grasp. But why?&nb...

The Ulster Special Constabulary - A Troubled History

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Ulster Special Constabulary was one of the most controversial forces in modern Irish history. Formed amid the violence and uncertainty of the earl...

The Mystery of St Brigid

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Each February Ireland celebrates St Brigid, one of the most beloved figures in Irish history. She is woven into the landscape, the calendar and the cu...

Daily Life in a Medieval Irish Castle: What was it really like?

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What was daily life in a medieval Irish castle really like? In this special episode recorded in Barryscourt Castle I explore the reality behind the my...

The Secret Sex Lives of our Ancestors

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode includes discussion of sex and is not suitable for younger listeners.Sex has always been a key part of Irish life. Yet given its intimate...

The Irish Prisoner & the World War II Railway of Death

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The forgotten story of the Irishman forced to work on Japan's Railway of Death which inspired the film The Bridge over the River Kwai.In 1942 Britain ...

The Battle of Vinegar Hill: The Last Stand of the 1798 Rebellion?

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of this series we follow the 1798 rebellion into its most dramatic and desperate days. As fear grips Dublin and battles erupt acr...

The Battle of New Ross and the Scullabogue Massacre. Irish History’s Darkest Day?

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Battle of New Ross was one of the bloodiest clashes of the 1798 Rebellion and within hours it was followed by the horrific Scullabogue Massacre. T...

Liberty or Death: The South Falls to the Rebels

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As my series on the 1798 Rebellion returns, this is a great point to dive in to the story...In this episode we see major fighting break out as the sou...

Broken Silence: The Murder of Mary Doherty

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In March 1844, the quiet community of Culdaff in north Donegal was rocked by the brutal murder of fourteen-year-old servant Mary Doherty. As the Great...

The Rebellion Begins: Plots, Spies, and Informers

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the early days of 1798, Dublin teetered on the edge of revolution. A shadow war raged between the United Irishmen and the British authorities, with...

Hugh O’Flaherty & The Vatican Escape Line in World War II

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode of the Irish History Podcast is made in partnership with An Post.In Nazi-occupied Rome, the Irish priest Hugh O’Flaherty risked...

The French Invasion: Ireland’s Year of Terror?

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode covers one of the most famous events in our history. It’s part of the 1798 Rebellion series, but you can dive straight in if you don't ...

The Jackson Spy Affair: The Downfall of the Society of United Irishmen

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode returns to the story of the 1798 Rebellion, but also stands alone as its own story.In 1793, war broke out between the British Empire and ...

Airbrushed from History: The Great Hunger in Dublin

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re taking a break from our series on the 1798 Rebellion for a fascinating conversation about the Great Famine in Dublin and why this k...

The French Revolution & the Society of United Irishmen

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While this episode fits into a bigger series on the 1798 Rebellion, it’s also designed to stand on its own.The French Revolution of 1789 electrified...

The Rising Storm: The American War of Independence & Ireland

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is part of a wider series on the 1798 Rebellion, but you can enjoy it as a stand-alone story.When the American Revolution broke out in th...

The Penal Laws: An Irish Apartheid?

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast opens a broader series on the 1798 Rebellion, but also works as a stand alone episode.For over a century, Irish Catholics and Presbyteria...

1798: The Year Ireland Changed Forever

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The 1790s remain one of the most important decades in modern Irish history. After years of rising tensions, the island was rocked by the 1798 Rebellio...

The Irish Immigrants Who Built Britain's NHS

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1960s, over 30,000 Irish immigrants were working in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). While the NHS is often celebrated as one of Brit...

Celebrating Conquest? Ireland’s Culture War over William the Conqueror

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

William the Conqueror has been dead for nearly a thousand years, and he never set foot in Ireland—so how did he end up at the centre of a modern Iri...

The Secret Life of May O’Callaghan: The Kremlin’s Irish Insider

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1973, just two people attended the lonely funeral of May O’Callaghan, an Irish emigrant in North London. Few could have imagined that this quiet ...

Ireland's Liberator - The Life of Daniel O'Connell

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This special episode of the Irish History Podcast, in partnership with An Post, marks the 250th anniversary of Daniel O’Connell’s birth.In this po...

Who Will History Remember?

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we decide who the most significant people in our history are? Whose story is worth telling? In this episode, I’m joined by Eoin Kinsella, man...

Yola: A History of Ireland’s Lost Language

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When we think of Ireland’s past, we usually envisage an island shaped by two languages: Irish and English. But hidden in the history of South Wexfor...

Irish Americans & The Troubles: Unwelcome Outsiders or Allies?

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode continues the story of NORAID - the Irish American organisation who were the voice of the IRA in the US. Jamie Goldrick and I delve into ...

NORAID: Did Irish Americans Fund the Provisional IRA?

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore the fascinating and controversial story of NORAID, the Irish American organisation at the heart of the new documentary NOR...

Irish Asylums: A Dark History We Don’t Talk About. Why?

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1950s, more than 20,000 people—over one percent of the adult population of Ireland—were locked away in mental asylums. This was the highest...

Banned: The Hidden History of Contraception in Ireland (Listener Favourite)

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While we’re on the last week of our summer break, we’re bringing you one of our most popular episodes from the back catalogue.For over four decade...

[Classic Replay] A Criminal Conversation: Affairs & Divorce in 1920s Ireland

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A story from the 1920s that will reshape the way you view our great grandparents lives!Unfortunately, there’s no new show this week, but I wanted to...

The Irish Wake: A History

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Irish funeral wake is a unique tradition where family and friends gather around the body of the deceased to share stories, remember their life, an...

Midwives & Mothers: A History of Birth in Ireland

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In times past, childbirth was a profoundly communal and intimate experience, guided by the steady hands and wisdom of community midwives. Known as Bea...

Glenmalure & Memories of a Lost World - How Did Electrification Change Rural Ireland?

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nestled deep in the Wicklow Mountains, Glenmalure was once a stronghold for rebels and a sanctuary from the outside world. But long after the echoes o...

Glendalough & The History Tourists Are Never Told

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Glendalough is one of Ireland’s most iconic and picturesque destinations. Its medieval monastery and stunning mountain landscape attract around one ...

A History of Ireland's Last Great Wilderness

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Vast, windswept, and seemingly untouched—the landscape around the Sally Gap in Wicklow is a place where history appears to vanish into the heather a...

Breaking Ireland's Bandit Country: The Wicklow Military Road

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1800, in the wake of the 1798 Rebellion, the British military began construction of the Wicklow Military Road. Designed to bring control to the so-...

What happened to Ireland’s Protestant Community after the Revolution?

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Between 1911 and 1926, the Irish Protestant population fell by over 30%. This podcast explores why this happened, as well as how the majority who rema...

The IRA's Great Escape: Mountjoy Jail, 1925

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1925, nineteen IRA prisoners orchestrated a daring escape from Mountjoy Jail in the heart of Dublin. Join me and historian Sam McGrath as we delve ...

Stories We Don't Tell: Realities of Surviving the Great Hunger

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The history of the Great Hunger is often recounted through statistics and impersonal narratives. There are many reasons for this, but one significant ...

Typhoid Mary: Victim or Villain

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Typhoid Mary has inspired books, movies, and even a Marvel character, but the history of the Irish woman behind the name is less well known. Mary Mall...

Coffin Ships: What Famine Emigrants Endured [Classic Replay]

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

By 1855, over two million Irish people had fled Ireland to escape the devastation of the Great Hunger. The journeys of these emigrants were often harr...

A History of Beer in Ireland

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being hard drinkers is one of the most common stereotypes of Irish people around the world. While Irish consumption of alcohol is nowhere near the hig...

The Bloody Summer of 1170: An Epic of Siege, Invasion & Conquest in Medieval Ireland

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In May 1170, a small group of mercenaries landed in a remote corner of County Wexford, setting the stage for a dramatic chapter in Irish history. Just...

1798, Magdalene Laundries, and Exploring an Irish bandit Country - Keeping You in the Loop!

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why is there no show this week? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Collins: History Masked by Myths and Conspiracies

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over a century after his death, Michael Collins remains one of Irish history's most iconic figures. Yet, his life and untimely death are still shroude...

Irish Emigrants in Tsarist Russia: A History

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Margaretta Eagar is a little-known figure in Irish history. In the early 20th century, she worked as a governess to the last Romanov Tsars of Russia. ...

St Brigid: Pagan Goddess or Christian Saint?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

St. Brigid is one of Ireland's most well-known saints. While Christian churches have experienced a crisis of faith in recent decades, she seems to buc...

Hitler's Irish Translator: Nazi Sympathiser or Following Orders?

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In March 1939, James Murphy, a Cork man, became a wanted figure in Nazi Germany. As Europe hurtled towards war, Murphy published an unedited English t...

The Irish Catholic Church: How did it become so powerful?

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past three decades, the Catholic Church has been engulfed by numerous sexual abuse scandals and accusations of power abuse. This has prompted...

Winston Churchill: The Irish View on a British Legend

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Winston Churchill is one of the most famous figures of the 20th century. Hailed in Britain as the man who won the war, his legacy in Ireland is far mo...

Irish Lives in Victorian London: History and Influence

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Victorian London was a city of immense wealth, but also shocking poverty. The historian Jerry White described it as "a metropolis of wealth, grandeur,...

Why Didn't Irish People Eat Fish During the Great Hunger?

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the Great Hunger of the 1840s, one million Irish perished from starvation and hunger-related diseases. However, Ireland is surrounded by some o...

Why Was Life Expectancy So Low in Ireland Until 1900?

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Life expectancy in Ireland has doubled over the past 200 years, but why was it so low for so long? In this podcast, I delve into the factors that kept...

1719: The Irish Rescue of the Polish Princess Bride

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1719, the 17-year-old Polish Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska was seized by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. While the move shocked many in Eur...

Societal Collapse: Did It Happen in Irish History?

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I explore the ruins of a Temple and the intriguing concept of societal collapse and its relevance to Irish history. Often depicted as...

Your Prehistoric Ancestors: More Sophisticated than you think!

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Check out my new podcast 'Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast' with Damian Shiels https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpodIn this captivating e...

Stigma, Famine & Emigration: A History of Mental Health in Ireland

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By the late 1950s, over 20,000 individuals in the Republic of Ireland were confined in asylums—a staggering figure equivalent to 1 in every 133 Iris...

The Dirtiest City in Europe? Why Did Typhoid Thrive in Victorian Dublin?

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1900, the life expectancy in Dublin was a mere 49 years, a stark indicator of the city's dire living conditions. The Victorian city was notorious f...

Emily Anderson: The Forgotten Irish Woman of Bletchley Park

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this captivating episode of the Irish History Podcast, Jackie Ni Chionna joins me to discuss the remarkable but forgotten Irish woman, Emily Anders...

The Making of a Ghost Town - The Rise and Fall of the Irish Kings of Cotton

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1850s, Portlaw was Ireland's most successful town. The population had grown tenfold in the previous 30 years. The local Cotton Mill, built by t...

Who was the first Irish person to cross the Atlantic Ocean?

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I am delighted to share the very first episode of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast. It's a new show I am making with historian Da...

Resisting Nazi Occupation: Ireland's Forgotten World War II Heroes

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Keany, Monica de Wichfeld, and Delia Murphy are not well-known figures, yet they are some of the most extraordinary people in modern Irish histor...

Ireland in World War II: Neutrality, Nazi Collaborators or Secret Allies?

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ireland adopted a position of neutrality. However, throughout the conflict, senior figures in the United King...

The Mystery Nazi Flight to Ireland - Who was really on board?

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this riveting episode I delve into one of the most intriguing and lesser-known stories of World War II: "The Mystery Nazi Flight to Ireland." On Ma...

Exploring a 5,000 year old Tomb

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Portal Tombs are scattered across the Irish countryside. These monuments, around 5,000 years old, have been sites of ritual for millennia. Generation ...

The History of Guinness Explained: A more controversial beer than you think!

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guinness is the most iconic Irish brand of all time. A large part of its success is based on a history the company has carefully crafted around the be...

Sex Magic, Divorce & Inforcing the Patriarchy - Brehon Law Explained [Classic Re-Release]

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brehon Law, the ancient legal system that ruled Ireland during the Middle Ages, is often romanticised as egalitarian and even feminist. But, in this r...

1324: Ireland’s First Witchcraft Trial

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Step back to 1324 and listen to the chilling story of Ireland’s first Witchcraft Trial in my latest episode. In 1324, the Bishop of Ossory, Richard ...

Bonus: Legends of the Past - The History Behind Mythology (with Blindboy)

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does mythology teach us about the past? Where do these stories come from? In this podcast, I am joined by Blindboy to explore the origins of myth...

Three Days in July Part III - The Hidden War, British Psy-Ops & The Troubles

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 1970s, the British Army engaged in psychological operations (psy-ops) and black propaganda to cover up their actions during the Falls Cur...

Three Days in July Part II: The Battle of the Falls

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On July 3rd 1970, months of rising tensions in Belfast erupted as the British Army laid siege to thousands of homes in the Lower Falls, a large workin...

Three Days in July Part I: A Forgotten Victim of The Troubles

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the summer of 1970, Belfast stood on the precipice of war. By June, months of rising tensions burst into violence, setting the stage for one of the...

Beyond the Famine: A History of the Potato in Ireland

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout history, bread has consistently been one of the most popular foods across the world. For two centuries, Ireland was an exception.Indeed, by...

Lord Haw Haw - Ireland's Most Notorious Nazi

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

William Joyce aka Lord Haw Haw was Ireland's most notorious Nazi. Raised in the west of Ireland he was an unlikely spokesman for Hitler's Third Reich....

Breaking the Silence: Post-Famine Trauma in Ireland

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I delve into the lasting impact of the Great Hunger on Ireland. Its often said that the Famine was a taboo subject and a 'Great Silenc...

The Rise of the Irish in New York

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Within the space of a few years following the Great Hunger, hundreds of thousands of Irish emigrants settled in New York quickly becoming one of the l...

From Dublin to Devil's Island - The Life & Crimes of Vere Goold

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1879 Vere Goold was a celebrity in Ireland. After winning Ireland’s first tennis championship, he reached the prestigious Wimbledon final later i...

Unsolved: The 1928 Disappearance of Arthur Poole

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Arthur Henri Poole was one of the most celebrated photographers in early 20th-century Ireland. An Englishman by birth, he was also most well-known fig...

Daily Life in the Middle Ages. Worse than you imagine...

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How difficult was life in the Middle Ages? This is something archaeologists and historians have debated for decades. In recent years, new techniques, ...

Manipulating the Past - A History of Photography in Ireland

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The camera never lies or does it? In this episode, I take a trip to the National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar, Dublin. Joining me is the archivi...

Strongbow & Aoife: The wedding that changed Ireland

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1170, the Norman Lord Strongbow landed an army in Ireland. The following day, he launched a deadly assault on the nearby city of Waterford. Before ...

Exiled: Irish Writers in the 1930s

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 1930s stood out as one of the most dramatic decades in modern history. Fascism was on the rise, and Europe was hurtling towards the Second World W...

Ireland's Lost Generation - The Orphans of the Great Hunger

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1851 there were nearly 90,000 orphans in Irish Workhouses. Many of these children had lost their parents to hunger and disease. Others had&nbs...

Time's Untold Tales: Life before clocks & Dublin's two time zones in the 1870s

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Telling the time in hours and minutes seems so natural that we don’t even question where it came from. However it is a pretty recent development. Fo...