60 acast.com The Póilíní Podcast https://www.tinpot.ie/the-poilini-podcast/ en Tinpot Productions History, Garda,Police,Ireland Tinpot Productions Stories of Duty and Danger. Life and the Law. Police and Perpetrators. The Póilíní Podcast brings listeners on a journey through stories from the history of Irish policing, stretching over 200 years. Each week, we’ll take a story from our policeman’s notebook to paint a picture of incredible, often untold, events and through the lens of these stories, look at the lives of serving members, their families and society in Ireland and beyond.


The podcast is presented by Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, and writer and journalist Helen Moorhouse. 


Dr John Reynolds, PHD, holds 40 years’ service as a member of An Garda Síochána. During his career, he worked in surveillance, serious crime investigations, Disaster Victim Identification and frontline emergency dispatch. Since retiring from the force, he has founded the Garda Museum and served as chief coordinator for the Garda centenary. Helen Moorhouse is a writer, journalist, novelist and self-confessed ‘history nerd’.


Together, they have compiled a casebook of gripping yarns, tragic tales and forgotten people - not to be missed. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Póilíní Podcast brings listeners on a journey through stories from the history of Irish policing, stretching over 200 years. Each week, we’ll take a story from our policeman’s notebook to paint a picture of incredible, often untold, events and through the lens of these stories, look at the lives of serving members, their families and society in Ireland and beyond.


The podcast is presented by Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, and writer and journalist Helen Moorhouse. 


Dr John Reynolds, PHD, holds 40 years’ service as a member of An Garda Síochána. During his career, he worked in surveillance, serious crime investigations, Disaster Victim Identification and frontline emergency dispatch. Since retiring from the force, he has founded the Garda Museum and served as chief coordinator for the Garda centenary. Helen Moorhouse is a writer, journalist, novelist and self-confessed ‘history nerd’.


Together, they have compiled a casebook of gripping yarns, tragic tales and forgotten people - not to be missed. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> false Tinpot Productions pod@tinpot.ie 6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e the-poilini-podcast episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e/1788878799768-ba720274-7e74-46db-abf1-7cbfe3b6ca8c.jpeg https://www.tinpot.ie/the-poilini-podcast/ The Póilíní Podcast 73f3f130-ad03-11f1-828a-f545b3c9854b The Macushla Ballroom Martyrs: From Showbands to Showdown The Macushla Ballroom Martyrs: From Showbands to Showdown Thu, 08 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT 31:49 6ac65b6329b9fbfbe2561512 false https://shows.acast.com/the-poilini-podcast/episodes/6ac65b6329b9fbfbe2561512 6ac65b6329b9fbfbe2561512 6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e Unfair dismissals, a force in revolt, and two unexpected powers who changed Irish policing forever full 1 4 In November 1961, hundreds of rank-and-file gardaí defied their own commissioner and packed the Macushla ballroom in Dublin to protest draconian conditions and a pay deal that shut out the newest recruits. Within days, eleven men were dismissed. Then a young Justice Minister and an Archbishop joined forces to broker peace. This episode follows the revolt and its aftermath, and asks what it still tells us about industrial action in An Garda Síochána today. Join hosts Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds for a journey through an extraordinary episode in Irish policing history.


Drawing on the record of events, vivid historical detail, and John's own decades of service, this episode is a story of low pay, divided loyalties and the most unlikely of Irish heroes.

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In November 1961, hundreds of rank-and-file gardaí defied their own commissioner and packed the Macushla ballroom in Dublin to protest draconian conditions and a pay deal that shut out the newest recruits. Within days, eleven men were dismissed. Then a young Justice Minister and an Archbishop joined forces to broker peace. This episode follows the revolt and its aftermath, and asks what it still tells us about industrial action in An Garda Síochána today. Join hosts Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds for a journey through an extraordinary episode in Irish policing history.


Drawing on the record of events, vivid historical detail, and John's own decades of service, this episode is a story of low pay, divided loyalties and the most unlikely of Irish heroes.

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Stringybark Creek: The Irish Policemen Who Hunted Ned Kelly Stringybark Creek: The Irish Policemen Who Hunted Ned Kelly Thu, 01 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT 41:18 6abbcd5bed4e198024c8686d false https://shows.acast.com/the-poilini-podcast/episodes/6abbcd5bed4e198024c8686d 6abbcd5bed4e198024c8686d 6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e Four Irish constables, an outlaw with an Irish father, and a bush ambush 17,000km from home full This episode follows the Irish threads running through Australia's most famous outlaw story, from John "Red" Kelly's transportation for stealing a pig to the four Irish-born policemen — Kennedy, Scanlan, Lonigan and McIntyre — sent into the bush to hunt down his son Ned. Helen and John unpack the myth-making, the class politics, and the quiet tragedy of Irishmen on both sides of the gun.


Drawing on contemporary newspaper reports, trial records, police history and John's own experience of manhunts and missing-persons searches, this episode is a story of famine, emigration and violence following Irish following Irish policemen to the far side of the world.

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This episode follows the Irish threads running through Australia's most famous outlaw story, from John "Red" Kelly's transportation for stealing a pig to the four Irish-born policemen — Kennedy, Scanlan, Lonigan and McIntyre — sent into the bush to hunt down his son Ned. Helen and John unpack the myth-making, the class politics, and the quiet tragedy of Irishmen on both sides of the gun.


Drawing on contemporary newspaper reports, trial records, police history and John's own experience of manhunts and missing-persons searches, this episode is a story of famine, emigration and violence following Irish following Irish policemen to the far side of the world.

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[The Kidnapping of Gilbert Potter: A District Inspector's Fatal Sense of Duty]]> Thu, 24 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMT 30:37 6ab3dccb864264ef3e3f2081 false https://shows.acast.com/the-poilini-podcast/episodes/6ab3dccb864264ef3e3f2081 6ab3dccb864264ef3e3f2081 6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e An IRA ambush, a journey into captivity, and the tragic cost of duty full 1 2 In April 1921, at the height of the War of Independence, RIC District Inspector Gilbert Potter was seized by the IRA after stumbling into the tail end of an ambush near Clogheen, Tipperary. Marched over the Knockmealdowns into Waterford and held for days by men he had known since they were boys, Potter was faced with a decision that would have profound consequences for him and his family.

Drawing on IRA witness statements from the Bureau of Military History, Potter's own letters to his wife Lily, and John's decades of police experience, this episode explores duty, decency, loyalty and the terrible cost paid on all sides during Ireland's revolutionary years.

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In April 1921, at the height of the War of Independence, RIC District Inspector Gilbert Potter was seized by the IRA after stumbling into the tail end of an ambush near Clogheen, Tipperary. Marched over the Knockmealdowns into Waterford and held for days by men he had known since they were boys, Potter was faced with a decision that would have profound consequences for him and his family.

Drawing on IRA witness statements from the Bureau of Military History, Potter's own letters to his wife Lily, and John's decades of police experience, this episode explores duty, decency, loyalty and the terrible cost paid on all sides during Ireland's revolutionary years.

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Carrickshock Massacre: Ten Minutes That Shook Irish Policing The Carrickshock Massacre: Ten Minutes That Shook Irish Policing Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:00 GMT 35:33 6aaa9eadbf7eb386d3a85b2f false https://shows.acast.com/the-poilini-podcast/episodes/6aaa9eadbf7eb386d3a85b2f 6aaa9eadbf7eb386d3a85b2f 6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e A tithe collector, an armed escort, and a Kilkenny road that became a killing ground full 1 1 In this episode of The Póilíní Podcast, writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant and police historian Dr John Reynolds, unpack the Carrickshock Massacre: the brutal tithe system that provoked it, the newly formed Peace Preservation Force sent to enforce it, and the catastrophic misjudgements that turned a routine errand into a bloodbath. They trace what happened to the survivors, the collapsed murder trial defended by Daniel O'Connell, and how an event largely forgotten outside Kilkenny lived on in ballads, folklore, and even GAA rivalries — becoming a rallying cry invoked all the way through to the War of Independence.

Drawing on eyewitness letters, police depositions, and John's own decades on the beat, this episode is a story of policing caught in the crossfire of colonial injustice.


Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In this episode of The Póilíní Podcast, writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant and police historian Dr John Reynolds, unpack the Carrickshock Massacre: the brutal tithe system that provoked it, the newly formed Peace Preservation Force sent to enforce it, and the catastrophic misjudgements that turned a routine errand into a bloodbath. They trace what happened to the survivors, the collapsed murder trial defended by Daniel O'Connell, and how an event largely forgotten outside Kilkenny lived on in ballads, folklore, and even GAA rivalries — becoming a rallying cry invoked all the way through to the War of Independence.

Drawing on eyewitness letters, police depositions, and John's own decades on the beat, this episode is a story of policing caught in the crossfire of colonial injustice.


Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Póilíní Podcast Trailer The Póilíní Podcast Trailer Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT 0:38 6a82d93555b9192dc917b395 false https://www.tinpot.ie/the-poilini-podcast/ 6a82d93555b9192dc917b395 6a82c4496e5b5bfda6633d7e Episode 01 Available September 17th trailer 1 The Póilíní Podcast starts 17th Sept 2026.

Hosted by writer Helen Moorhouse and Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, this exciting podcast will explore stories pulled from more than 200 years of Irish policing history.

Find out more here

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Póilíní Podcast starts 17th Sept 2026.

Hosted by writer Helen Moorhouse and Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, this exciting podcast will explore stories pulled from more than 200 years of Irish policing history.

Find out more here

Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse

Producer - Daryl Moorhouse

Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne

Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios


Find out more or get in touch here


Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]>