I hope you are all doing well. I have just finished the latest episode '1000 years from home'.

This show is 40 minutes of escapism from Covid-19. In the podcast I explore some of the history and historic places within two kilometres of my home in Kilkenny. This journey starts in the 19th century and takes you back one thousand years. You will hear stories from a 19th century mental asylum, visit a medieval hospital, walk down a medieval street, hear the strange story of a historic dog who's death symbolised an epoch of Irish history and finish with the story of a forgotten hero. 

I hope you enjoy it 

Fin

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This is the latest episode in my exclusive patrons-only series. This podcast looks at famines in the Middle Ages. It's based on Chapter IV of my book Life in Medieval Ireland and examines the chaos that followed in the wake of food shortages.  

Thanks for your support 

Best 

Fin

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I hope you are all well wherever you are. Dont forget tonights online Quiz night in aid of the Mater Foundation at 8pm. There are great prizes including subscriptions to the Irish Newspaper Archives on offer and it should be great fun!

You can still sign up for the quiz historyquiz.eventbrite.com 

Thanks for your support - it means so much.

Best 

Fin

The podcast 

Recently I discovered that my great great grandmother Catherine Murphy  lost her sister and her daughter within two days of each other in  February 1919 during the Great Flu pandemic. This highlighted how  disease has long been part of our history.

For this episode I decided to catch up with the historian John Dorney who recently published an article on the history of epidemics in Ireland. You can find Johns article Epidemics in Ireland and also his great podcast the Irish history show  at theIrishstory.com. 

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I hope you are coping ok. This patrons only episode looks at love and marriage in medieval Ireland. It contains fascinating anecdotes of arranged marriages, affairs and kidnappings in a world where relationships were very different! 

Dont forget this Saturday's online quiz night in aid of the Mater Foundation - sign up at historyquiz.eventbrite.com.

Thanks for your support.

Fin

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Go raibh mile maith agat.

Fin

This episode is the second part of the miniseries on Coffee. It links the Great Famine, the Sitcom Friends and Prohibition campaigners in 19th century Belfast. They all have one thing in common –  in some way shape or form influenced the popularity of coffee in Ireland. In this podcast which continues the story of coffee in Ireland since the 1840s, we will see how modern Irish coffee culture is nothing new. 

Indeed your great grandparents may well have enjoyed take away coffee as much as you do. 

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I have the latest episode in the patrons only episode below but first an announcement you wont want to miss. On Saturday week (April 11th) I am hosting an Irish history table quiz online on Youtube. The quiz is free but I am asking people to donate to the Mater Foundation. This is an organisation who do fantastic work supporting the work of the Mater Hospital in Dublin. 

I am currently setting up a system where by all those who donate to the Foundation will get their answers marked. I will announce the winner, so you can test your knowledge against people from across the world! I need everyone planning to participate to register here (its free) historyquiz.eventbrite.com becuase I have had a larger than anticipated interest in the event. 

Best 

Fin

The podcast

Politics in medieval Ireland was frequently a violent win or die pursuit. This episode, in my continuing series based on my book 'Life in Medieval Ireland', looks at the life of Maurice de Caunteton. Born in the late 13th century his life illustrated how dangerous medeival politics could be. 

This is the third episode in this series exclusively available to you here on patreon. 

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I hope all is well with you in what are the strangest of times. I have a few updates all of which are good news!

• I will be doing a live show tonight (Fri March 27th) at 7-45pm on Youtube with two other Irish podcasts - Snugcast and The Echo Chamber. Its not about history - we will be talking about how the current crisis will affect the media including podcasting. You can tune in here https://www.youtube.com/user/irishhistorychannel
• The feedback on the Dublin 1916 episode and the recent show on the Aran Islands has been great. I am currently looking at another similar podcast.
• Patrons are now entitled to copies of my audiobooks 1348: A Medieval Apocalypse - The Black Death in Ireland and The Life of Brian Boru. To get your copies email me at info@irishhistorypodcast.ie. In the meantime this episode is all about coffee....

Take care of yourself

Fin

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The Irish coffee industry generates hundreds of million of euros every year. This is a pretty recent development - when I was growing up in the 1980s and 1990s the only coffee available was instant coffee. 

However Ireland's relationship with coffee did not begin in the last twenty years. If anything this is the second or even third wave of coffee culture to hit this country. In this show Iook at the early history of coffee tracing the 17th century origins of the drink in Ireland.

This will take us inside the coffee houses of 18th century Dublin when coffee was an elite drink in society. This episode also lifts the lid on a darker side to the Irish history of coffee – in the second half of the show I interview Cuban researcher Giselle Gonzalez Garcia who is researching the history of an Irish man who became one of the largest coffee producers in Cuba in the early 19th century. 

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I hope you are all doing ok in the current situation. This podcast is the second chapter from my book 'Life in Medieval Ireland'  (Chapter 1 is available here)  This chapter focuses on stories from the 14th century that reveal how violent day to day life was in the medieval Ireland. 

This bonus medieval series is exclusively available for you on patreon and will not be released via iTunes or Spotify. Hopefully it will help in some way to pass the time while we social distance ourselves. 

I am also giving patrons two other audiobooks I have made. One is on Brian Boru while the other entitled '1348 A Medieval Apocylpse' looks at the Black Death. If you want copies of these books get in touch at info@irishhistorypodcast.ie. 

Thanks for your continued support - it means an awful lot. 

Stay safe 

Slán 

Fin

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Snugcast is normally recorded in a pub so we are inviting you to have a few beers and join what will be fascinating chats from the safety of your own home. Tune in from 7-45pm at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-c0OHKsTM0  

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Between 1898 and 1902, the Irish playwright John Millington Synge spent several summers on the Aran Islands. Shaped by the harsh environment of the North Atlantic Ocean the islanders lived in a unique society. Old customs and traditions that had died in many parts of Ireland still survived on the islands. 

Synge left a mesmerising account of island life and this podcast transports you back to the summer of 1901. You will hear the vivid descriptions of a society so different it is hard to believe it existed into the 20th century. 

It is a time and place that is now lost and gone forever.

John Millington Synge's words are read by Aidan Crowe http://castawayactors.com/male-actors/aidan-crowe/

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I hope you and yours are safe and well. As I mentioned in the last show over the coming period while many of us are experiencing  social distancing I will be publishing a second weekly podcast. This will only be available for you the patrons of the show. I hope it might help in some small way to make the days ahead easier with social distancing.

Each episode of this exclusive series will be a chapter from my book 'Witches Spies and Stockholm Syndrome – Life in Medieval Ireland'. This episode is the prologue - a whistlestop tour of Anglo Norman from 1170 to 1370

Next week we will start into chapters on diverse topics like sex, violence and food!

I am also doing a live podcast this Friday at 7-45 pm (GMT) which will be streamed (links tbc). I am joining DJ and Eoin from Snugcast.  We will be having a few beers and talking about historical pandemics and how they compare with whats happening at the moment. DJ and Eoin work in the medical field so they will be bringing expert knowledge in this regard. I will post more details on Friday morning. 

Stay Safe 

Fin

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The podcast is below but first I have an update about free audiobooks. 

These are difficult days we are all facing due to COVID-19. As I explain in the podcast I have created two audiobooks over the last few years - one on the life of Brian Boru and another on the Black Death. Given lots of us are stuck indoors going through social isolation at the moment I am giving patrons both audiobooks for free. 

I have always appreciated your understanding when the show has been late due to my illness so hopefully in this I will be able to give you something in return. 

If you would like the Brian Boru book and/or 1348: A Medieval Apocalypse - the Black Death in Ireland please email me at info@irishhistorypodcast.ie (dont use the messenger here - things get lost!). 

Over all I am going to try and increase output in the coming weeks to help get you through what is a strange time. This will include recording an audio version of my first book Witches, Spies and Stockholm Syndrom - Life in Medieval Ireland. I will do an update on that in a seperate post.

In the meantime stay safe folks

Best 

Fin

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Murder Will Out (A Land to Die for Part II)

This episode picks up the story of William Sheehan from the last show. Having grown up in post famine Ireland, Sheehan lived in a society obsessed with land. In 1882 he had been evicted from his farm at the best of his landlord and he began a relentless campaign against Johanna Power - a poor woman installed as caretaker on his farm. 

Finally in 1883 he emigrated from Ireland to New Zealand however within a year later his neighhours made a startling discovery - one that would see the police in Ireland hunt William Sheehan down. 

Hear the full story of the brutal murder Sheehan had committed and the story of his sensational trial.  

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The sentiments which fuelled this were epitomised in John B Keane play and later an Oscar nominated movie The Field, where the central the Bull McCabe who commits murders over land says  

It's my field. It's my child. I nursed it. I nourished it. I saw to its every want. I dug the rocks out of it with my bare hands and I made a living thing of it! My only want is that green grass, that lovely green grass, and you want to take it away from me, and in the sight of God I can't let you do that.

While the Bull McCabe was a fictional character that story was based on real life events. Indeed every county in Ireland had its own story of a land related murder.

This podcast tells one - a feud over a farm outside the East Cork town of Castletownroche. Taking places in the decades after the famine this dispute resulted in the deaths of four people. 

Buried for nearly a century and half this story is told for the first time in this two part podcast.  

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The year 1916 is known for one event in Irish history – the Easter Rising. However as that fateful weekend approached most Dubliners were oblivious to the fact that their city stood on the threshold of history. This podcast focuses on three of those  Dubliners, and takes look around their city on the eve of the rising, revealing what the city looked like, sounded like and even smelled like!

This is a journey into the houses of the most wealthy citizens to the homes of those struggling at the margins. We will move from prisons to workhouses and garner a sense of what Dublin was like on the eve of the most famous chapter in its long history.  

Dont forget to get your patrons discount of 40%  when buying tickets to the 10th anniversary live podcast at irishhistorypodcast.eventbrite.ie. The code is patronsonly

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There is also some good news  - The tenth anniversary party is coming soon and you as a patron can get 40% off by using this code patronsonly in the next fortnight. 

Tickets and Event Details are available here 

Thanks for all your patience!

Fin

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Thanks for your ongoing support - it means so much. I am slowly getting used to the weekly format, its only possible because of your support! 

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A few weeks ago my sister Ruth gave me a pile of old newspapers she found in her house. They dated from the summer of 1963, a time I considered to be relatively recent, so much so I wouldn’t have considered it 'proper' history. 

However once I started reading these 57 year old newspapers I was gripped. They provided a window into an Ireland that was unimaginably different. The Second World War was a recent event, 1% of the entire population were priests, nuns or monks and the internet didn't exist. This podcast transports you back to Ireland of yesteryear - JFK visited the country in the summer of '63 and instead of downloading Tinder you found love in the classifieds of a newspaper!

Scans of all articles mentioned and links to online sources will follow in the episode guide in a few hours. 

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First built in 1582, the Hole in the Wall pub in Kilkenny was the perfect location to record this episode. I was joined by DJ Walsh of the podcast Snugcast and we looked at the history of drinking in Ireland. 

Starting in the late Middle Ages, this podcast is a whistlestop tour through Irish drinking habits over 800 years. Myself and DJ talk about what Irish people drink and how this has changed. We also picked apart the reasons for Ireland's deeply problematic atttitude to alcohol. 

The podcast finishes with a discussion on drinking habits in Ireland in the 21st Century. 

Thanks to DJ Walsh of Snugcast! 

You can hear DJ's podcast below 

iTunes  

Spotify

Follow Snugcast on twitter 

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This is a first for podcasting in Ireland. Myself and the archaeologist Neil Jackman joined guide John McInerney and ventured into Dunmore Cave to record a show in this fascinating location. 

This history of this cave is mysterious and gripping. Around the year 930 the Vikings massacred large numbers of people in a battle fought around the cave. By the 18th century some of the earliest explorers found large numbers of human remains scattered across this extensive tunnel system. While this may be evidence of a brutal Viking massacre, recent archaeological excavations and analysis have suggested the full story may be more complex. Join us on a fascinating journey into the underworld. 

Neil Jackman is the host of Amplifiy Archaeology a podcast on Irish Archaeology. I can't recommend this show enough. https://www.abartaheritage.ie/amplify-archaeology-podcast/ 

John McInerney is the head guide at Dunmore Cave. You can find out more about Dunmore Cave at https://www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-east/dunmorecave/ 

An Episode Guide is available here. 

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Happy New Year. Sorry I haven't been in touch sooner. Christmas proved to be a difficult time after a close friend passed away on the 23rd. There is a lot of content in episodes guides and a bonus episode still outstanding but it is in all in the pipeline. 

For now this short (2-3 min) podcast basically explains whats coming up in 2020. I am also looking for your opinions on what shape a series on the War of Independence should take. There is more on that here www.irishhistorypodcast.ie/survey. 

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In this podcast we tried to tease out the importance of the Spanish Civil War and the complex relationship between Irish society and the Catholic Church in the 1930s. 

This is the first time I have tried this structure. Your feedback is always welcome and will be taken on board as we move forward. 

There will be one more patrons-only podcast in 2019. That will be released between Christmas and New Years. 

I hope you all have a merry Christmas and you enjoy it whereever you spend it. 

Nollaig Shona & Slán 

Fin

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By focusing on this castle we were able to have a wide ranging conversation that covers centuries of history. We began with the Norman Invasion, made our way through the origins of sectarian tensions in Ireland before looking at a brutal siege and massacre during the 1640s. Then we finally finished by looking at the destruction of archaeological sites in Ireland in the 21st Century.

This is the last general podcast of 2019. There are two patrons-only podcasts for those who have subscribed to that tier coming in the next week. These are discussion between myself and Stewart, the researcher on Partisans about various aspects of that series. 

Thanks for all your support through 2019 - it means so much and has allowed major changes in terms of episode research and production. I am already looking forward to what will be a pretty busy year in 2020. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Best

Fin

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We also hear the perspectives of the famous writer George Orwell and the Irish priest Alexander McCabe. 

Content before Christmas 

This is the last episode of Partisans before Christmas. There is a bonus episode coming up on the excavations of a castle. This is enthralling stuff!

There will be also be Patreon-only podcasts available in the next week where me and Stew discuss Partisans. (We have tried on two occasions to record this but technology failed us).

There are three episode guides outstanding now. They will also be uploaded. 

Sorry for the mess up in scheduling. 

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In this episode we meet the second Partisan, Bob Doyle. His life could not have been more different to that of Aileen O'Brien who featured in last weeks epsiode. While she gave us insights into why Irish people fought for Spanish Fascism, this podcast on  reveals why some chose to fight against fascism. 

Doyle, a member of the IRA and a communist, was born in Dublin in 1916. He grew up in a poor working class family in grinding poverty in the Dublin's North Inner City. His childhood provides us with vivid insights into Dublin's appalling tenement housing among the worst in Europe at the time. 

Through the 1920s and 1930s he was increasingly alienated from wider Irish society.  As he joins the IRA his journey takes us into violent street battles between communists and fascists in Dublin as political tensions turn increasingly violent leading up to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. 

The first bonus show where me and Stewart discuss the series will be out this week. The episode guide for last weeks show will be out tomorrow. 

As a patron you can 10% off badges at www.irishhistorypodcast.ie/shop by using the code patron today. 

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In this  podcast we meet our first partisan - Aileen O'Brien, a 22 year old Irish American who moved to Ireland in 1935. O'Brien was always a mysterious figure - her contemporaries were never quite sure what to make of her. Some considered her a fascist, others thought her a naive catholic while inteligence agenices suspected  she may have been a covert arms dealer. 

Unsurprisingly not long after she arrived in Ireland Aileen's activities attracted the attention of the Irish police and eventially even military intelligence. Using never before seen archives this podcast follows O'Brien's life up until the summer of 1936. 

Her strange and intriguing life is an insight into far right activism in 1930s ireland and explains why many Irish people supported the fascist coup in Spain in July 1936.

Dont forget as patrons you can get 10% off my unique enamel history pins and  badges at Irishhistorypodcast.ie/shop by using the code patron. 

Partisans is created by myself Fin Dwyer and Stewart Reddin. 

Logo design - Keith Hynes 

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While the series focuses on the experiences of Irish people in the Spanish Civil War, this episode sets the scene. It explains the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, the crisis that consumed Spanish politics in the 1930s and the far reaching implications of that conflict not least for people in Ireland. The show starts however at one of the greatest battles in history...

This series has taken months of research which has only been possible because of your support. I really hope you enjoy it.

Thanks so much

Fin

Thanks to Stew for all his work & Keith Hynes for the incredible logo!

P.S. The Episode Guide is out on Monday. 

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There's only a few days before the launch of my new weekly series 'Partisans: Irish Stories from the Spanish Civil War'. I am really looking forward to your feedback. You will have exclusive early access here on patreon from Friday.

In the meantime I have this bonus show on a famous event in Irish history - the Four Courts Explosion. In June 1922 the Public Records Office of Ireland was destroyed in a massive explosion that rocked Dublin City Centre. Several centuries of Irish historical records had been stored in the building, most of which were incinerated. In this episode I explain the background to the explosion and what was lost. 

In the second part of the podcast I visited the National Archives on Bishop Street where I meet Zoe Reid who works restoring items rescued from the site in the aftermath of the explosion.

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This five minute show gives you some sense of what you can expect. 

Thanks to Keith Hynes for the wonderful artwork for the show!

Finally don't forget to get your patrons discount on my new series of badges at irishhistorypodcast.ie/shop by using the code patron. 

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In this very special podcast recorded in the old victorian wing, I look at what the hospital was like in the late 19th century. The archivist Helen Madden gives fascinating insights into 

• What was 19th century operations were like.
• What was hospital food like in the early days?
• How the Mater treated the victims of 1916 Rising.
• The story of the republican hunger-striker Thomas Ashe who died in the Mater in 1917.
• How tensions rose between the hospital staff and the IRA during the War of Independence after a patient in a nearby hospital was executed!

I also interviewed Prof Ronan Cahill about the extraordinary history being made in the Mater today through the use of robotics and AI.

I would like to thank Helen Madden & Professor Ronan Cahill for taking the time to talk to me and Debbie Killeen for her work in making this podcast possible.

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This topic might sound familiar to some of you. I released an episode on Muriel over two years ago when I tried to start a new podcast channel that never took off. Very few people however have listened to the show and its an intriguing topic. 

I am returning to the topic now because I have run into major problems with the final episodes on the Great Famine. It is completed but I am very unhappy with it - I explain how I intend on rectifying this in a specially recorded segment for you the patrons at the start of this ad free version of the episode. 

I will have another episode out next week on the history of the Mater hospital. 

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I have just released a unique and limited series of historical badges (below) you can get a 10% discount by using the word patron today in the check out. 

http://bit.ly/historybadges 

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'Winners & Losers' is set to the backdrop of a News Years Eve Ball held in Kilkenny Castle on December 31st 1850. Home to the Marquis & Marchioness of Ormonde, the castle hosted what was considered the elite of county Kilkenny that night.  

However behind the finery and wealth on display we will see how the Great Famine continued to affect life in Ireland into the 1850s. 

From guests at the ball to the impoverished weavers of Kilkenny, it would be several years before the Great Hunger truly came to an end. 

The Episode Guide will be released in the coming days. 

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In this episode I interview historian Hallie Rubenhold whose book 'The Five' focuses on the lives of these women. In what proved to be a fascinating conversation we focused on the women's lives, why they have been forgotten and their connections to Ireland. 

Hallie is speaking in Ireland in November. You can find out more at murderone.ie

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I had originally planned to release the final Great Famine episode this week. While I had that podcast almost completed, I was unhappy with it so I went back to the drawing board. Having entirely changed focus I am on the right track now but it is probably going to be two episodes, the first of which will be released in 10 days. 

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Since I started making the podcast back in 2010 Brehon Law is one of the most requested topics. This show takes us back to the world of medieval Ireland and looks at the legal system that governed society - Brehon Law. 

It's often described as far superior to other medieval legal systems given the 'rights' it afforded to women. In this podcast I interview Dr Gillian Kenny (@medievalgill) to get the full story. Gillian explains what exactly Brehon Law was and how it worked from divorce to sex magic!

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There is no episode guide for this show as it is interview based. I still haven't completed the guide for the episode 'Was the Great Famine a Genocide?' I haven't forgotten it - its a very important one. I am a bit unwell so it will be a few more days. 

Thanks for your patience! 

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I think the subject needs little by way of introduction. The podcast asks whether the Great Famine was a genocide tackling all the key issues from British Policy, British intentions, exports of food to where the idea originated. 

I hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for your continued support. 

Thanks to Lynn Campbell,Tim Casey and Mark Malone for their readings.

A fully referenced episode guide will be ready on Tuesday.

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One of the things that makes medieval history so interesting is that the very basics of life are astounding and fascinating in equal measure. We are endlessly intrigued by

• What did people ate?
• Life expectancy
• How people died?
• What was healthcare like

In a few weeks a new exhibition opens in my hometown of Kilkenny in the Medieval Mile Museum. This exhibition is centred around skeletons of three people discovered during recent archaeological excavations in Kilkenny. 

This podcast interviews the team of experts behind the excavations in a warts and all look at the lives of our medieval ancestors. 

Thanks to Colin O'Drisceoil, Dr Linda Lynch, Shiela Dooley & Grace Fegan for their time. 

There is no episode guide for this show as its interview based. 

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Fin

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During the Great Hunger over 250,000 people were evicted by their landlords. Most of these people were left destitute with little hope in an Ireland decimated by the Great Famine. 

In this podcast I look at struggle that took place between tenants and landlords in the final phase of the Great Hunger. The show tries to understand why landlords and their agents acted in such a ruthless manner and why the government in London actually encouraged this process.

Live Podcast 

My next live show in conjunction with Snugcast is on in Grady's Yard Waterford on July 13th. Tickets are free but are going fast - Get yours now at waterfordpodcast.eventbrite.ie 

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This podcast takes you on a journey deep into one of Dublin's most notorious slums - St Michan's. There we follow the lives of a poor couple George and Bridget Shea. Their experience of the Great Famine was in its own unique way intertwined with the Victorias visit. 

This story provides us with an evocative, fascinating and revealing contrast to the royal visit while also explaining the strangely passive response to the monarch's arrival in Ireland.

This episode also covers later 1849 as Dublin finally emerged from the Great Famine. 

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In the 1850s Burke continued to be employed in workhouses, however he was dramatically executed in 1862 on the gallows in Clonmel Jail for a heinous crime! Listen to the show and hear how this man, whose life seemed to actually improve during the famine ended in scandal.

This show is only available to you the patrons  of the podcast. I am extremely grateful for your ongoing support. 

It means so much. 

Thanks 

Fin

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Richard's life however does provide us with unique insights into Clogheen Workhouse central to how the Great Hunger affected this community and many others across Ireland.  

The shocking statistic that one in three people who perished in the famine (over 300,000 people) died in these buildings highlights their importance in the story of the Great Hunger. 

There has already been one episode on workhouses earlier in the series but this show deepens our understanding by focusing on Clogheen. There was also a patrons only episode on The Workhouse and the Poor Law  which provides a more general context to what is discussed in the episode.

The next patrons only podcast will focus on a fascinating murder mystery related to todays show. That will be released next Monday. 

Like all patreon content this show is advert free. Thanks for your ongoing support. 

Fin

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In Part II attached below we look at how I ended up getting into podcasting and how the industry has changed over the last decade. 

Thanks to Martin Nutty & Sophie Colgan for organising the event\

Recording and photography: Anna O'Carroll

My next podcast 'Tyranny, Cruelty & Inhumanity - The Workhouse | The Famine in Clogheen part II' will be posted here exclusively for show patrons next week. 

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Through their lives these podcasts look at some controversial aspects of the famine such as the export of food and the violent resistence to those exports. It also examines stories of those who profited during the famine and how many Irish people who seemed like decent people continued to export food in the midst of the famine. 

The show includes dozens of primary sources including two previously unpublished  letters written from Clogheen and Boston giving a first hand perspective of what life for Irish people was like in the 1840s. 

I would like to thank Ted Reilly and Martin Nutty for their help in New York without whom this episode would not have been possible. 

Like all episodes on patreon this episode is ad free. 

Credits:

Aidan Crowe read David Keane's Letters 

Maurcie Casery narrated Robert Davis's report 

Mark O'Dwyer voiced the words of James Fraser and Ferguson the pawnbroker 

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The Hellfire club is an 18th century ruin in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. The building has a somewhat scandalous history and is considered by some to be one of Ireland's most haunted locations. A few years ago Neil Jackman of Abarta Heritage led an archaeological excavation on the site. This podcast is an interview with Neil. He reveals the history behind this building, where the folklore and mythology originates and what he uncovered in the course of his excavations.

You can read the full report of Neil's excavation here

I have had a 3 cancellations for next Saturday's Witchcraft tour. If you want to join me for what promises to be a great day you can buy tickets at irishpodcast.eventbrite.ie 

As a patron you get a 10% discount on tickets by using the code patron

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Located in the midwest - the landcape and climate in Nebraska are pretty extreme - its very different from the large cities on the Eastern Coast.

In this podcast I look at how Irish emigrants survived on the Great Plains in the 1870s and 1880s. Their accounts are fascinating - from sleeping in tents in brutal winters to an Irish American man who sold something called 'the Great Remedy' that could cure anything!

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

I am currently working on the next Famine show. This, like all famine episodes, will take a few a weeks but I will release a recording of my talk at the AIHS (the American Irish Historical Society) and a bonus show with the archaeologist Neil Jackman who excavated the Hellfire club outside Dublin in the coming weeks.

I will also be starting the Patrons Book Service where I will giving away books to show patrons. The first two are texts I used in the making of the Peig Sayers shows. I will post more on this next week. 

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In this show we follow Peig when she moved from Dunquin in West Kerry to the Great Blasket Island. We get fascinating insights into what marriage was like in the late 19th century (a combination of a first date and moving in with your in laws!). Peig's later life also details how  events like the 1916 Rising, the Great War and the War of Independence played out on this remote island. This podcast concludes with the story of how and why the Great Blasket was abandoned in the mid 20th century

Thanks to 

Niamh Ní Riain of the NLI, Ciaraíoch & Sean Sheehy for their narrations. 

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Peig Sayers was born in west Kerry in 1873 living in what was then one of the most remote communities in Ireland. Her lifertime spanned some of the most interesting events in modern Irish history. She grew up in a country reeling from the Great Famine but died in one that had won its freedom from the British Empire during the War of Independence. Recognised as one of the great story tellers of the last century Peig recounted what her life in vivid detail. Her account is fascinating as it is rare. She articulated what it was like to grow up in some of the most remote and poor communities a voice very rarely heard in Ireland. In this podcast on her life we follow her early life in the Dunquin while the next show will look at her life on the Great Blasket, an island off the coast of Kerry. 

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In this podcast the story of Mollie Gilmartin is unearthed from the guilt and shame that saw it buried for over a century....

This episode is currently only available on patreon. It will be released on iTunes later this week.

The Great Famine Series is returning in March after my trip to New York. On February 28th I am speaking at the American Irish History Society. Tickets for the event are available here.

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To conclude this series, I wanted to find what if anything survives from this incredible event. They took place 700 years ago but some of the oldest buildings in Kilkenny are nearly 1000 years old so I took a recorder and soon found myself in buildings Alice herself used to frequent. 

Over the course of a few days I was able to unearth numerous places and artefacts associated with Alice Kyteler giving you a unique insight into her notorious trial and the events surrounding it.  

Thanks to Grace Fegan, Elizabeth Keyes & Peter Kenny for their time and interviews.

There is still four tickets available for the Witchcraft Tour which visits all the locations assocaited with the trial. Tickets and more details are available at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/medieval-witchcraft-tour-tickets-53808830661

 As a patron you get 10% discount on the tickets by using the coupon code patron

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The last episode (available here https://www.patreon.com/posts/23405113) explains the background to the trial. This show picks up the story as the trial and surrounding scandal began in March 1324. 

I have also organised an exclusive once off tour to accompany this podcast. This is day trip that takes on April 20th 2019. The tour will visit all the places mentioned in the podcast from Kells Priory to the medieval ruins of Kilkenny city. Tickets include a private coach from Dublin, entry to Kilkenny Castle, the Medieval Museum and St Canice's Cathedral as well as a meal. I will also be giving two interactive walking tours of Kells and Kilkenny. On the day you will get an listening device which allows you to step into the past and hear what the historic locations sounded like in 1324. 

Tickets limited to 25 people are selling fast. You, as a show patron, can get a 10% discount by using the coupon code patron when booking  at  ¸https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/medieval-witchcraft-tour-tickets-53808830661

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This is the first of two podcasts on the trial. This show sets the scene by painting a picture of life in KIlkenny in the 1320s and introducing the main characters the next episode will follow the trial itself. 

To accompany these podcasts I am organising a once off day long tour on April 20th 2019 to Kilkenny to visit the spectalar remains of the medieval city. This will be an interactive experience enhanced by listening devices so you will hear the sounds of the 14th century while standing in the places where this trial took place. 

Tickets which include private coach, entry into three paying sites, a walking tour of Kells priory and medieval Kilkenny cost €100. This also includes a meal.

Spaces are limited to just 25 people and you as a show patron can get a 10% discount by using the coupon code patron when booking  at  ¸https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/medieval-witchcraft-tour-tickets-53808830661 

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1848 was a year of revolt and rebellion across Europe including Ireland where events were shaped by the Great Hunger. While the Famine rebellion has been overshadowed by the much larger 1798 rebellion and the 1916 Rising, it is a fascinating if forgotten story. 

In this podcast we take a journey through radical politics in Ireland tracing the origins of the famine revolt from the extreme violence of the 1798 rebellion to the pacifism of Daniel O’Connell’s Repeal Movement. 

Along the way you will encounter some of 19th century Ireland's most controversial revolutionaries from John Mitchel to William Smith O’Brien in what is a fascinating story haunted by the spectre of the Great Famine. 

This also gives us a chance to take a proper look at how Ireland’s political leaders reacted to the Great Famine which reveals a story of machiavellian deals and betrayal. 

This is all told by focusing on the story of a very ordinary rebel, the Tipperary native Martin Ryan.

Sorry for the delay in getting this show out - it ended up taking around 100 hours between research, scripting, recording and editing. Thanks for you ongoing support which has made this possible. 

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In this podcast I talk about how I think we need to change the way we think about the famine by looking at the lives of four people who survived the Great Hunger and why we should focus on their lives. 

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Let me know what you think of this format - its something of a departure from the normal structure but I can record other sections of her work if its useful and enjoyable. 

The full text of the books is avialble here https://archive.org/details/annalsfamineini00nichgoog

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This podcast brings you the story some of these unlikely heroes from a Polish Count Pawel Strelecki (pictured above) to the Evangelical Protestant from Vermont Asenath Nicholson. Their stories of sacrifice in the 1840s are remarkable.  The podcast also looks at the stories of generosity among slaves, native americans and prisoners who donated money to the famine relief despite facing extreme hardships themsleves. 

Thanks to Olga Jazienicka for the help with the polish pronouniations (which are still pretty terrible - apologies!)

• The episode guide will be released monday 
• The next patrons podcast, a 40 minute show based on Asenath Nicholson's writings will also be released on Monday. It is an accompaniment to this episode and is based on her account of the Great Famine

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The next episode in my series on the Great Famine should be out tomorrow in famine! 

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The photograph is Muriel leaving Brixton jail in 1920 

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The picture above is the one mentioned in the episode. Those pictured are (from left to right) background: Mary McSwiney, Annie McSwiney, Fr Augustin Hayden, Geraldine O'Sullivan & Richard Mulcahy. Front: Terence McSwiney & Muriel Murphy.

The next episode will be patrons only content. This podcast, out Tuesday or Wednesday, is based around excerpts from Asenath Nicholson's experiences of the Great Famine. 

The next main show is on Charity during the Great Hunger but that episode is at least ten days away. 

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My next episode in the This Week in Irish History series looks at the story of Oliver Cromwell's siege of Wexford which took place in October 1649. The 1640s and 50s were among the most brutal decades in Irish history when around 20% of the population died in seemed to be relentless wars. Tune in to find out more.

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This episode focuses in on one area – Clifden in Co Galway where the famine in the 1848 was arguably even worse than it had been during Black ’47.  This show also looks at who was responsible, how the British Government created the illusion (that persists to the present day) that the famine was nearing an end in 1847 and why they did this. 

We also look at the brutal struggle for survival in Clifden. This saw people pushed to the extremes and break the greatest of human taboos – cannibalism.

Thanks to Aidan Crowe, Josh Clarke, Tara Lonij, Janet Johnson, Danny Burke, Caitlin White, Wayne O'Brien, Mark Laherty, Conor Lenehan, John Brennan, Sean Comiskey, Denis O'D & Christopher Devine for their help in making the show.

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I have also included a brief update for patrons at the start of the podcast which is worth listening to so you get a sense of what's coming over the next fortnight. 

Thanks 

Fin

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You as patrons will have early access as normal so you will be able to listen here before anyone else. However I need a favour from you before the release of the first show. It will take a few seconds but will make a big difference. 

To help build the show I need subscribers now - the show promo is already in most podcast directories. 

If you subscribe this will help push the show up rankings and more people will see it. 

So if you can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts it will have a big impact

Itunes                   🎙️tinyurl.com/y7mvg2hc
Spotify                  🎙️tinyurl.com/yavvhl8l
Podcast Republic🎙️tinyurl.com/ya3eafqt

Thanks to patron Brendan Tobin for the title suggestion!

The next podcast in the main series will probably be out later this week - its shaping up to be the longest podcast I have ever made so depending on how recording goes it may be next week. 

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As always I focus in on one story and this podcast details the fascinating life of Margaret Murphy. Margaret was one of the forgotten millions who lived through the Great Hunger. 

She was born in Ireland in the final years of the 18th century and lived through the rebellions, wars and recession that set the stage for the Great Famine in the late 1840s. 

Thanks to Clodagh Leonard, Nick MacCrimmons, Tomas, Hugh Sheehy, Aidan Crowe &  Tara Lonij for readings.  

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It goes on general release next Wednesday in Ireland and in the US & UK at the end of September. Last Wednesday I got a sneak preview of the movie.

 This podcast is my thoughts. 

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Book your tickets on the interactive tour of Medieval Dublin mentioned in the show here https://tinyurl.com/y7tuxg5k 

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

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The episode guide and show notes are attached below. 

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The return to the Great Famine series has been delayed due to illness for more details see here. Thanks for all your patience.

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

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This was something of an understattement in some cases. 

In 1816 Edward Lynch became an informer. A few months later this resulted in one of the worst crimes in pre-famine Ireland - The Massacre of Wildgoose Lodge......

Announcement no.1 My documentary Famine Fields will be exclusively be available on patreon next week. 

Announcement no.2 I am currently designing a one-off tour of medieval Dublin which will be enhanced by sound efffects like my Dublin Famine Tour. This will take place in late August. 

Tickets for this will go on sale in July. Initially they only be available to you the patrons of the show. If it doesnt sell out I will then open it to the public. 

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

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Find out why...

I will be posting a short teaser from my upcoming documentary later in the week with patreon release dates. 

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

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While beginning at Mother Mountain this podcast develops into a fascinating journey through the brutal British penal system in the 19th century ending in Australia. 

The episode guide for this is very long and wont be ready until Monday

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

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I have attached the notes I used making the show below in a PDF

I hope you enjoy it. 

Thanks for your support. 

Fin 

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This podcast looks at why Irish peope found themsleves in British asylums in disproportionate numbers in the 1850s and 1860s. The answers reveal some harrowing details about the difficult lives the Famine Irish in Britain faced.

The show notes is attached below

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

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

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This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 30% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod30 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

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This podcast is strucutured aroud an interview with Damian Shiels of www.Irishamericancivilwar.com someone who has tirelessly researched the stories of these people over the last eight years. Damian’s interview is really fascinating. 

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There is a lot coming in the next few weeks 

Next ten days  A new patrons podcast. 

Three week’s time – The story of the Famine Irish in Britain. 

In the next 4-8 weeks the film funded by you the patrons of the show will be out. This is really exciting and is shaping up really well thanks to the work of Jamie Goldrick. 

It will take up a lot of time over the coming weeks but I am very happy with the direction its heading. This has been quite a prolongued process but we are nearly there. 

It will be exclusively available online for you the patrons and then I will hopefully arrange a screening in Dublin as well. I will keep you posted in the next show with updates.  

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It looks at the story of the Irish in the USA after the Great Famine. This is an enormous story one worthy of its own series so summarising it in one podcast was difficult (it took about 60 hours to make). 

I have chosen five stories which I feel represent different aspects both positive and negative of the Irish American experience.

These include stories from the notorious New York slum of the Five Points to the Rocky Mountains during the Californian gold rush. It also looks at the Molly Maguires conspiracy in the coalfields of Pennsylvania and finally an overlooked chapter in the Irish story from New Mexico.

I had alot of help in making this show. I am very grateful to Martin Nutty, Ryan McCormick, Laura Pasek, Lisa O'Sullivan and Ronan McGreechin for their recordings. Monica Brennan very generously allowed me use her rendition of Thousands Are Sailing. 

I hope you enjoy it.

PS The Episode Guide is in the making but will be another day maybe two. 

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Thanks to Alexis Kelly for his narration. 

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This podcast is sponsored by deburcararebooks.com/podcast Ireland's largest stockist of rare books with titles from the 16th century to the present day. 

They have put together a fantastic offer for the listeners of the Irish history podcast. You can get 15% off some classics:

Maamtrasna: The murders and The mystery by Jarlath Waldron This was the key source for my podcast series on the Maamtrasna Murders and contains numerous comtemporary accounts from what is one of the most enduring mysteries in Irish history. 

The highly recommended "Transactions of the Central Relief Committee of the Society of Friends during the The Famine in Ireland" I have used this repeatedly throughout the series and is the source of quotes in this podcast. Its a hardback collection of accounts, reports and letters written by quakers who were helping famine victims.

The Great Irish Book of Genealogies. This is a beautiful translation of the five volume collection of medieval history, prose and poetry. The original was written in the mid 17th century making this translation a collectors item.

You can get these for a limited time only at deburcararebooks.com/podcast 

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My Dublin Famine Tour launches this Sunday. Book you place now at  www.Dublinfaminetour.ie 

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Hopefully I will meet lots of you on the tour at some point! 

Book your place today at www.dublinfaminetour.ie

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Then to conclude I look at profiles of Irish famine emigrants. Who were these people? How did they manage to escape Ireland?  I also debunk some common myths along the way.

I have just launched my new Dublin based walking tour on the Great Famine - You can find out more and book your place at www.dublinfaminetour.ie 

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This podcast is sponsored by deburcararebooks.com/podcast Ireland's largest stockist of rare books with titles from the 16th century to the present day. 

They have put together a fantastic offer for the listeners of the Irish history podcast. You can get 15% off some classics:

Maamtrasna: The murders and The mystery by Jarlath Waldron This was the key source for my podcast series on the Maamtrasna Murders and contains numerous comtemporary accounts from what is one of the most enduring mysteries in Irish history. 

The highly recommended "Transactions of the Central Relief Committee of the Society of Friends during the The Famine in Ireland" I have used this repeatedly throughout the series and is the source of quotes in this podcast. Its a hardback collection of accounts, reports and letters written by quakers who were helping famine victims.

The Great Irish Book of Genealogies. This is a beautiful translation of the five volume collection of medieval history, prose and poetry. The original was written in the mid 17th century making this translation a collectors item.

You can get these for a limited time only at deburcararebooks.com/podcast 

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

Jane’s life prior to the onset of the Great Famine and her position in her local community shaped the gauntlet she faced in the years following 1845. 

I hope you enjoy the show and thanks for all your ongoing support - I really appreciate it.

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This podcast is sponsored by deburcararebooks.com/podcast Ireland's largest stockist of rare books with titles from the 16th century to the present day. 

They have put together a fantastic offer for the listeners of the Irish history podcast. You can get 15% off some classics:

Maamtrasna: The murders and The mystery by Jarlath Waldron This was the key source for my podcast series on the Maamtrasna Murders and contains numerous comtemporary accounts from what is one of the most enduring mysteries in Irish history. 

The highly recommended "Transactions of the Central Relief Committee of the Society of Friends during the The Famine in Ireland" I have used this repeatedly throughout the series and is the source of quotes in this podcast. Its a hardback collection of accounts, reports and letters written by quakers who were helping famine victims.

The Great Irish Book of Genealogies. This is a beautiful translation of the five volume collection of medieval history, prose and poetry. The original was written in the mid 17th century making this translation a collectors item.

You can get these for a limited time only at deburcararebooks.com/podcast 

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

This podcast details the background of this assassination and how it relates to the wider story of other mass evictions in Ireland in the late 1840s. The episode also tries to assess who exactly was to blame for the evictions - Irish landlords facing bankruptcy or the British Government in London?

This podcast is sponsored by deburcararebooks.com/podcast Ireland's largest stockist of rare books with titles from the 16th century to the present day. 

They have put together a fantastic offer for the listeners of the Irish history podcast. You can get 15% off some classics:

Maamtrasna: The murders and The mystery by Jarlath Waldron This was the key source for my podcast series on the Maamtrasna Murders and contains numerous comtemporary accounts from what is one of the most enduring mysteries in Irish history. 

The highly recommended "Transactions of the Central Relief Committee of the Society of Friends during the The Famine in Ireland" I have used this repeatedly throughout the series and is the source of quotes in this podcast. Its a hardback collection of accounts, reports and letters written by quakers who were helping famine victims.

The Great Irish Book of Genealogies. This is a beautiful translation of the five volume collection of medieval history, prose and poetry. The original was written in the mid 17th century making this translation a collectors item.

You can get these for a limited time only at deburcararebooks.com/podcast 

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

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I am busy putting the next installment of the Great Famine Series together at the moment. I have had the notes on this topic for sometime so I thought I would put out an episode while the Famine episode is in the pipeline. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Fin

PS The content for this is based on a chapter in my first book. Whilst I own the audio rights I do not control the print rights to the book so I cannot produce an episode guide for this episode. However all patrons subscribed for episode guides can have a free copy of my audiobook "1348 A medieval Apocalypse" if you havent heard it yet. (I will create another post about this.)

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And (drum roll)

• A new tour I have been working on for the last few months.

Thanks to all of you who have supported the show throughout the year. There is no way I could have gotten as far as I have with Great Famine Series without you. 

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year. 

Fin

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This podcast continues this bizarre story using recently released files from Ireland's intelligence agency G2. These files contain serious allegations about Skorzeny in Ireland. 

• Was he using Cork Harbour to smuggle arms to North Africa?
• Was he guilty of testing a gas gun on concentration camp inmates?
• Why did he reportedly meet with IRA leader Ruairi O'Bradaigh in Spain in 1971 with a view to import weapons to Ireland?
• Did Ireland's future prime minister Charles Haughey turn a blind eye to some of these activities?

Find out more in this podcast.

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Outsiders is a short mini series I am making over Christmas - I will be returning to the story of the Great Famine in mid January 2018. 

This podcast is brought to you by Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast the gateway to Ireland's great historical past. 

With over 70 titles some of which stretch back to the 18th century a subscription will make the ideal Christmas gift for the history buff in your family.   

You can get 30% of monthly and yearly packages today at Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast and use the coupon code Pod30.

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Once labelled the most dangerous man in Europe the focus of the podcast, Otto Skorzeny was a man plagued with rumours of war crimes, gun running and Neo-Nazi activities all his life. 

His arrival in Ireland in 1957 started a dark chapter in our history one steeped in controversy mystery and unsettling revelation about some of Irelands most prominent figures. 

Outsiders is a short mini series I am making over Christmas - I will be returning to the story of the Great Famine in mid January 2018. 

This podcast is brought to you by Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast the gateway to Ireland's great historical past. 

With over 70 titles some of which stretch back to the 18th century a subscription will make the ideal Christmas gift for the history buff in your family.   

You can get 30% of monthly and yearly packages today at Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast and use the coupon code Pod30.

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

This podcast is brought to you by Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast the gateway to Ireland's great historical past. 

With over 70 titles some of which stretch back to the 18th century a subscription will make the ideal Christmas gift for the history buff in your family.   

You can get 30% of monthly and yearly packages today at Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast and use the coupon code Pod30.

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

This podcast is brought to you by Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast, the gateway to Ireland's great historical past. Withover 70 titles some of which stretch back to the 18th century a subscription will make the ideal Christmas gift for the history buff in your family.

 You can get 30% of monthly and yearly packages today by going to Irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast and use the coupon code Pod30

 

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This is his story. 

I also look at an often forgotten aspect of workhouses: the bitter and sometimes violent struggles for control of the running of these institutions which explains why so many died. 

This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

As a listener to the show you can get 40% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod40 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

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I have spent several weeks researching this topic. Some of this material  is controversial but never the less is an important part of our history. I would love to hear your views on this show.  

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That summer was also decisive because no sooner were the ballots counted than the island became fixated on an even more important test – the harvest. If this failed the future was bleak but many had reason to be hopeful...

This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

As a listener to the show you can get 40% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod40 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

[I have posted the podcast before the episode guide is ready - as I am probably going to lose electricity - Storm Ophelia is battering Ireland at the moment. I will post it in the coming days.]

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This episode is not suitable for younger listeners and contains numerous references to cannibalism. If you are listening in work pop on the head phones or you might get funny looks!

I had attached two resources - the first is the episode guide which has maps and text, the second is a key source I used in this episode The 1838 report of the Molesworth Committee on Transportation. The pages specific to Pearce's story are 313 - 316. 

This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

As a listener to the show you can get 40% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod40 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

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Tune in to find out more. 

This episode is brought to you by www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

As a listener to the show you can get 40% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod40 at www.irishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast 

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Their story also gives us an insight into life in Dublin prisons during the famine. The second part of the show is somewhat different focusing on the bizarre and perverse chapters in the entire famine - the arrival of the french celebrity chef Alexis Soyer to Dublin in 1847 to help famine victims.

This episode is brought to you by IrishNewspaperArchives.com/podcast

As a listener to the show you can get 40% off monthly or yearly subscriptions by using the Coupon Code Pod40 at www.irishnewspaperarchives.com/podcast

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I have attached the text of the book in PDF and EPUB format below. These are from Google Books. 

The style of 'An Emigrants Narrative' is different to podcasts, in terms of length and content. As usual I would appreciate your feedback given this is new territory! If you enjoy it I will record another text for the next patrons podcast in September. 

I hope you enjoy it 

Fin

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Tomorrow I will be releasing  the audio copy of the book An Emigrants Narrative, the 1850 account of William Smith who crossed the Atlantic with Irish emigrants in the winter of 1847. This will be available to patrons who have subscribed for $5 or more. 

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Research for this show took me into the archives of the National Library of Ireland. After sifting through what must have been thousands of letters from Famine emigrants I select several for inclusion in this podcast. They give a unique insight into the lives of Irish people in 1847 as they prepared to leave Ireland. Their stories are far more complex and all too often more tragic than we imagine. 

These letters have never been published before so this episode is breaking new ground. This is only possible through your support - previously I would not have been able to devote the necessary time to one episode. So thanks very much folks!

Thanks to Clare Ryan, Jamie Goldrick, Thom McDermott and Dave Lordan who narrate the letters.  

I have been making podcasts on Irish history for around nine years and I think this is one of my favourite episodes. I am eager to hear your opinions because sometimes what interests and excites me is not necessarily great content for you. As always I will factor in your feedback when I make future episodes.

Fin

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Thanks for your continued support!

Fin

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Thanks for all the ongoing support! 

Fin 

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Eventually I got myself together and visited Slievemore.

Slievemore is a remarkable place. A thriving village until the  mid 19th century it was abandoned after the famine. While there are a few shots in the pdf below,  the podcast attached also has some recording made at the ruins (this podcast is also available in iTunes so it also encourages people to sign up to patreon!).

If you have signed up for the exclusive podcasts, I released a full podcast earlier on today the Story of Achill during the famine which is available here  https://www.patreon.com/posts/podcast-famine-11360988

Tomorrow I am visiting the archaeological excavations at Keem which will be fascinating so I should have more interesting content for you then.

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(Apologies that this show is a week late. Research took much longer than usual and then the writing proved tricky in places and I had to rewrite several parts. Thanks for your patience).

The episode guide is available here

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While the show follows the fate of millions through increasingly uncertain times it begins (as is often the case now :) ) in a quite secluded spot in the west of Ireland – in Co Leitrim. 

The Episode Guide will be available tomorrow. 

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1845 is famous for one thing in Irish history – the beginning of the Great Famine. However contrary to what you might expect, if you lived in Ireland through most of 1845 there was little evidence to suggest Irish society stood on the brink of one of the greatest famines in history. There were problems sure enough but these was also signs life was improving. 

This podcast follows the life of William A'Court, Baron Heytesbury - the Lord Leuitenant of Ireland appointed in 1844 and includes accounts of his arrival, July 12th in 1844, The Movement for the Repeal of the Act of Union and the Poor Law and the buidling of Workhouses.  

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NOTE: The volume on the show is lower than normal, unfortunately there is nothing I can do other other than rerecord the show. This takes several hours and as I am away on holidays for the next few days I would not be able to  produce another version before Tuesday. I thought it best to post it as it is. If its too low please let me know. 

Best 

Fin

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The proponents of Union between Ireland and Britain promised great things – Ireland was after all joining the the largest economy in the world. In this episode we will see how the reality was very different. Within a few decades inequality was soaring. Strikes, riots and assassination were becoming increasingly common. Then the bizarre story of an eruption of Mount Tamburo, a volcano  on the far side of the world made everything worse. Tune in to find out more. 

The Patrons Guide will follow. 

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This episode - Rebel Island - focuses on the life of an extroadinary Irish woman -  Anne Devlin whose life gives us an insight into Ireland before the Great Famine.

Anne was involved in the 1803 rebellion, but her life also help us understand   why sectarian tensions between Catholic and Protestants dominated life in Ireland, what the Act of Union was and why it was so important and also the fascinating story of the 1798 Rebellion.

If you have subscribed for episode guides, the guide for this show is available here.  

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In the opening line of his novel The Go Between the writer LP Hartley famously quipped ‘The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there’. For me history is about attempting to visit this foreign country LP Hartley talked about and seeing what life was like.
In this show I have  trawled through eye witness accounts of travelers to Ireland in the early 19th century to give you a sense of what life was like in a past where they did things very differently.
From bare-knuckle boxing to prostitution, from public transport to what people did for fun, this show takes you on the trip to the foreign country that was Ireland in the 1820s. 

This, my last podcast of 2017, will be released online tomorrow but as patrons you have this exclusive early preview.

Best 

Fin

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'Letters from Dakota' is the story of my grandaunt Mollie Dwyer who emigrated to the USA when she was 15 years of age in 1906. Her emigrant experience was very different to most. Within two months she found herself in a convent in South Dakota training to be a Nun.  She would never return to the town she grew up in, save for the very occasional visit. 

However for over 40 years she wrote to her brother Jack Dwyer (my grandfather) in Castlecomer revealing intriguing insights into her unusual life as a nun in rural Dakota. I recently discovered her letters where she writes about prohibition in the 1920s, World War II but also her lonely life in rural America as well as her struggles with depression.  

These are her Letters from Dakota. 

My sister Ruth narrates her letters in this episode.

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Finally you may see a podcast of the same name in your iTunes feed - that is only an excerpt of this show with details of how to become a patron. 

Thanks for your support

Fin

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This show is a normal podcast (not exclusive to you patrons) which looks at what the history of the great famine in my neighbourhood in Dublin. 

"In this episode I took my recorder and headed around my neighbourhood  looking for the history of the Great Famine. Unsurprisingly I didn't  have to travel far. With the Women's prison, the North Dublin Workhouse  and the residence of the Lord  Lieutenant all within a kilometre, this  show is full of fascinating accounts recorded at the sites they took  place. From the mansions of the powerful to the prison cells of the  powerless, this is a fascinating account of life in Dublin in the late  1840s. Among the lives recalled is that of 13 year old Mary Keane was  imprisoned for not having a train ticket! However others faced worse  punishment..."

I am finishing your patron's guide at the moment - that will be up here in the coming days. 

If you have any questions about the episode dont hesitate to ask. I hope you enjoy the show. 

Fin

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