Absurd Real History

Title says it all, this week Saoirse Siné talks animals in politics with special guest Kori Schagunn

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/623777/animals-who-ran-office

https://petcentral.chewy.com/pets-in-office-meet-americas-elected-animals-from-dog-mayors-to-cat-candidates/

https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/cultura/noticia/2017-05/humor-recognized-intangible-heritage-brazil-state-ceara

https://alphahistory.com/pastpeculiar/1938-republicans-elect-mule/

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/animals-that-held-office

http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/the_milton_mule

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/local/the-bosco-ramos-story-to-be-immortalized/1847815/

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=289

https://www.nationalparkreservations.com/article/lajitas-mayor-clay-henry/

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/animals-that-held-office

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/05/us/no-one-shot-the-sheriff-but-someone-cut-the-mayor-a-goat-got-it.html

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lajitas-ghost-town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agL5Lrr8xQ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm5eqVVvXm0

https://abcnews.go.com/US/CrimeBlotter/story?id=91387&page=1

https://www.houstoniamag.com/travel-and-outdoors/2013/11/west-texas-tour-november-2013

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alcoholic-goat-mayor-is-castrated-by-cowboy-174572.html

https://allthatsinteresting.com/mayor-stubbs-the-cat

https://time.com/4870781/stubbs-the-cat-mayor-dead/

https://www.newsweek.com/cat-mayor-alaskan-town-dies-20-640828

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/alaska/stubbs-cat-mayor-ak/

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105396516/top-dog-the-rise-fall-and-alleged-assassination-attempt-of-a-poodle-president

https://weekly-wonder-blog.tumblr.com/post/119693698182/saucisse-the-dachshund

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35110859

This week let Saoirse Siné tell you, and special guest Niall Johnson, all about Timothy Dexter. He may be the luckiest man on earth, and one of America's first eccentric millionaire.

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/12/25/timothy-dexter/

https://priceonomics.com/the-strange-life-of-lord-timothy-dexter/

https://fampeople.com/cat-timothy-dexter

https://medium.com/@campanensis/timothy-dexter-americas-richest-idiot-d9ae7b0d6eac

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43453/43453-h/43453-h.htm

https://historicipswich.org/2015/01/08/lord-timothy-dexter/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/301282.A_Pickle_for_the_Knowing_Ones_or_Plain_Truths_in_a_Homespun_Dress

https://archive.org/stream/lifeoflordtimoth00knap#page/n19/mode/2up

Known as the original odd couple, this week listen to Saoirse Siné tell you, and special guest Sarah McKenna Dunne, all about Arthur Conan Doyle and his bizarre relationship with Harry Houdini.

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

https://web.randi.org/uploads/3/7/3/7/37377621/jref13edmod_fairies_teacher_print.pdf

https://archive.org/details/comingoffairies00doylrich/page/4/mode/2up

https://web.archive.org/web/20030910224426/http://www.cottingley.net/cfconten.shtml

http://hoaxes.org/photo_database/image/the_cottingley_fairies/

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Fairies-of-Cottingley/

https://www.conandoyleinfo.com/life-conan-doyle/conan-doyle-and-spiritualism/

https://www.splicetoday.com/writing/harry-houdini-s-spiritual-feud-with-arthur-conan-doyle

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/doyle/spiritualism.html

https://www.grunge.com/181674/the-truth-about-harry-houdini-and-arthur-conan-doyles-relationship/

https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php?title=Houdini_the_Enigma

https://www.cicap.org/n/articolo.php?id=101009

https://web.archive.org/web/20170412193049/http://www.csicop.org/si/show/houdinirsquos_impossible_demonstration

Continuing on from our talk of Sealand, in perhaps the silliest "Absurd Real History" episode, Saoirse Siné is once again joined by Síomha McQuinn as they talk some absolute micronation nonsense.

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

My Mother

https://www.kingdomofgnome.com/

https://www.microcon2021.org/

https://lunarembassy.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpvNg-wrTkk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiHSnFPGqjg&t=9s

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyXCanKRF6yav4KwENbbZqg

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-interesting-micronations-in-the-world-map-2015-6?r=US&IR=T

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/articles/11-micronations-in-europe-you-never-knew-existed/

https://travisdmchenry.wixsite.com/microfreedom/distinguished-micronations

This week let Saoirse Siné explain to you, and special guest Síomha McQuinn, all about how some metal platform in the middle of the North Sea... is a country.

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/08/sealand-outlaw-ocean-tiniest-nation/596074/

http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/odds76.htm

https://sealandgov.org/

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/12/major-roy-bates

https://worldpopulationreview.com/regions/sealand-population

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zF5Es7OV0o

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-41135081

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/08/sealand-outlaw-ocean-tiniest-nation/596074/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/money-laundering-global-fraudsters-use-sea-fortress-as-passport-to-riches-1240742.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/apr/12/3

https://narratively.com/the-plot-against-the-principality-of-sealand/

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200706-sealand-a-peculiar-nation-off-englands-coast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pHwkbDx_34

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-QlLFftHyc

‘Holding The Fort”, written by Prince Michael 

Sealand: The True Story of the World’s Most Stubborn Micronation – Dylan taylor-Lehman

This week let Saoirse Siné tell you, and her comedian/improvisor guest Stephen Bradley, all about Disneyland and it's disastrous opening day.

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

http://www.hollywoodstories.com/pages/disney/d7.html

http://www.factfiend.com/opening-day-disneyland-total-disaster/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63874/how-counterfeiters-nearly-ruined-opening-day-disneyland

https://www.mouseplanet.com/11243/When_Did_Disneyland_Open_July_17_or_July_18

https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/history-disneyland-when-open-how-built-walt-disney/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuzrZET-3Ew

Learn about one of the worst business ideas in history that almost ruined the good Hoover name. This week Saoirse is Joined with improvisor Luke Benson.

[email protected] for any inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Episode Source Material

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3704669.stm

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/great-financial-disasters-of-our-time-the-hoover-fiasco-1171711.html

https://thehustle.co/the-worst-sales-promotion-in-history/ (most info)

https://www.marketingweek.com/hoover-fails-to-shake-off-free-flights-horror/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/hoover-gets-sucked-into-a-blockage-over-free-air-tickets-dispute-1488932.html

Learn the real story behind Grizelda Steevens, aka Dublin's pig faced lady. This week Saoirse Siné is joined by writer/comedian Erin McGathy.

[email protected] for inquiries

Brought to you by Scream for Ireland

Sources

“Freaks: The Pig-faced Lady of Manchester Square & Other Medical Marvels” -Jan Bondeson

https://www.mythpodcast.com/444/12-pig-faced-women-citation-needed/

https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Legend-of-Pig-Faced-Women

https://randomdescent.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/pig-faced-women-and-learned-pigs/

https://medium.com/history-of-yesterday/the-pig-faced-women-of-northern-europe-9b2b56a570e2

Kirkpatrick, Thomas Percy Claude (2008). The History of Dr Steevens' Hospital, Dublin 1720-1920. Dublin: University College Dublin. ISBN 978-1-906359-16-4. (Originally published: Dublin : University Press, 1924.)

https://dr-steevens-hospital-a-history.edwardworthlibrary.ie/

Wilson, Henry, and James Caulfield. The Book of Wonderful Characters: Memoirs and Anecdotes of Remarkable and Eccentric Persons in All Ages and Countries. Cambridge University Press, 2012.