Nowadays, Dublin native Dionysus Lardner is a pretty obscure name. But in the first half of the 19th century, he  was one of the most famous scientists in the world. His "Cabinet Cyclopedia" had some of the greatest writers of the day sharing their knowledge with the public, and his lecture tour of America reached fifty thousand people across over a hundred lectures. But it was his wild personal life, being involved in two different divorce cases, and his longterm rivalry with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, that really kept him in the headlines. 

Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.

Our logo is by Liffy Designs.

The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com

Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk