How difficult was life in the Middle Ages? This is something archaeologists and historians have debated for decades. In recent years, new techniques, including genetic analysis, have given us new insights into the lives of our distant ancestors in the Medieval Era. Their findings are unsettling. Life in the Middle Ages was far more difficult than we imagine.

My guest in this episode is Prof. Eileen Murphy from Queen's University Belfast. Eileen has recently published groundbreaking research on daily life in early medieval Ireland, based on her analysis of human remains excavated in Co. Roscommon. In this podcast, she answers all your questions on what life was like.

Eileen shares her discoveries on how people survived in a hard and difficult world. It's not for the faint of heart.

This episode is not suitable for children.

Our interview is based on the book "The Forgotten Cemetery: Excavations at Ranelagh, Co. Roscommon," available for free at https://www.tii.ie/technical-services/archaeology/publications/tii-heritage/.

Eileen is the deputy head of the School of Built & Natural Heritage at Queen's University Belfast: https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/NBE/.

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

The camera never lies or does it?

In this episode, I take a trip to the National Photographic Archive in Temple Bar, Dublin. Joining me is the archivist, Nora Thornton. Nora not only leads you through the history of photography from its earliest days but also delves into the murky history of image manipulation. It's much older than modern photoshopping. From your great-grandmother, who was eager to alter her figure, to more significant political editing, there's a fascinating history that unfolded behind the scenes.

You can visit the National Photographic Archive - its located on Meeting House Square in Templebar. You can also check out thousands of images from their collection that have been digitised here https://www.nli.ie/collections/our-collections/photographs

These are the images mentioned in the show

No.1 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000188503

No.2 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000188275

No.3 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000183831

No.4 https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000354193 

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

In 1170, the Norman Lord Strongbow landed an army in Ireland. The following day, he launched a deadly assault on the nearby city of Waterford. Before the day was out, Strongbow had not only conquered Waterford in a brutal assault but also made time for his wedding.

This marriage changed Ireland forever.

Discover how the marriage of Aoife, a seventeen-year-old, and Strongbow, a man in his mid-forties, altered the course of Irish history. I also explore how it elevated Aoife to one of the most powerful women in medieval Irish history.

In addition, my supporters of "The Troubles" with Dr. Brian Hanley continues this week with part four, as we delve into the years 1970 and 1971. During this time, the IRA begins to engage the British Army across Northern Ireland.

Get the first four episodes at patreon.com/irishpodcast

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

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

However, it was a peculiar time in Ireland. The Revolutionary Era was firmly in the rearview, and the optimism and hope it once inspired had long faded. Irish society was increasingly dominated by the Catholic Church and conservative political forces. This podcast delves into life in Ireland during the 1930s by examining the experiences of a series of writers. These writers were critical of Irish society, and due to their political or religious beliefs, they found themselves labeled as outsiders. This podcast tracks their journeys as they left Ireland for London, where they mingled with the most renowned writers of the age, such as T.S. Eliot and George Orwell, and were drawn into the dramatic global politics of the time.

My guest is Katrina Goldstone. Katrina has published a book Irish Writers and the 30s and is available here https://www.routledge.com/Irish-Writers-and-the-Thirties-Art-Exile-and-War/Goldstone/p/book/9780367634995

You can find Katrina’s website https://www.katrinagoldstone.com/

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

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

Telling the time in hours and minutes seems so natural that we don’t even question where it came from. However it is a pretty recent development. For most of history our ancestors didn’t have clocks and understood time itself in a very different way.

In this podcast we will journey back through the centuries to explore how our ancestors measured time. Its an intriguing story. In the medieval world the length of an hour changed every day while Dublin in the 1870s had two separate time zones!

WhatsApp Irish History Channel

Telegram Irish History Channel

Support the show and get my exclusive series on the Troubles www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

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

On April 13th, 1922, three IRA volunteers chased a man through Central Park in New York. In front of dozens of witnesses, they shot him four times before escaping. This event marked the culmination of an international manhunt as the IRA tracked an informer across the world.

In this episode, I am joined by New York Times Senior Editor Mark Bulik. During the interview, Mark shares the intriguing story of Patrick 'Cruxie' O'Connor and why he was hunted by the IRA in 1920s New York.

Follow up on the episode at my new socials.

WhatsApp Irish History Channel

Telegram Irish History Channel

Get Mark's book Ambush at Central Park - When the IRA Came to New York

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

During the Great Hunger of the 1840s, vast sums of money were sent to Ireland by people across the world. One of the most remarkable stories is that of the First African Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. Even though many of the congregants were slaves, they still sent a donation.

In this podcast, I interview Anelise Shrout, who shares this and other stories of remarkable generosity. Anelise also reveals why people chose to give money to Ireland above other causes and crises. We also discuss the motivation behind what was arguably the most controversial of all donations during the Great Hunger - that of the Charleston Hibernian Society, whose members were supporters of slavery and enslaves themselves.

Get Anelise's book "Aiding Ireland - The Great Famine and the Rise of Transnational Philanthropy" at https://nyupress.org/9781479824601/aiding-ireland/.

Follow Anelise on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dr.a.h.shrout/ and check out her website at https://www.anelisehshrout.com/.

Become a supporter and get the next episode of my exclusive series on the Troubles at https://www.patreon.com/irishpodcast

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

Through most of the 20th century, authorities in Ireland operated a strict censorship regime when it came to film. At its height, around one in every three films was censored in Ireland. The reasons for this are often hard to fathom today. Scenes that showed a dancer's legs or even a long kiss were often edited out. Allusions to sex were considered far too racy. And this was all before they even got into the films that strayed into politics or religion

In this episode, I am joined by Aoife Breathnach and Lloyd Maedbh Houston to explore the very strange world of film censorship in Ireland on both sides of the border. 

Want to hear more? Lloyd joins Aoife on a special season of her podcast, Censored, that looks at censorship in film in Ireland. I highly recommend checking this out. You can find it at link to the podcast: https://play.acast.com/s/censored.

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

In the late 1960s, Northern Ireland erupted into major violence, marking the opening phase of The Troubles. Over three decades, this conflict would claim thousands of lives and continues to dominate life in Ireland today.

In my new exclusive supporters series, I am joined by Dr. Brian Hanley to explore how and why The Troubles began. This fascinating history begins in the 1920s when Northern Ireland was forged amid intense violence.

Over six episodes, the series explores the rising tensions of the 1960s when Nationalists demanded equality and how seminal events such as the Battle of the Bogside and Bloody Sunday proved to be pivotal moments in our history.

Episode 1 is exclusively available for supporters at https://www.patreon/irishpodcast.

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