In this captivating episode of the Irish History Podcast, Jackie Ni Chionna joins me to discuss the remarkable but forgotten Irish woman, Emily Anderson. Emily was an Irish code breaker who played a pivotal role at Bletchley Park during World War II. Despite her significant contributions to the Allied war effort, Emily has been forgotten in the wider history of the Second World War.

In 2023, Jackie published "Queen of Codes," a biography of Anderson. In this episode, she shares the life and legacy of this extraordinary Irish woman, exploring her journey from the west of Ireland to the heart of Britain's top-secret code-breaking operations.

Jackie vividly brings Emily Anderson's story to life, shedding light on her invaluable work and the challenges she faced in the male-dominated world of military intelligence.

Tune in to discover the untold story of an unsung hero of World War II.

You can get Jackie's book in audio, ebook, and hardcopy here.

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In the 1850s, Portlaw was Ireland's most successful town. The population had grown tenfold in the previous 30 years. The local Cotton Mill, built by the Malcomson Family, provided work for thousands of people. However, by the early 20th century, everything had changed. The Cotton Mill was silent, and many of the houses had been abandoned.

This episode explores the story of the Malcomson Family. Once known as the Kings of Cotton, they built one of the most successful business empires in the world in rural Ireland in the space of forty years. Their downfall was no less spectacular. This episode reveals the dramatic rise and fall of the Malcomson dynasty, showcasing their remarkable achievements but also uncovering the dark secrets of a company with controversial work practices that benefited from US slavery.

Episode 2 of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast is out now! You can hear the story of Ann Glover - The Irish Witch of Boston. Listen here.

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I am delighted to share the very first episode of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast. It's a new show I am making with historian Damian Shiels which looks at Irish-American History. It's separate from the Irish History Podcast and Season 1 will be released each Monday. You can subscribe to Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast to get future shows. In this first episode we look at who the first Irish person to reach the Americas was. There are a few intriguing candidates.

• Was it St. Brendan, the intrepid Irish monk who is said to have voyaged across the Atlantic centuries before Columbus?
• Could it have been an Irish woman taken captive by Vikings who reached Newfoundland around 1000 AD?
• Perhaps it was an Irish sailor aboard one of Columbus' ships?

Next week I will be back with the Irish History Podcast with a show on the House of Malcomson, a dramatic story about the rise and fall of an Irish dynasty known of the Cotton Kings.

Meanwhile the second episode of Transatlantic whcih looks at the Forgotten Irish Witch of Boston comes out next Monday and will be available here https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod.

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John Keany, Monica de Wichfeld, and Delia Murphy are not well-known figures, yet they are some of the most extraordinary people in modern Irish history. During the Second World War, they found themselves in Nazi-occupied Europe and took extraordinary risks to resist the Nazis. Some paid with their lives.

This podcast tells their stories.

The episode is based around a conversation with John Morgan and Clodagh Finn. Their new book, The Irish in the Resistance: The Untold Stories of the Ordinary Heroes Who Resisted Hitler, details the lives of Irish people who fought the Nazis. You can find links to the book below.

**My big announcement for podcast fans https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod **

You can buy John & Clodagh’s book https://linktr.ee/irishintheresistance

You can follow John & Clodagh on Socials

 Clodagh

 Insta https://www.instagram.com/clodaghfinnwrites

Twitter https://x.com/FinnClodagh

John

Insta https://www.instagram.com/johnm436/

Twitter  https://x.com/maoilmordha

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At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ireland adopted a position of neutrality. However, throughout the conflict, senior figures in the United Kingdom and the United States suspected the government in Dublin harboured Nazi sympathies. While the Royal Navy believed German U-boats were refuelling along the West Coast, actions taken by the Irish government only seemed to confirm a view that neutrality masked pro Nazi sympathies. For example when the Taoiseach Eamon de Valera paid a visit of condolence to the German legation on the death of Hitler, in a move that provoked outrage across the globe. This was just one of a catalogue of incidents that seemed to confirm that the Irish government was sympathetic to the Nazis. 

However at the same time, the Irish government were providing secret aid to the Allies.

In this podcast I explore Irish attitudes during the Second World War and whether the Irish government really harboured Nazi sympathies.

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In this riveting episode I delve into one of the most intriguing and lesser-known stories of World War II: "The Mystery Nazi Flight to Ireland." On May 5th 1945, a German bomber unexpectedly landed in Ireland, sparking a media frenzy and wild speculation. Newspapers across the globe sensationalized the event, suggesting that Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking Nazi officials were on board, seeking refuge as the Third Reich collapse.

Recently I visited the military archives to access the Irish Intelligence file on the incident. The plane had three passengers, all in German military uniform. Who were these men, and what led them to undertake such a perilous journey in the dying days of the war?

Join me as we uncover the real story behind this mysterious flight, exploring the soldiers' backgrounds, their motivations, and the incredible circumstances that brought them to Ireland.

Additional Narrations by Aidan Crowe. Sound by Kate Dunlea.

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Portal Tombs are scattered across the Irish countryside. These monuments, around 5,000 years old, have been sites of ritual for millennia. Generation after generation, while spiritual beliefs changed, these ancient sites often remained sacred. In this podcast, I explore two of these tombs to understand how and why these mysterious tombs were built, and why humans return to particular landscapes over thousands of years.

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Guinness is the most iconic Irish brand of all time. A large part of its success is based on a history the company has carefully crafted around the beer. However like all histories, the actual history of Guinness is complicated. In this episode, I am joined by Eoin Tabb and DJ Walsh to explore some of the more controversial aspects of the history of Guinness. So tune in to uncover the untold stories behind Ireland's famous stout.

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Brehon Law, the ancient legal system that ruled Ireland during the Middle Ages, is often romanticised as egalitarian and even feminist. But, in this riveting episode, Dr. Gillian Kenny shatters these myths. Join us as we delve deep into a world where sex magic and slavery were prevalent, and discover how Brehon Law actually reinforced a patriarchal society.

Tune in to this classic episode, originally released over five years ago, for an eye-opening journey through ancient Ireland.

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Step back to 1324 and listen to the chilling story of Ireland’s first Witchcraft Trial in my latest episode. In 1324, the Bishop of Ossory, Richard Ledrede, accused Alice Kyteler, a wealthy and influential woman, of witchcraft and heresy. Alongside Alice's story, we explore the tragic fate of Petronilla de Meath, the first person in Ireland to be executed for witchcraft.

Marking the 700th anniversary of these dark events, we delve into the societal fears, power struggles, and personal stories that shaped this infamous trial.

Join me for a gripping journey through medieval Ireland.

Research and production was funded by the Library and Heritage Services at Kilkenny County Council with the support of The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

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