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Sure, It’s Only History
Sure, It’s Only History episodes
- The Invisible Invader: Smallpox and the Fall of TenochtitlanBilly Galligan explores how the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan fell not just to Spanish swords and cannons, but to an invisible passenger that devastated an empire: smallpox.8 min
- The Plantation of Ulster: Dividing the LandBilly Galligan explores the 1610 Plantation of Ulster: the Crown's confiscation of Gaelic lands, the arrival of British settlers, and the roots of divisions that shaped modern Irish history.9 min
- The Flight of the Earls and the Wild GeeseHow the Flight of the Earls ended Gaelic Ireland, sparked the Plantation of Ulster, and gave rise to the Wild Geese in exile.10 min
- The Charge of the Light Brigade: A Wrong Turn into the Valley of DeathHow a vague order, aristocratic ego, and brutal miscommunication sent the Light Brigade into a deadly charge at Balaclava in 1854.11 min
- The Norman Invasion of 1169: The Invitation That Changed IrelandDermot MacMurrough’s invitation brought Strongbow, Henry II, and centuries of change. The Norman invasion began Ireland’s long entanglement with England.7 min
- The Zimmermann Telegram: The Secret Message That Wasn'tZimmermann's blunder, British codebreakers, and how a leaked telegram helped bring the U.S. into World War I.10 min
- Brian Boru and the Battle of ClontarfBrian Boru’s rise, the Battle of Clontarf, and Ireland’s greatest victory shadowed by heartbreaking loss.9 min
- The Vasa: When a King’s Ego Sank Sweden’s Great WarshipThe story of the Vasa’s disastrous maiden voyage, where royal pride, bad design, and ignored warnings sent Sweden’s mighty warship straight to the bottom.12 min
- Feathers, Fiascos and the Great Emu WarThe bizarre 1932 Australian campaign against emus, where machine guns met flightless birds and dignity lost badly.9 min
- When London Burned: The Great Fire and Its Fallout
This episode revisits the Great Fire of London, from the disastrous response in Pudding Lane to the melting of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the scapegoating of an innocent Frenchman. It also explores how property rights, rebuilding choices, and public memory shaped the city long after the flames were out.
6 min
About Sure, It’s Only History
From the publisher's feed
Sure, It’s Only History
History. It happened. Someone should probably talk about it.
Sure, It’s Only History is a podcast hosted by Billy Galligan — a Dublin man living in Georgia who has absolutely no business presenting a history podcast and is doing it anyway. Sure why not.
From the events that shaped Ireland to the moments that derailed the rest of the world entirely, this show covers it all. Wars, disasters, rebellions, bad decisions, good intentions gone horribly wrong, and the occasional triumph against the odds — told the way history should always have been told. Over a cup of tea, with a raised eyebrow and nobody taking themselves too seriously.
Is it historically rigorous? More or less.
Is it entertaining? That’s the plan.
Will there be an Irish angle on absolutely everything? Almost certainly.
New episodes whenever Billy gets around to it — which, given everything else he has going on, is an act of God in itself.