That's Old News

Napoleon, the Hero of Italy, has returned from his incredible triumph over the Austrians and finds himself without a command. But fate, as it always will with the young Corsican general, was about to come knocking. While war on the European mainland may have come to an end, France still had an enemy in Perfidious Albion whose island nation seemed impenetrable. Britain, likewise, was unable to land forces on the mainland without the overwhelming numbers of the French Revolutionary Army sending them back home on more than one occasion.

Another way of subduing Britain had to be considered, and it would come as a suggestion from Napoleon himself in August 1797. Much of Britain's income came from their trade with the east, and cutting off that vital trade route would seriously hurt their merchant class. And so it was agreed, France's next endeavour would send Napoleon to the golden sands of Egypt.

Join Arron this week as he dives into Napoleon's first and only non-European campaign as the Hero of Italy takes on the Ottoman Empire and Mamluk forces of Egypt. See how western and eastern armies clash and the resulting bloodbath as French discipline and musketry takes on Mamluk bravery and cold steel at the Battle of the Pyramids. Witness Napoleon acting as ruler of Cairo and begin to introduce domestic policies aimed at improving the everyday lives of the average citizen, and how those very same citizens would rebel against their French occupiers. And be shocked as Napoleon's darkest moments come to the fore in his treatment of prisoners of war, - and his own men. You do not want to miss this one.

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

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Sources & Further Reading:

Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny", (2014).

- Davies, David, "A Brief History of Fighting Ships: Ships of the Line and Napoleonic sea battles 1793-1815", (2002).

- Dodge, Theodore A., "Warfare in the Age of Napoleon Volume 2: The Egyptian and Syrian Campaigns & the Wars of the Second and Third Coalitions, 1798-1805", (2011).

- Esdaile, Charles J., "The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801", (2019).

- Harvey, Robert, "The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1789-1815", (2007).

- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon", (2003).

- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History", (2020).

- North, Jonathan, "Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt: An Eyewitness History", (2023).

- Phipps, Ramsay Weston, "Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon Volume 5: The Armies on the Rhine, in Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt, and the Coup d'Etat of Brumaire 1797-1799".

- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great", (2015).

- Strathern, Paul, "Napoleon in Egypt", (2008).

- Zamoyski, Adam, "Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth", (2019).

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(03:35) Episode Start

(07:59) Recap

(10:35) France and Britain at a Stalemate

(16:41) Why Egypt?

(18:50) Departure

(33:36) The Battle of the Pyramids and Securing Cairo

(52:30) The Battle of the Nile and Trapping Napoleon

(01:07:00) Cairo and Napoleon's Domestic Reforms

(01:16:37) The Syrian Campaign, The Siege of Jaffa, and the Failure at Acre

(01:38:10) Napoleon's Last Battle in Egypt - The Battle of Aboukir

(01:41:23) Napoleon Leaves Egypt

(01:44:43) The French Scientific Expedition

(02:00:52) Post Show Banter

There have been a great number of prison escapes throughout history. Some are meticulously planned affairs that take months, or even years, to plan and ensure everything is in its proper place and ready for the big escape. Others seem to prop up at just the right opportunity, where a keen-eyed an intelligent prisoner is able to quickly assess an ever-changing situation and make their daring dash for freedom on a whim. And then there are escapes like that of James Stephens, that requires a bit of planning and a massive amount of "Luck of the Irish" that would see him stay in prison for less than two weeks!

Join Conor this week as he takes us through the crazy escape of James Stephens from Richmond Bridewell prison from 1865. Seemingly a Fenian and Irish Republican from birth, Stephens lived a life that saw him be present for some pretty major events in world history as well as found prominent movements in Ireland that sought Irish independence in the mid-to-late 19th century. His time in prison was courtesy of these Fenian loyalties, but would the same man who went in to Richmond Bridewell be that same charismatic leader they would need when he left shortly after? Well for those looking to break him out they certainly hoped he was, and you'll see the efforts they went through just to break this one man out.

This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media and join our Discord server by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Durney, James, "Jailbreak: Irish Republican Escapes 1865-1983".

- McQuillan, Peter, "James Stephens", https://kilkennyarchaeologicalsociety.ie/james-stephens/ .

- O'Donovan Rossa, Jeremiah, "Rossa's Recollections, 1838 to 1898".

- Ramón, Marta, "A Provisional Dictator: James Stephens and the Fenian Movement".

- Ramón, Marta, "James, Stephens", https://www.dib.ie/biography/stephens-james-a8277 .

-Ryan, Desmond, "The Fenian Chief: A Biography of James Stephens".

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) Episode Start

(03:42) The Early Life of James Stephens

(16:55) Return From France, and Founding the Irish Republican Brotherhood

(25:31) The Arrests Begin

(29:15) The Plan and Escape from Richmond Bridewell Prison

(41:18) The Aftermath of the Escape

(49:30) Post Show Banter

Radium. That notoriously radioactive element that have been responsible for such devastating events in human history like the 1986 Chernobyl accident which saw a devastating nuclear reactor explosion from which the region has never truly recovered. But as is the case with all of our history, we did not simply spawn into this world with the knowledge that while radium certainly has some uses, you can't take it into the shower with you and try to use it like a bar of soap.

From medical advice advocating patients take a dose of radium with their daily intake of water to spa baths advertising radium pools to help cure all forms of ailments and a court case against radial manufacturers during the First World War which encouraged women to lick the tip of their radium packed paintbrushes to give their job that extra bit of shine - join Hayley this week as she takes the gang on the terrifying trip through the history of radium, from its first uses as a cure-all remedy to its disastrous consequences for those exposed to it.

I can safely say, dear listener, some of these stories are not for the squeamish. Keego nearly threw up while recording at one point! You'll want to bring your bucket for this one.

This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Simply search for That's Old News on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X or follow the links below!

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

NEW DISCORD SERVER: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

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Sources & Further Reading

- Kovarik, William, “The Ethyl Controversy: How the News Media and Health Advocates Set the Agenda for a 1920s Environmental Debate over Leaded Gasoline and the Alternatives,” Ph.D. dissertation, University of Maryland, 1993.

- Macklis, Roger M., "The Great Radium Scandal" in Scientific American, a division of Nature America, Inc., Vol. 269, No. 2 (August 1993), pp. 94-99.

- Martland, Harrison S., Conlon, Philip, and Knef, Joseph P., “Some Unrecognized Dangers in the Use and Handling of Radioactive Substances" in Journal of the American Medical Association, (December 5, 1925): 1669.

- New York Telegram, “Woman Awaiting Death Tells How Radium Poison Slowly, Painfully Kills,” May 13, 1928.

- ORAU Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, "Radithor", https://www.orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/radioactive-quack-cures/pills-potions-and-other-miscellany/radithor.html

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) Discord Server Announcement

(04:46) Episode Start

(12:26) Radium and Early Medicine

(29:15) Radium, the First World War, and the Radium Girls

(51:05) Ebenezer McBurney Byers and the Harrowing Effects of Radium

(58:45) Post Show Banter

On February 28th, 2025, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. president Donald Trump met in a televised bilateral meeting in the Oval Office. Most of the broadcast went well, but tensions would skyrocket in the last 10 minutes. What many referred to as an ambush broke out, leading to a shouting match between Zelensky, Trump, and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. No sooner were voices raised that headlines were already being made for what Trump would call an ordeal that "would make great television".

The immediate aftermath saw many events unfolding, from Zelensky leaving the White House without signing the original mineral deal to a number of nations questioning their long-standing with the United States - concerned that the volatile and unprecedented outburst, followed quickly by the retraction of vital intelligence aid sent to Ukraine, would make the U.S. an untrustworthy ally. A "Coalition of the Willing" began to form, notably among European nations as well as nations like Canada, in the wake of concerns about old alliances.

But perhaps the most important question of all remained on everyone's minds - What would this mean for the future of the war in Ukraine? There have been many speculations about what this outburst and subsequent U.S. policy means for Ukraine's immediate concerns for the end of the war and what future security for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Join the gang this week as we dive right in to the controversial meeting in the Oval Office, how the world reacted in the weeks following what can only be described as a meltdown, and what it could mean for the future of the war in Ukraine.

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan, Hayley O'Connor, and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for That's Old News on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X!

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

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"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". Indeed, no truer words need be spoken to describe the heroics of those brave pilots who defended Britain's skies during the Battle of Britain - ensuring that Britain could live on to continue the struggle against Nazi Germany at the beginning of the Second World War. And the man of this episode, John Allman "Paddy" Hemingway, not only made his name known during this period, but lived such an incredible life that it was impossible not to do an episode on him.

Sadly, Hemingway passed away at the incredible age of 105 years old on March 17th, 2025. With his passing came the end of what Churchill called "The Few". He was the last verified British pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain, and the RAF rightly called his passing the "end of an era".

In memory of him and in honour of his service, join Arron this week as he recounts the incredible life of "Paddy" Hemingway. From his early life to his time in the RAF, diving headfirst into the Invasion of France and the Battle of Britain, then straight into his service as an air traffic controller for the D-Day Landings, his time near the end of the war in Italy, and his postwar life. And hear about how he, incredibly, survived being shot down four times - with two of those times happening behind enemy lines, and forcing Paddy to sneak his way back to friendly territory to continue the fight!

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on social media! Just search for That's Old News on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X, or head to the linktree in the podcast's about section!

At this point in our story, Napoleon is still a young man but lacks direction. His posting as an artillery officer was going nowhere, he failed to bring the revolution to his native Corsica, and was cast out as a political refugee from his homeland. It was through a turn of fate that his friend, Antoine Christophe Saliceti, had recommended the young artillery officer for a position commanding the right wing at a siege ongoing in the southeast of France, and one that would finally thrust him into the history books - The Siege of Toulon.

Join Arron this week as he looks at the earliest commands of the young Napoleon Bonaparte, beginning with his brilliant tactical mind first being displayed at the 1793 Siege of Toulon, continuing into his ruthless and brilliantly effective suppression of a Royalist mob seeking to overthrow the government on 13 Vendémiaire, and ending with his incredible strategic prowess in the First Italian Campaign. We have heartbreak, funny moments, incredible moments of bravery, and stunning acts of strategic oversight that would see seemingly hopeless situations turn into brilliant opportunities for Napoleon to display his mastery at the art of war.

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for That's Old News on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X or head to the linktree in our bio!

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Chapters:

(00:00) Preamble

(01:53) Intro

(03:13) Madame Tussaud

(07:02) Part 1 Recap

(09:37) Background to the Siege of Toulon

(21:34) The Siege of Toulon

(40:02) The Interim

(43:40) 13 Vendémiaire

(54:15) Joséphine de Beauharnais

(59:01) The Italian Campaign, From Start to End

(02:35:27) Post Show Banter

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny", Vol. 1.

- Esdaile, Charles J., "The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801".

- Griffith, Paddy, "French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics, 1792-1815".

- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon"- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars".

- Phipps, Ramsay Weston, "Armies of the First French Republic, Vol. 5: The Armies on the Rhine, in Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt, and the Coup D'État of Brumaire 1797-1799".

- Popkin, Jeremy D., "A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution".

- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great".

"Sadness, anger, horror, pain, silence, trauma – all words that describe the legacy of the Irish Civil War. Although the conflict only lasted eleven months, the trauma of the Civil War can be seen all over this island – North, South, East and West, like a wound that has not healed." - Liz Gillis.

From the outbreak of the war, to the Free State offensive in the south, to the clean-up operations in the west, and to the reprisal attacks that marked its conclusion, we've explored the Irish Civil War from beginning to end. We've seen a new Free State army rise up in the remnants of the War of Independence and deal with all the struggles of a new fighting force where none existed before. We've witnessed families torn apart because of allegiances to either the new Pro-Treaty Free State Government or the Anti-Treaty IRA. Close friends turned on each other because of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, leading to targeted attacks, heart-breaking execution orders, and wounds that won't be healed for decades. And so all that's left is to see what happened in those years following the end of hostilities.

Join Conor this week as he jumps in to the last episode of his series on the Irish Civil War and how the country tried to heal after months of gruelling war. From the role of the Catholic Church in reconciling past grudges, to how the new government would retain control and quell the violence, and the demobilisation of 30,000 men from the National Army, this episode is all about building a future worthy of the Republic so many fought and died to achieve. We hope you've enjoyed the series to date, and it's time to go out with a bang,

This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Arron Keegan. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on our socials! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X, or head to the linktree in the podcast's about section and follow us from there!

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(02:03) The effects of the Irish Civil War

(08:25) A Strong Democracy, Avoiding Communism and Fascism

(15:37) The Role of the Catholic Church

(21:59) Government Control and Regaining Control on the Monopoly of Violence

(43:01) Issues in the National Army

(57:05) Politics

(01:16:45) Conclusion and Ireland Today

(01:19:48) Post Show Banter

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Bielenberg, Andy, "The Irish Civil War Fatalities Project: death and killing in the Civil War", available online at https://www.rte.ie/history/civil-war-fatalities/2024/0306/1436312-death-and-killing-in-the-irish-civil-war/

- Bielenberg, Andy, and Dorney, John, "Explore the Fatalities Map", available online at https://www.ucc.ie/en/theirishrevolution/irish-civil-war-fatalities-project/explore-the-fatalities-map/

- Dorney, John, "The Civil War in Dublin".

- Ferriter, Diarmaid, "Between Two Hells".

- Ferriter, Diarmaid, "The legacy of the Civil War", available online at https://www.rte.ie/history/the-end-of-the-civil-war/2023/0228/1359432-the-legacy-of-the-civil-war/

- History Ireland, "A Century On, How do we View the Civil War?".

- History Ireland, "How Many Died and How in the Irish Civil War".

- History Ireland, "The Irish Civil War: A Military Analysis".

- Hopkinson, Michael, "Green Against Green".

- Irish History Podcast, "The Road to War: How the Irish Civil War Started".

- Kavanagh, Jack, "The largest losses: National Army casualties in the Civil War", available online at https://www.rte.ie/history/civil-war-fatalities/2024/0220/1433337-the-greatest-losses-national-army-casualties-in-the-civil-war/

- Kinsella, Eoin, "The Irish Defence Forces, 1922-2022".

- McCarthy, John P., "O'Higgins, Kevin Christopher", available online at https://www.dib.ie/biography/ohiggins-kevin-christopher-a6812

- Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan, "The Irish Civil War".

- The History of Ireland, "How do we View the Irish Civil War?".

Rabies - a vaccine preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. It infects mammals, spreading through saliva, scratches, or direct contact with mucosa (eyes, mouth, or open wounds). As soon as clinical symptoms , rabies is near-100% fatal. It is present on all continents except Antarctica, and is responsible for, at least, some 59,000 deaths annually. Historically it has been present for thousands of years, with the first written record of a person killed as a result of rabies arising in 2300 BC in the Mosaic Esmuna Code of Babylon. And yet, it wouldn't be until 1885 AD when the first cure for rabies, in the form of a vaccine, was created and trialled.

Join Hayley this week as she dives head first into the terrifying world and history of rabies, from its causes, its terrifying symptoms, and how the man who helped to revolutionise the way we consume and store milk created the vaccine that would save millions of lives with nothing more than a dream and a fascination for removing the spines of rabbits and injecting it into his test subjects all in an effort to cure this terrible disease... but it was worth it in the end!

This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for "That's Old News" on Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter/X, or head to the linktree in our bio and follow us from there!

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(05:04) 1950s America, Little Timmy, and Buddy the Rabies-Ridden Dog Story

(15:38) "Mad dog disease", What is Rabies, and the History of Identifying the Virus

(18:04) Symptoms, Furious and Paralytic Rabies, and How it Spreads

(24:42) Louis Pasteur and the First Vaccine for Rabies

(49:09) Rabies in Today's World

(55:00) Post Show Banter

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Held, Joe R., Steele, James H., and Tierkel, Ernest S., "Rabies in Man and Animals in the United States, 1946-65: An Epidemiologic Review" in "Public Health Reports (1896-1970) 82, no. 11 (1967).

- Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Animal Health Surveillance, "Rabies", available online at https://www.animalhealthsurveillance.agriculture.gov.ie/individualdiseaselistings/rabies/ .

- John Hopkins Medicine, "Encephalitis", available online at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/encephalitis#:~:text=Encephalitis%20is%20inflammation%20of%20the,light%2C%20mental%20confusion%20and%20seizures

- Parker, Steve, "Medicine: The Definitive Illustrated History".

- World Health Organization, "Rabies", available online at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies#:~:text=Rabies%20is%20a%20vaccine%2Dpreventable,%2C%20cats%2C%20livestock%20and%20wildlife .

"The art of history lies in the debate" is an adage that Arron lives by. One can be as well read on any particular topic as possible, but it is through discussion that facts are made concrete and we can fully understand a topic. It opens our minds to opposing viewpoints that challenge what we believed, and either helps to reinforce or reassess our positions. And what better way than to do that in a freeform conversation?

Join Arron and Hayley this week as they dive in to some history discussion topics, ranging from interesting thought experiments such as "Can we ever truly know history?" to more controversial questions like "Should the British Museum return artifacts to their countries of origin?", as well as mixing history with modernity and ask "Is the modern United States an imperialist power?" This was great fun to record, and we'd love to hear what you all think about either these topics or the answers we've given!

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for "That's Old News" on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, or head to the linktr.ee in our bio!

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(03:52) Can we ever truly know history?

(11:18) Did the French Revolution need to be so bloody?

(19:20) Should history include ethical judgements?

(28:28) Is the modern US an imperialist power?

(33:03) Should the British Museum return artifacts to their countries of origin?

(42:38) Should history lessons focus on the history of your own country?

(53:53) Should British people be proud of the British Empire?

(01:02:00) What was the main cause of World War I?

(01:11:46) Did the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolize the definitive end of the Cold War?

(01:20:29) Post Show Banter

What do the release of Shrek, a turkey puppet singing at the Eurovision, and two tone-deaf Irish "artists" with too much free time and hairspray have in common? Well they make it onto our tier list of course! These 3 along with 27 more events of the last 25 years have made an impact on our world in one way or another, and today the gang is going to rank them from S tier all the way down to F tier! Usually when writing about history, the last 20 years can't be written about as it doesn't qualify as "historical" just yet so what about some events that will one day make its way into history curriculums? Tune in this week to find out!

What do you think of your tier list? Do you agree with us, or will you fight tooth and nail to move some of our rankings either higher or lower? Let us know, and any suggestions you may have for what didn't make it onto the list!

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan, Hayley O'Connor, and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(07:28) Paris Terror Attacks

(12:48) Y2K Bug

(20:12) Lelli Kelly Shoes

(24:46) Assassination of Osama bin Laden

(30:25) Deepwater Horizon

(39:00) Michael Jackson's Death

(43:33) US Withdrawal from Afghanistan

(48:48) PlayStation 2

(53:15) Shrek

(55:51) Death of Gay Byrne

(01:03:17) Edward Snowden

(01:10:27) Swine Flu

(01:14:32) The Celtic Tiger

(01:23:10) Malaysia Flight 370

(01:30:08) Jedward

(01:32:14) Tayto Chocolate Bar

(01:36:48) YouTube Launching

(01:42:10) Pausing Live TV

(01:46:47) Ireland at Euro 2016

(01:53:10) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident

(01:58:25) 2010 Chilean Miner Rescue

(02:04:31) Hardy Bucks

(02:10:00) The Arab Spring

(02:18:36) New York City Synagogue Tunnel Incident

(02:26:44) Gangnam Style

(02:30:50) Xi Jinping President for Life

(02:37:43) Isabelle Dinoire First Partial Face Transplant

(02:42:37) F*$# You Deputy Stagg!

(02:45:59) Dustin the Turkey at the Eurovision

(02:48:16) Nintendo Wii

(02:53:30) Conclusion