That's Old News

The Winter War 1939-1940 was a military embarrassment for the Soviet Union, suffering hundreds of thousands of casualties for little territorial gain. And standing in their way was the legendary Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä, who alone clocked in well over 200 kills with his rifle alone and 500 kills altogether with little more than a rifle, iron sights, and a fondness for chomping down on a bit of snow.

Join Conor this week as he takes the gang through the incredible story of this legendary hunter, see how he used the terrain and weather of Finland in the winter to get the upper hand on the Soviets, and wonder how you're so bad at Call of Duty when this guy loved to do it all just with his trusty rifle and not a single telescopic sight to be seen anywhere.

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

Have you ever sat back and thought to yourself "I wonder what some of the worst ways to die in history were"? Well Hayley does... Hayley thinks about it... a lot. She's okay (we think) but some of the methods of torture and execution that she stumbled upon were so varied in their style and method that it made for a fascinating episode! And it's worth sticking around until the end when we rank them all in a tier list! Because we are perfectly sane individuals.

Join Hayley this week as she takes the lads through the gruesome world of torturing and executing people throughout history, and learn about everything from environmentally friendly bamboo torture to the infamous Brazen Bull, along with nine other methods from all over the world.

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

James Bond, Ethan Hunt, Austin Powers. These are just some of the greatest spies to grace our lives, but all pale in comparison to the spymaster himself - GARBO! This Spanish chicken farmer almost singlehandedly secured the defeat of the Germans during the Second World War and his story is absolutely phenomenal.

Join Arron this week as he takes the group through the incredible story of this chicken farmer turned spymaster supreme, and learn how he created the greatest spy network in Britain and used it to fool the Germans at every opportunity. And just when you think the wacky antics are over, agent Garbo has another ace up his sleeve!

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

When we think about gods and goddesses our minds usually jump to the Roman Pantheon or the Greek Parthenon, but what if I told you the Irish have our own little cluster of gods and goddesses? All with their own wacky adventures, weird origin stories, and hilarious moments, they mark the first histories of Ireland and how the Irish came to be.

From the Tuatha Dé Danann and the goddess Ériu who gave the island her name, to the crazy tale of the warrior Cú Chulainn with some terrible relationship troubles, and a fish who even with a single lick of its shiny body it bestows the world's knowledge on a person... but only if they suck their thumb like a baby. Join Arron, Conor, and Hayley this week as we look into the incredible world of Irish mythology.

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

Irish military history is a topic hundreds of years in the making, ranging from service under the old Gaelic lords to "Wild Geese" regiments raised throughout Europe and, of course, an entwined history with the British Army. Much of this came to an end with the emergence of the Irish Free State, and later Republic of Ireland. Ever eager to prove ourselves on the world stage, it was only natural that Irish peacekeepers would be sent to the Congo as part of the UN - but disaster was lurking.

Join Conor this week as he takes us through the devastating ambush on Irish peacekeepers in the Congo and explains the lack of care gone into the planning of the mission that led to the ambush, the lack of quality equipment, and our thoughts on one of the first deployments of Irish troops since the creation of the new state.

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

What do you get when you take the phrase "Keep it in the family" WAY too seriously? A family tree that forms a perfect circle! And there is no better example in history of the dangers of a bit of how's your father with someone a bit too closely related to your father than the Habsburg dynasty.

Join Hayley this week as she takes us on a journey to Spain at the end of the 17th century, where Habsburg King Charles II spawned into the world with every debuff known to man and destroyed ay chance of his lineage carrying on the throne of Spain! Remember folks, if your family tree has a diagonal line in it then you've gone wrong somewhere and you might get a case of the infamous "Habsburg Jaw".

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

Controversial? Never heard of it! Would have been nice to know before we decided this may be a good episode though... can't wait to see our ratings plummet after this one.

In all seriousness, welcome to our first dive into the far more controversial and topical conversations of the day - this time being the Russo-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas War. Being graduates of military history and strategic studies, this is Arron and Conor's bread and butter and they want to at least try their hand at discussing these subjects. So if you want an overview of these conflicts in as close to our usual style as possible then this is the episode for you!

There will certainly be disagreements aplenty, and we appreciate any and all disagreements that are raised by our listeners as long as they are done respectfully. We understand the heightened emotions for some of these topics, but as historians we could not avoid talking about these subjects just because they are mired in controversy. So join Arron and Conor this week as they take their first dive into both of these wars, and be sure to let us know what you think!

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

Sometimes people ask us if there's a bad way of doing history, and usually the answer depends on what they want to research - but if you're looking for a perfect example of doing it completely wrong then look no further than the abysmal and stressful Leaving Cert Higher Level History exam!

The Leaving Cert is almost over now, and with the release of the exam to the public the gang have decided to look it over and give you our unfiltered thoughts on the exam, what it expects of students, and how the whole way we make students learn history in secondary schools actually does more to drive hopeful historians away from the field than to keep them interested!

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

Let's face it guys, we've all imagined ourselves as brave soldiers charging against enemy forces in defiance of them at some point in our lives, but unfortunately for us it's always just a dream. For Jack Churchill however, he lived it - and he excelled at being an absolute madman at every opportunity.

Join Arron this week as he takes the gang through the exciting and unbelievable life of John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, better known to the world as "Mad Jack" Churchill. From the Battle of Dunkirk to the end of the British Mandate of Palestine and finally working for the Ministry of Defense, Jack's life is so incredibly varied and exciting that it reads like fiction, and yet it was true.

This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Conor Daly and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. The short audio clips of "The March of the Cameron Men" and "Will Ye No Come Back Again" were recorded by the Queen's Own Highlanders.

If some of these discussion topics don't come across as controversial to some of you then we missed the ball with this one, but nevertheless as historians we must be willing to confront difficult topics and see where the facts point us. This episode is most certainly best enjoyed with your finest whiskey to hand, and it's a long one this time folks.

Join Arron, Hayley, and Conor as they get into some of the finer details of discussing history, with topics ranging from how much Catholicism affects Irish identity, to the nature of Ireland as a colony or not of the British Empire, along with some more light hearted topics like should we value historical accuracy or authenticity more. As always, your input is very much welcomed in episodes like this and we'd love to know what you think about these topics so be sure to let us know!

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