The History of Ireland

By Kevin Dolan

The story of how Ireland became Ireland: its revolution, its gods, and the myths in between.

Learn more at www.thehistoryofire

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· History

4.7

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FAQs about The History of Ireland:

How many episodes does The History of Ireland have?

The podcast currently has 137 episodes available.

The History of Ireland episodes:

August 19, 2026 S3 EP23 – The Good People
I'm very excited to share this episode, it is an interview with the author Hannah Kent. Hannah wrote the amazing novel The Good People which is a fictional account of a very real story that took places in the early 19th century. A story very similar to that of Bridget Cleary.
Hannah took a very rigorous approach to her work and so I wanted to chat to her about her research and what she learned.

You can pick up the book and learn more about it here:
https://thebookshop.ie/kent-hannah-the-good-people-hardback/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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24min
July 30, 2026 S3 EP22 – Are You A Witch Or Are You A Fairy?
In this episode, up a week early for History Nerds, we look at how Bridget Cleary's last night on earth, how was killed and the wider implications of her court case.
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14min
July 18, 2026 S3 EP21 – They're Making A Fairy Of Me
In 1895, Bridget Cleary — young, educated, and a little too stylish for County Tipperary's liking — fell ill with a fever. Within days, her husband and neighbours had convinced themselves she'd been taken by the fairies and a changeling left in her place. What followed was a week of forced "cures," a hot poker, and a fire. Drawing on Angela Bourke's The Burning of Bridget Cleary, this episode traces how a community's belief in the good people curdled into horror — and sets up the trial that would follow.
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15min
June 30, 2026 S3 EP20 – How the Tuatha Dé Evolved into Fairies
The old gods of Ireland never really died — they went under the hills, and people learned not to say their name. We follow the Tuatha Dé into folklore, where they become the fairies, the Sídhe, the Good People — and take the first step towards the changeling and the 1895 killing of Bridget Cleary.

The episode cover image is a hawthorn tree, famously associated with fairies in Ireland. (Wikimedia Commons/Robin Somes)

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15min
December 23, 2025 S3 EP19 - The Children of Lír in the Classroom
In today's episode we finish off the last section of The Fate of the Children of Lír and explore how really it was the Christian Brothers who cemented it in the Irish psyche.

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18min
December 04, 2025 S3 EP18 — Why The Children of Lír Was The Perfect Story For 19th Century Nationalists
In this episode we look at how the Children of Lír slowly gained popularity over the 19th century and see what happens when you turn someone's children into swans.
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13min
November 06, 2025 S3 EP17 — The Lie Behind The Children of Lír
In this episode we look at The Fate of the Children of Lír and explore how Ireland's most famous myth is not a myth at all. In fact, it's a Christian parable in a shape of myth. A bit like a child who's been turned into a swan.

The artwork for this episode is THE CHILDREN OF LIR. THE ENCHANTMENT by Jim FitzPatrick.
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16min
October 09, 2025 The Black & Tans in Palestine
A slight diversion from our current series on mythology to look at a unique connection between Ireland and Palestine.

If you'd like to donate to support the people of Palestine you can do so here:
https://www.savethechildren.org/us/where-we-work/west-bank-gaza

As this could be a contentious episode, I wanted to ensure I shared all my sources. If it's something people find interesting, I'll keep doing for episodes moving forward.

Seán W. Gannon, “The Formation, Composition, and Conduct of the British Section of the Palestine Gendarmerie, 1922–26,” The Historical Journal (2013). Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Seán W. Gannon, “‘Our Irish Constabulary’: The British Palestine Gendarmerie, 1922–1926,” in The Irish Imperial Service
Richard A. Cahill, “The Image of ‘Black and Tans’ in Late Mandate Palestine,” Jerusalem Quarterly 40 (2009).
Richard A. Cahill, “Going Berserk: ‘Black and Tans’ in Palestine,” Jerusalem Quarterly 38 (2009). Palestine Studies
UCC, The War of Words: Propaganda and Moral Force. University College Cork
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17min
September 12, 2025 S3 EP16 — The Scholars on the Edge of the World
The Fate of the Children of Tuireann Pt. 3
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13min
July 22, 2025 S3 EP15 — The Fines That Made Brehon Law Tick
In this episode Lug issues a fine to the Children of Tuireann and we look at how fines were the bedrock of medieval Ireland's decentralised system of laws.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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19min

FAQs about The History of Ireland:

How many episodes does The History of Ireland have?

The podcast currently has 137 episodes available.

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