Irish History Podcast

The Making of a Ghost Town - The Rise and Fall of the Irish Kings of Cotton


Listen Later

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Irish History PodcastBy Fin Dwyer

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

1,269 ratings


More shows like Irish History Podcast

View all
Documentary on One Podcast by RTÉ

Documentary on One Podcast

201 Listeners

Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan by Newstalk

Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan

53 Listeners

The History Show by RTÉ Radio 1

The History Show

59 Listeners

Callan's Kicks by RTÉ Radio 1

Callan's Kicks

71 Listeners

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan by The Irish Times

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

154 Listeners

The Irish Passport by The Irish Passport

The Irish Passport

329 Listeners

The Blindboy Podcast by Blindboyboatclub

The Blindboy Podcast

1,800 Listeners

The David McWilliams Podcast by David McWilliams & John Davis

The David McWilliams Podcast

366 Listeners

Three Castles Burning by Donal Fallon

Three Castles Burning

131 Listeners

The Almanac of Ireland by RTÉ Radio 1

The Almanac of Ireland

99 Listeners

The Other Hand by Jim Power & Chris Johns

The Other Hand

42 Listeners

In The News by The Irish Times

In The News

51 Listeners

The Indo Daily by Irish Independent

The Indo Daily

118 Listeners

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning by Gold Hat Productions

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

75 Listeners

The Troubles Podcast by Oisin Feeney

The Troubles Podcast

507 Listeners