Share
Irish History Podcast
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911: An Emigrant's Experience
•
On March 25th 1911 a fire ripped through a sweatshop in Lower Manhattan where hundreds of immigrants worked long hours in dangerous conditions. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire would prove a pivotal moment not only in the history of New York but also the United States. This podcast, the first of three episodes on the fire, looks at the early lives of two women Annie Doherty and Celia Walker who worked in the factory. It explains why they emigrated to the US and had little option but to work in such dangerous conditions.
This is a joint project with Hope C Tarr, an author based in Manhattan. You can find Hope's website here or follow her on twitter.
Lots of you have been asking about the War of Independence series - that kicks off on February 1st!
Follow me on twitter.com/irishhistory
Become a supporter & access dozens of exclusive podcasts
Patreon www.patreon.com/irishpodcast
Acast https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory
📢June 2023 Update - New Walking Tour 📢
I am thrilled to announce my brand new walking tour in Ireland's oldest city, Waterford. Join me and explore 1,000 years of history from the Vikings to Cromwell & Strongbow to the Irish Revolution. Enhanced by wireless headsets 🎧 you will hear the sounds of the city through the ages and the words of the people who made history in Waterford. Tours take place each Saturday and places are strictly limited to 15 people. Book your place today at www.Irishhistorypodcast.ie/tours
*New Book: A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders *
My new book A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is available for Pre-Order now. If you order your copy today at Easons and use the promo code FD10 you get a 10% discount
Easons https://www.easons.com/a-lethal-legacy-finbar-dwyer-9780008555993
Promo code FD10
More episodes
View all episodes
Societal Collapse: Did It Happen in Irish History?
31:52|In this episode, I explore the ruins of a Temple and the intriguing concept of societal collapse and its relevance to Irish history. Often depicted as dramatic and apocalyptic, societal collapse is a topic that has captured the imagination of historians and the public alike. But how accurate is this narrative especially when applied to Ireland's past? Join me as I explore if events like the Great Hunger can be considered a societal collapse!Check out my new podcast 'Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast' with Damian Shiels https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod
Your Prehistoric Ancestors: More Sophisticated than you think!
31:16|Check out my new podcast 'Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast' with Damian Shiels https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpodIn this captivating episode, I explore the enigmatic world of prehistoric Ireland. I am joined by Professor Gabriel Cooney to discuss the lives of Ireland's earliest inhabitants. Our conversation challenges the stereotypes that often cloud our understanding of this distant past. We discuss what megalithic tombs can reveal about the societies that built them and what the latest DNA analysis has uncovered about life in prehistory.Spanning an incredible 8,000 years, this episode sheds light on the sophisticated societies that thrived long before the advent of written records. Drawing insights from Professor Cooney's acclaimed book, "Death in Irish Prehistory," this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what is often an overlooked aspect of our history.Gabriel's book Death in Irish Prehistory is available here https://shop.ria.ie/products/death-in-irish-prehistory https://shop.ria.ie/products/death-in-irish-prehistory
Stigma, Famine & Emigration: A History of Mental Health in Ireland
32:54|By the late 1950s, over 20,000 individuals in the Republic of Ireland were confined in asylums—a staggering figure equivalent to 1 in every 133 Irish people at the time. This episode delves into how such a situation arose. Were Irish people inherently more susceptible to mental health issues, or was there something else at play?Centered around a single incident—a murder in Kilkenny in 1890—this episode uncovers how the Great Famine, emigration, and Victorian attitudes toward mental health created a society where anyone deemed to be suffering from mental ill-health was institutionalized.Originally released as Chapter 8 of my Irish Times bestseller, "A Lethal Legacy: A History of Ireland in 18 Murders," this episode marks the release of the book's paperback edition. I'm thrilled to share the audio of one of my favorite chapters with you. While it focuses on a murder, it offers profound insights into past and present attitudes toward mental health in Ireland.If you enjoy this episode, you can get your copy of "A Lethal Legacy" at linktr.ee/alethallegacy.
The Dirtiest City in Europe? Why Did Typhoid Thrive in Victorian Dublin?
30:20|In 1900, the life expectancy in Dublin was a mere 49 years, a stark indicator of the city's dire living conditions. The Victorian city was notorious for its filth and disease, which proved an ideal breeding ground for Typhoid. This episode explores how Dublin battled with this deadly disease for decades.This journey takes you through the Victorian sewage system and explains why Dublin's shellfish was lethal.Based on an interview with Dr. Carly Collier, we uncover the reasons why Typhoid was rampant in Dublin. She details the appalling living conditions of the time, where overcrowding and contaminated food created a minefield of dangers and risks. We also discuss how Typhoid was eventually eradicated. This aspect of the episode begins with 19th-century medical treatments such as bloodletting and progresses to the development of effective vaccines and antibiotics in the 20th century.To finish what is a fascinating show, we also discuss Ireland's most famous Typhoid patient - Mary Mallon, AKA Typhoid Mary.Carly is one of the team behind the Typhoidland exhibition running in the Royal College of Physicians on Kildare Street.Check out the exhibition:https://typhoidland.org/exhibitions/dublin-2024/rcpi-exhibition/Their free audio tour is available to download: https://typhoidland.org/walking-tourSubscribe to my new show Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod
Emily Anderson: The Forgotten Irish Woman of Bletchley Park
41:24|In this captivating episode of the Irish History Podcast, Jackie Ni Chionna joins me to discuss the remarkable but forgotten Irish woman, Emily Anderson. Emily was an Irish code breaker who played a pivotal role at Bletchley Park during World War II. Despite her significant contributions to the Allied war effort, Emily has been forgotten in the wider history of the Second World War.In 2023, Jackie published "Queen of Codes," a biography of Anderson. In this episode, she shares the life and legacy of this extraordinary Irish woman, exploring her journey from the west of Ireland to the heart of Britain's top-secret code-breaking operations.Jackie vividly brings Emily Anderson's story to life, shedding light on her invaluable work and the challenges she faced in the male-dominated world of military intelligence.Tune in to discover the untold story of an unsung hero of World War II. You can get Jackie's book in audio, ebook, and hardcopy here.
A Bloody Crossroads - 1972 (The Troubles Part 6)
27:55|This is the sixth and final episode in the Outbreak of the Troubles series. It looks at the stark situation facing Northern Ireland in March 1972. In the aftermath of Bloody Sunday, the British Government faced international pressure to take decisive action in Northern Ireland to re-establish control. This led to Direct Rule, which saw London dissolve the Belfast Parliament and take full control of the situation. However, this did not lead to peace. In this episode, Dr. Brian Hanley and I explore what is, in many ways, the last chapter in the Outbreak of the Troubles.I am delighted to announce that Dr. Brian Hanley has agreed to continue the series, and in November, we will be recording a Supporters Series on the story of the Troubles through the later 1970s, culminating with the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike.In the meantime, if you have any topics you would like to hear about in one-off supporters episodes, let me know at Info@irishhistorypodcast.ie and I will try to find an expert in the area.
The Making of a Ghost Town - The Rise and Fall of the Irish Kings of Cotton
34:33|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.
Who was the first Irish person to cross the Atlantic Ocean?
44:29|I am delighted to share the very first episode of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast. It's a new show I am making with historian Damian Shiels which looks at Irish-American History. It's separate from the Irish History Podcast and Season 1 will be released each Monday. You can subscribe to Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast to get future shows. In this first episode we look at who the first Irish person to reach the Americas was. There are a few intriguing candidates.Was it St. Brendan, the intrepid Irish monk who is said to have voyaged across the Atlantic centuries before Columbus?Could it have been an Irish woman taken captive by Vikings who reached Newfoundland around 1000 AD?Perhaps it was an Irish sailor aboard one of Columbus' ships?Next week I will be back with the Irish History Podcast with a show on the House of Malcomson, a dramatic story about the rise and fall of an Irish dynasty known of the Cotton Kings.Meanwhile the second episode of Transatlantic whcih looks at the Forgotten Irish Witch of Boston comes out next Monday and will be available here https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod.
Resisting Nazi Occupation: Ireland's Forgotten World War II Heroes
41:03|John Keany, Monica de Wichfeld, and Delia Murphy are not well-known figures, yet they are some of the most extraordinary people in modern Irish history. During the Second World War, they found themselves in Nazi-occupied Europe and took extraordinary risks to resist the Nazis. Some paid with their lives.This podcast tells their stories.The episode is based around a conversation with John Morgan and Clodagh Finn. Their new book, The Irish in the Resistance: The Untold Stories of the Ordinary Heroes Who Resisted Hitler, details the lives of Irish people who fought the Nazis. You can find links to the book below.**My big announcement for podcast fans https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod ** You can buy John & Clodagh’s book https://linktr.ee/irishintheresistanceYou can follow John & Clodagh on Socials Clodagh Insta https://www.instagram.com/clodaghfinnwritesTwitter https://x.com/FinnClodaghJohnInsta https://www.instagram.com/johnm436/Twitter https://x.com/maoilmordha