Irish History Podcast

“Keep handing it to the Micks. The Roman Catholic Irish are, and always have been, the only un-Americanised people in the United States.”  These words came from a supporter of Admiral William S. Sims, an ardent opponent of Irish republicans in the United States in the 1920s.  This episode of Brothers in Pain explores the crucial battle for American public opinion during the Irish War of Independence. While the equivalent of over one hundred million dollars was raised for republican organisations and for victims of the war of independence in Ireland, there was also strong opposition to Irish independence in the United States. Leading American politicians regarded Britain as a key ally, while groups like the Ku Klux Klan despised what they saw as immigrant politics.  This podcast tells the history of this crucial battleground in the Irish War of Independence.  Brothers in Pain is a groundbreaking series by Dr Brian Hanley that explores the international dimensions of the Irish War of Independence.  Written, Researched & Narrated by Dr Brian HanleyProducer Fin DwyerSound Kate DunleaNote from Brian :In researching these episodes I have been indebted to the work of the following scholars;Anna Lively, Sam McGrath, Bruce Nelson, Terry Dunne, David Brundage, Niamh Coffey, Gerard Shannon, Maurice Casey, Kelly Anne Reynolds, Chris McNickle, Joe Doyle, Liz Gillis, FM Carroll, Patrick Mannion, Jimmy Yann, Niall Cullen, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Keith Jeffrey, Arthur Mitchell, John Borgonovo, Kate O’Malley, Michael Doorley, Robin Adams, Kevin Kenny, Fearghal McGarry, Catherine M. Burns, Síobhra Aiken, Patrick J. Mahony, Darragh Gannon, Matthew Pratt Guterl and James R. Barrett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the outbreak of World War II, Ireland declared itself neutral. But neutrality didn't mean the country was untouched by the conflict. Known as the The Emergency, the war left people in Ireland facing invasion fears, severe rationing, and an uncertain future. Thousands of Irish men and women crossed the Irish Sea to serve in Allied armies and work in British wartime industries.The memories of Ireland's wartime experience is now at the cusp of living memory. In 2025 Waterford Treasures Museum, talked to those who had memories of the war. In this episode, I speak with Donnchadh O'Ceallacháin about these memories. Donnchadh reveals how the war affected Ireland. From the scarcity of everyday goods to the courage of Irish soldiers at D-Day, these stories chronicle a remarkable time.Become a supporter today and get early access to ad-free episodes including the latest episode of the new weekly series Brothers in Pain which is available now https://www.patreon.com/posts/153901266Check out Waterford Treasures Museum: https://waterfordtreasures.com/Sound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Brian Hanley, historian at Trinity College Dublin and narrator of Brothers in Pain, traces the shadowy supply lines that armed the IRA. He explores maritime networks, dockworkers and union cover, women’s smuggling roles, Liverpool and European hubs like Hamburg and Genoa, plus big purchases from New York and chaotic failed shipments. Short, tense stories of spies, smugglers and risky sea routes.

The Irish War of Independence often conjures images of guerrilla fighters on lonely mountainsides, on the run from the Black and Tans. While that is part of the story, Ireland’s struggle for independence unfolded against the backdrop of a world in total crisis. As empires frayed and global movements for equality surged, the IRA sought out their own 'Brothers in Pain' navigating a shadow world of smugglers, gun runners, and unlikely international allies from the Soviet Union to the United States.This overlooked international dimension is the focus of a new series on the Irish History Podcast, hosted by historian Dr. Brian Hanley. This marks a new chapter for the show as we expand to two episodes per week.Brothers in Pain: The IRA in a Revolutionary World officially begins this Friday, March 20th. In this preview episode, I speak with Brian about what you can expect from this unique series as we uncover the story of the Irish Revolution as you have never heard it before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 17th, thousands of St. Patrick's Day Parades take place across the globe. New York's parade, dating back to the 1760s, draws three million people and reinforces the stereotype that the parade is an American invention. Yet parades have been taking place since at least the early 17th century. The real origins of St. Patrick's Day Parade are far more complicated, and far more contentious, than anyone imagines.In this episode, originally released on Transatlantic, the Irish American history podcast I make with Damian Shiels, we explore this history with Dr. Cian T. McMahon from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Cian challenges the myths surrounding the parade's origins and reveals how it became one of the world's most contested cultural events. He examines how it reflects the constantly changing nature of Irish identity and explores how women and LGBTQ+ activists fought for the right to participate in a celebration that was often fiercely controlled.Cian T. McMahon is Professor of History at the Department of History and Honors College at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He was the co-editor of The Routledge History of Irish America and is the author The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine and The Global Dimensions of Irish Identity: Race, Nation and the Popular Press, 1840-1880.Note from Fin: I have updated this episode since it was first published to correct a mistake in the original version. In the intro, I mistakenly referred to the LGBT community as the "LGB community", omitting the T. I understand that this term is often used in a way that denigrates the trans community. That was entirely unintended on my part, and I am very sorry.Sound by Kate Dunlea.Listen to American Emigrants in Irish Folklore on Transatlantic, An Irish American History Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/transatlantic/episodes/37-memories-of-homeSupport the show: Patreon.com/irishpodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Éamon de Valera is one of the most influential figures in modern Irish history. Born in New York in 1880s and raised in rural Limerick, he rose from obscurity to become a central figure in the Irish Revolution. He played a major role in the 1916 Rising, became the most internationally recognised Irish figure during the War of Independence, and was central to the Treaty split that led to the Civil War. Although defeated in that conflict he returned to politics as a founder of Fianna Fáil and, in 1932, began the long era in which he dominated Irish public life.Today he is often remembered as the architect of a conservative, Catholic and insular Ireland. This podcast featuring, David McCullagh, looks at de Valera's early years and rise to power and seeks to answer if he was the architect of a conservative state, or simply a reflection of the Irish society that shaped him?My guest is David McCullagh. David is a broadcaster with RTÉ, has a PhD in politics and is the author of six books, including a biography of John A. Costello, The Reluctant Taoiseach, a two-volume biography of Éamon de Valera, Rise and Rule, and most recently From Crown to Harp: How the Anglo-Irish Treaty Was Undone. RTÉ broadcaster and author of the acclaimed two volume biography of de Valera, You can find David's books here.Sound by Kate Dunlea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the late nineteenth century the United States pushed west and its expansion unleashed devastating violence against Native Americans. Forced from their lands and herded onto reservations Native communities faced a relentless campaign of dispossession and massacre. Thousands of miles away in Ireland deep poverty drove many to enlist in the US Army and they became participants in these same frontier wars. This contradiction is stark. People who had been pushed from their own homes by hardship helped push Native Americans from theirs and in some cases took part in atrocities.In this episode Damian Shiels joins me to talk about his remarkable new project mapping US military pensions claimed in Ireland between 1845 and 1905. These files are a window into working class Irish life and also reveal how closely Irish history is tied to some of the darkest chapters of American expansion. Our conversation focuses on the Indian Wars and the uncomfortable questions they raise. It is a complex story that challenges assumptions and connects global history to local Irish streets and villages in surprising ways.Check out the map https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4e3d403b289342ad92a9259de2597c24Support the show https://patreon.com/irishpodcastSound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, lions, tigers and even elephants toured towns and cities across Ireland. Long before modern zoos, travelling menageries brought wild animals from across the globe into marketplaces, fairgrounds and urban streets. For many people, this was their first encounter with creatures they had only ever seen in books or sermons.In this episode, I’m joined by historian Karina Holton to explore the fascinating and largely forgotten history of Irish menageries between 1790 and 1840. We discuss what these exhibitions were, how they differed from circuses and modern zoos, and what it was actually like to visit one. What animals could audiences expect to see?We also examine the controversies surrounding these shows. Not everyone welcomed them. There were dramatic incidents involving escapes and attacks, concerns about public safety, and growing criticism around animal welfare.Sound by Kate Dunlea.About My GuestKarina Holton completed her PhD at Dublin City University and has published widely on eighteenth and nineteenth century Ireland. She is the author of Valentine Lawless, Lord Cloncurry, 1773 to 1853: From United Irishman to Liberal Politician. https://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2018/valentine-lawless-lord-cloncurryThis episode is inspired by her article:‘A Most Curious Collection of Foreign Beasts’: Menageries in Ireland, 1790 to 1840. You can read it here https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/24DB1506CB06E117BEA2C1819FC312AA/S0021121425100916a.pdf/most_curious_collection_of_foreign_beasts_menageries_in_ireland_17901840.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Jacqueline Cahill Wilson, a researcher in Late Iron Age and Roman Ireland, explores how Irish societies connected with the Roman world. She discusses archaeological Roman-style finds and isotope evidence for people from Roman Britain. She considers trade, resource extraction, unofficial networks, and why Rome never mounted a full conquest. Her work highlights complex, everyday interactions rather than formal occupation.

The Ulster Special Constabulary was one of the most controversial forces in modern Irish history. Formed amid the violence and uncertainty of the early 1920s, it was viewed by many nationalists as a sectarian militia, while in parts of the unionist community it was remembered as a force that defended order during a time of upheaval.As debates around Irish unification return to the center of political life, the legacy of the past is once again intruding into the present. In this episode of the Irish History Podcast, Fin Dwyer is joined by historian Patrick Mulroe to examine the origins of the Ulster Special Constabulary, the conditions that led to its creation, and why its history remains so contested more than a century later.Drawing on his article ‘Matters Best Forgotten’: The Ulster Special Constabulary in 1922, Patrick explores how and why the force became associated with some of the worst violence of the decade, and why its story continues to provoke discomfort, silence and debate today.Support the show and get ad-free podcasts nd avideosSound Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.