On June 22nd 1922, the British Field Marshall, Henry Wilson was shot dead in London. The assassination sparked a major political crisis in Ireland. The British government blamed the killing on a faction of the IRA opposed to the recent Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Spike Island in Cork Harbour is often referred to as 'Irelands Alcatraz'. While this famous island prison began life as a monastery it was transformed into a fortress during the American Revolutionary War. However Spike island gained it's notorious reput

Between 1840 and 1860 the population of New York almost trebled growing from 300,000 to 800,000. This influx of migrants from Europe gave birth to modern Manhattan. At the heart of this story were the 250,000 Irish people who made the city their home in t

Five days after the end of the Second World War, Winston Churchill launched into a blistering critique of Irish neutrality on the BBC World Service. He would famously claim the government of amon de Valera had frolicked with German representatives in Dub

This episode continues the story of emigration and Irish Coffin Ships during the Great Famine. Dr Cian T. McMahon, the author of The Coffin Ship - Life and Death at Sea during the Great Famine discusses The death rate onboard coffin ships What factors det

Between 1845 - 1855 over two million people left Ireland to escape hunger, poverty and disease during the Great Hunger. The experience of these emigrants was often harrowing. The term Coffin Ship has became synonymous with their journeys across the Atlant

Are we living through historic times? The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the Queen's death, Liz Truss and Elon Musk have all dominated the headlines in 2022. However headlines don't always make history. Will the events of our lifetime be remembered in the f

Life in Dublin at the turn of the 20th century was difficult to say the least. Working Class Dubliners were lucky if they reached 50. In those five or so decades, they worked dangerous jobs and lived in appalling conditions. In this episode I am joined by

Castlekevin was once a thriving settlement deep in the Wicklow Mountains. However in the 14th century after decades of warfare the historical record fell silent. Over the past year the Roundwood & District Historical & Folklore Society have b

The Black Death changed Europe and Ireland forever. This disease which swept across the continent through 1348 carried off around 40% of the population. Its aftermath was no less sensational as social upheavel, wars and revolts broke out across Europe. Ir