logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
32m 12s

1719: The Irish Rescue of the Polish Pri...

FIN DWYER
About this episode

In 1719, the 17-year-old Polish Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska was seized by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. While the move shocked many in Europe, in the following months a group of Irish exiles plotted a daring rescue of Maria Clementina. This led to a dramatic 400-kilometer chase across 18th-century Europe.


In this episode, I am joined by historian Richard Maher, an expert in the area, who explains why Irish exiles, known as the Wild Geese, risked their lives to rescue this Polish princess and how they hoped she might change the course of Irish history.


You can follow Richard on Linkedin at https://ie.linkedin.com/in/richard-maher-a5ab8068


Subscribe to my new podcast with historian Damian Shiels. Its called Transatlantic - An Irish American History Podcast. You can hear the latest episode here https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.


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

Up next
Oct 8
Airbrushed from History: The Great Hunger in Dublin
This week, we’re taking a break from our series on the 1798 Rebellion for a fascinating conversation about the Great Famine in Dublin and why this key chapter in the city’s history has been largely forgotten.When most people think of the Great Hunger, they picture rural Ireland a ... Show More
32 m
Oct 1
The French Revolution & the Society of United Irishmen
While this episode fits into a bigger series on the 1798 Rebellion, it’s also designed to stand on its own.The French Revolution of 1789 electrified Ireland, inspiring hope and fear in equal measure. It would lead to the establishment of Ireland’s republican movement in 1791.Expl ... Show More
44m 30s
Sep 24
The Rising Storm: The American War of Independence & Ireland
This episode is part of a wider series on the 1798 Rebellion, but you can enjoy it as a stand-alone story.When the American Revolution broke out in the 1770s, it sent shock waves across the Atlantic, transforming Irish politics and society. To explore this enthralling story the e ... Show More
43 m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2025
576. The Irish War of Independence: Rise of the IRA (Part 1)
What are the origins of the Irish War of Independence? What impact did the First World War have on Irish efforts for Home Rule? What was the mood in Ireland following the bloody Easter Rising of 1916? And, who was Éamon de Valera, the man who dominated the story of not only Irish ... Show More
1h 11m
Mar 2025
238. Ireland’s Fight For Freedom: The Easter Rising (Ep 1)
The 1916 Easter Rising was a definitive moment in 20th-century Irish history. Its memory was evoked throughout The Troubles, with republicans wearing commemorative Easter Lily badges to honour the revolutionary martyrs that came before them.  On Easter Monday in 1916, amongst the ... Show More
56m 50s
Mar 2025
239. Ireland’s Fight For Freedom: The Rise of The IRA (Ep 2)
The Irish republicans who led the Easter Rising of 1916 are tried for treason by the British government, and sentenced to death. Some are so unwell they have to be tied to a chair to be killed, and the brutality of these executions turns the tide of public opinion in Ireland, inc ... Show More
1h 2m
Apr 2025
How Did the American Revolution Start?
On 19th April, 1775, just over 250 years ago, the opening salvos of the American Revolutionary War were fired at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Elite British Redcoats went head-to-head with the famed provincial Minutemen in bloody skirmishes across the Province of Massachu ... Show More
1h 18m
Jun 2025
578. The Irish War of Independence: Bloody Sunday (Part 3)
What occurred on Bloody Sunday on 21 November 1920 - a turning point in the Irish War of Independence and one of the bloodiest and most brutal moments in Irish history? How many British Army Officers were assassinated on the instructions of firebrand political leader, Michael Col ... Show More
59m 46s
Jun 2025
577. The Irish War of Independence: The Violence Begins (Part 2)
What was Sinn Féin’s totemic first move after winning a majority seat in 1917? Were the IRA’s methods during this early stages of the war as violent as they are commonly believed to have been? How sectarian was the IRA? What crucial strategy did the Irish adopt in order to overwh ... Show More
1h 4m
Feb 2025
233. Blood and Betrayal: Oliver Cromwell's Irish Invasion (Ep 1)
His statue may stand proudly outside the Houses of Parliament in London, but in Ireland, Oliver Cromwell is remembered as “the Devil from over the Sea” for the bloodshed he unleashed there from 1649 to 1653.  Rising to prominence as a Parliamentarian during the English Civil Wars ... Show More
42m 27s
Feb 2025
232. Colonising Ireland: The First Plantations (Ep 2)
In 1607, after launching a failed rebellion in Ulster against the English, Hugh O’Neill and other Irish nobles are forced to flee Ireland, and their lands are confiscated. In response to the revolt, an insidious narrative about Irish people emerges in Tudor England, describing th ... Show More
40m 59s
Dec 2024
Lexington & Concord: The First Battles of the Revolutionary War
The shot heard ‘round the world'; the start of the American Revolution. An event that would have profound consequences for world history, especially western democracy. Who’d have thought that something of such magnitude would begin in a small settlement with as many cows as peopl ... Show More
42m 55s
Jul 2
579. The Irish War of Independence: Showdown in London (Part 4)
What were the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921, following negotiations between the UK and Sinn Féin? How was it received by the Irish people? What was the process by which it was agreed between Lloyd George, Winston Churchill, Michael Collins, and Arthur G ... Show More
1h 6m
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami