logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2016
31m 27s

Bridget Cleary - The Last Woman Burned A...

FIN DWYER
About this episode

In 1895 Bridget Cleary made international news after she was burned to death in South Tipperary. Rumours circulated she had been accused of being a witch. Could this be true? On the eve of the 20th century a woman was burned as a witch in Ireland. This podcast tells the full story and looks at the horrific murder of Bridget Cleary - the last person who was burned to death in Ireland.


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



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



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

Up next
Yesterday
NORAID: Did Irish Americans Fund the Provisional IRA?
In this episode, we explore the fascinating and controversial story of NORAID, the Irish American organisation at the heart of the new documentary NORAID: Irish America & the IRA. Joined by the film’s producer, Jamie Goldrick, we unravel the history that made NORAID so influentia ... Show More
44m 32s
Jul 2
Irish Asylums: A Dark History We Don’t Talk About. Why?
In the 1950s, more than 20,000 people—over one percent of the adult population of Ireland—were locked away in mental asylums. This was the highest rate in the world, with more people confined in asylums than in all other institutions, including prisons, combined.Yet, despite thes ... Show More
37m 54s
Jun 25
Banned: The Hidden History of Contraception in Ireland (Listener Favourite)
While we’re on the last week of our summer break, we’re bringing you one of our most popular episodes from the back catalogue.For over four decades, contraception was not just taboo in Ireland—it was illegal. From 1935 to 1979, selling contraceptives and even accessing informatio ... Show More
28m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
A Personal Tour of Modern Irish History
Fintan O’Toole was born in Dublin in 1958, the same year that T.K. Whitaker, a member of the Irish government, published an influential report suggesting that Ireland open its doors economically and culturally to the rest of the world. O’Toole’s new book, “We Don’t Know Ourselves ... Show More
51m 46s
Jun 2023
Medieval Irish Folklore (Live)
In this special live episode, recorded at the Hay Festival, Greg Jenner is joined by Dr Gillian Kenny and comedian Seán Burke to learn about medieval Irish folklore.We’re focusing on the lore and stories from Gaelic Irish culture. Gaelic culture remained the dominant set of cultu ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2008
Yeats and Irish Politics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the poet W.B. Yeats and Irish politics. Yeats lived through a period of great change in Ireland from the collapse of the home rule bill through to the Easter Rising of 1916 and the partitioning of the country. In May 1916, 15 men were shot by the B ... Show More
42m 17s
Mar 2023
Shetland: Edge of the Prehistoric World
Over 100 miles further than the northern reaches of Britain, beyond Orkney, are a remote group of islands that make up Shetland. It’s one of the best kept secrets of prehistoric Scotland, containing evidence of the lives that were lived there some 5,000 years ago. With Viking arc ... Show More
45m 11s
Jun 2024
Catherine Parr - The Real Firebrand
Catherine Parr is remembered as Henry VIII’s 6th and final wife, the one who survived the murderous monarch. But while earlier wives, who ended their Queenship more tragically are glamorized, Catherine is often hidden in the background. The new film Firebrand tells the harrowing ... Show More
33m 12s
Jun 2024
Cumbria: the forgotten Anglo-Saxon kingdom
William of Normandy sailed across the Channel and swiftly conquered England in 1066 – or at least that’s how the story goes. But, in this Long Read written by Sophie Thérèse Ambler and James Morris, we reveal how the northern stronghold of Cumbria remained untouched for another 2 ... Show More
19 m
Nov 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots
This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail. Dan ... Show More
41m 55s
Oct 2022
Helen Duncan, (Not) Scotland’s Last Witch
Helen Duncan is sometimes described as Scotland’s last witch, or the last person imprisoned for witchcraft in Britain, or the last person to be tried under the UK’s 1735 Witchcraft Act. None of those are quite accurate. Research: Undiscovered Scotland. “Helen Duncan.” https://www ... Show More
40m 17s
Mar 2022
Saint Patrick
Man, myth or legend... who was the real Saint Patrick? Did he really banish all the snakes from Ireland? Where does the shamrock tradition come from? And was he even Irish? In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Lisa Bitel of USC Dornsife to find out more about the true ... Show More
38m 45s
Jan 2022
Katherine Swynford
If you're a fan of British history, then you have Katherine Swynford to thank. She may be a Side Hustle, but her descendants were very much front and center. Katherine was born in total obscurity, but at one point was the highest-ranking woman in England. WOW. So little is actual ... Show More
1h 7m