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

Bridget Cleary - The Last Woman Burned A...

FIN DWYER
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Apr 24
Divided Loyalties: The Irish Who Fought for Britain
The Irish War of Independence & Revolution saw the IRA pitted against Crown forces across the island. However, on the ground in Ireland, allegiance was often more complicated than is sometimes remembered.Ireland had a long tradition of service in the British Army, and during the ... Show More
29m 31s
Apr 22
The Irish Language: Why Ireland Became English-Speaking
How did Ireland become an English-speaking country? Was it colonialism, the Great Hunger, the education system or emigration that drove the shift from Irish to English?In this episode, I am joined by Dr Nicholas Wolf to explore one of the biggest questions in Irish history: how I ... Show More
35m 49s
Apr 17
A White Mans Nation? The Irish Revolution & Black Radicals
“The Irish fight for liberty is the greatest epic of the modern age… those suffering together under British imperialism must learn to coordinate their effort before they can hope to be free.”These words from the Black radical Cyril Briggs captured how many people of colour viewed ... Show More
34m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
A Personal Tour of Modern Irish History
<p>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, <a href="https://www. ... 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
<p>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 ... 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
<p>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.< ... Show More
41m 55s
Oct 2022
Helen Duncan, (Not) Scotland’s Last Witch
<p>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.</p> <p>Research:</p> <ul> <li>Undiscovered Scotland. “Hel ... Show More
40m 17s
Mar 2022
Saint Patrick
<p>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?</p><br><p>In this episode, Tristan is joined by Professor Lisa Bitel of USC Dornsife to find out more ab ... 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 6m