About this episode
The episode discusses the lives of Irish women in domestic service in North America, featuring insights from experts Catherine Healy and Andy Urban.
Welcome back to Season 2 of the Bad Bridget podcast! To begin this season we’re talking about a very common occupation for many Irish women (and Bad Bridgets!) in North America – domestic service. We are joined by Catherine Healy and Andy Urban, who share their expertise on the life of a servant. Listen in to find out how things could go wrong for many servants, as well as the escapades of some servants who had more than cooking and cleaning on their minds! And of course the wonderful Siobhán McSweeney is back to bring these Bad Bridget stories to life. Written and presented by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick. Producer: John D’Arcy. Episode 1 guests: Catherine Healy and Andy Urban. Actor: Siobhán McSweeney. Music: Franziska Schroeder and Catriona Gribben. Artwork: Fiona McDonnell. Podcast funded by Ulster University Impact Accelerator Fund, AHRC. The Bad Bridget project was funded by AHRC with University Ulster & Queen’s University Belfast. More Bad Bridget online: - The Book: Bad Bridget: Crime, mayhem and the lives of Irish emigrant women https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/446640/bad-bridget-by-mccormick-elaine-farrell-and-leanne/9780241994320 - The Exhibition: Bad Bridget…
People in this episode
Hosts: Elaine Farrell, Leanne McCormick
Guests: Catherine Healy, Andy Urban
Topics covered
- domestic service
- Irish women
- North America
- servants' lives
- Bad Bridget stories
Keywords
- domestic service
- Irish women
- servants
- Bad Bridget
- Catherine Healy
- Andy Urban
- Siobhán McSweeney
- podcast
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: QUB Podcasting Service, Ulster University Impact Accelerator Fund, AHRC, University Ulster, Queen’s University Belfast
Books & works: Bad Bridget: Crime, mayhem and the lives of Irish emigrant women
Places: Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone
More episodes of Bad Bridget
- Bad Bridget: S2E6 - The Irish · November 3, 2025 · 32 min
- Bad Bridget: S2E5 - The Revengers (live from Electric Picnic) · November 3, 2025 · 34 min
- Bad Bridget: S2E4 - The Bad Girls · November 3, 2025 · 31 min
- Bad Bridget: S2E3 - The Lovers · November 3, 2025 · 25 min
- Bad Bridget: S2E2 - The Thieves · November 3, 2025 · 29 min
- Bad Bridget: S1E5 - The Murderers · December 11, 2020 · 25 min
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