Irish History Podcast

Become a supporter at https://www.patreon.com/c/IrishpodcastOn 26 August 1940, two German aircraft crossed the coast of County Wexford and flew towards the small village of Campile. One aircraft dropped bombs near Ambrosetown, while the other attacked the tiny village of Campile a few miles further east. Three women, Mary Ellen Kent, Catherine Kent and Kathleen Hurley were killed. The bombing shattered the belief that Ireland’s neutrality could protect it from the Second World War. It also ignited a debate that has lasted for decades: Was the attack intentional or were the pilots lost? While politicians attempted to reduce tensions, investigations by An Garda Síochána and Irish Military Intelligence reached disturbing conclusions. They believed Campile had been deliberately targeted by the Nazis. In this episode I explore what happened. I also explore why Irish Military Intelligence were convinced the Nazis intentionally bombed this tiny Irish village at the height of the Battle of Britain and what it purpose it served. Written, researched and presented by: Fin DwyerSound: Kate DunleaAdditional narration: Aidan Crowe and Therese MurrayFurther Reading and Listening:The Campile Bombing, August 26th, 1940, Horeswood Historical Society. This detailed local history includes eyewitness accounts, photographs and primary material relating to the attack. Michael Kennedy, Guarding Neutral Ireland: The Coast Watching Service and Military Intelligence, 1939–1945.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every year, fragments of long-lost ships wash ashore on Irish beaches. They are remnants of the thousands of shipwrecks scattered around our coast, dating from Prehistory to the Second World War. Each wreck has a fascinating story from how they went down to their rediscovery often centuries later. In this episode, I speak with Dublin Port Heritage Director Lar Joye at a new exhibition exploring the shipwrecks of Dublin Bay. Our conversation explores several disasters including the famous cases of the Leinster, the Dorset and the Tayleur.We discuss the stories behind these ships, why shipwrecks were so common in the past and why fragments of wrecks continue to wash ashore today.  Visit the exhibition: https://www.dublinport.ie/shipwrecks-of-dubln-bay-exhibition-at-the-substation/ Upcoming events at the Substation:https://www.dublinport.ie/heritage-week/ My guest, Lar Joye, has served as Port Heritage Director at Dublin Port since 2017. He cares for the 300-year-old Port Archive and leads projects reconnecting the working port with the city through heritage, culture and public access. Before joining Dublin Port, Lar worked as a film archivist and as Curator of Irish Military History at the National Museum of Ireland. There he led the team behind the award-winning Soldiers & Chiefs exhibition which explores the history of Irish soldiers at home and abroad from 1550 to the present.  Sound: Kate Dunlea  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1920s, the newly established Irish Free State embarked on one of the most ambitious engineering projects in its history: the Shannon Scheme at Ardnacrusha.This was a state-of-the-art hydroelectric plant that paved the way for the electrification of Irish society. The scheme developed an almost mythic reputation, becoming a powerful symbol of independence, progress and modernisation.But behind the concrete and turbines was a darker story. Thousands of poorly paid labourers worked in brutal conditions, dozens were killed and hundreds suffered life-changing injuries. Many were left in poverty while Irish society celebrated their achievements. In this episode, I explore both sides of the Shannon Scheme: the remarkable project that helped transform Ireland, but also the terrible human cost that was largely written out of our history.Sound by Kate Dunlea.Support my work patreon.com/irishpodcast if you want to read more check out High Tension: Life on the Shannon Scheme https://www.abebooks.com/9781843510611/High-Tension-Life-Shannon-Scheme-1843510618/plpAndy Bielenberg's The Shannon Scheme and the Electrification of the Irish Free State is a good overview of the project. A Digital copy is also available on the E.S.B. Archives website for free https://esbarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/the-shannon-scheme.pdfMaurice Manning & More McDowell's History of the Electricity Supply Board is also a useful read and a digital copy is also available on the ESB Archive for free. https://esbarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/the-history-of-the-esb.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.