Celebrate Your Irish Heritage

In this episode we look at the journey taken by a branch of Vikings and their establishment of a Dukedom in what became known as “Normandy” in northern France. We look at their culture and traditions – traditions that they brought with them to England in 1066 and then onto Ireland in the late part…

In this week’s episode we look at the way that unmarried mothers – and other “social undesirables” were treated in Ireland, especially in the period from the 1940s to the 1960s. Carina reads out two letters – one on the Magdalene Laundries and the other shares the story of one mother who never gave up…

In today’s episode, we explore the different sort of Irish music that was coming onto the scene from the mid-1970s. We first look at the story of that great London-Irish band – The Pogues – and then onto the more subtle music of Paul Brady. In both cases, lots of background stories, music and craic.…

In this episode we take a musical trip around the nine counties of Ulster: Derry (Londonderry), Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. Alongside the immortal “Danny Boy”, we feature at least one tune or song from each of the counties. I refer to a map while talking – and you can see…

In this episode we look at the many ways the Great Irish Famine was reported outside of Ireland – and the reaction from some of the groups that were exposed to that reporting. In one case, Mike’s own ancestors were included in a report that went out in English newspapers in the 1840s. One of…