The Cork tsunami & other historic natural disasters

This episode includes survivor testimony and references to abuse. Nothing is described in graphic detail. Why were tens of thousands of Irish women detained in Magdalene Laundries, often sent there by the people they trusted most? Most never received a sentence. Many never left. In the opening episode of a three part series, The Shepherds' Secrets, I explore how this system took hold in Ireland through the history of the Good Shepherd Laundry in Waterford. From its origins as a lay-run rescue asylum for women who worked in prostitution, I trace its transformation under religious control into an institution of high walls, barred windows and forced labour. At the heart of this history are the women themselves. Through the stories of ‘Alice C.’, Maureen Sullivan and ‘Nancy S.’, I ask why Irish society treated women, particularly working-class women, so appallingly and how families, religious orders and the state sustained this system for generations. Credits and Links Thanks to Maureen Sullivan and Dr Elizabeth Riordan-Coppin for their time and permission to use their interviews. Written, produced and narrated by Fin Dwyer. Audio Editor: Kate Dunlea The interviews with Maureen Sullivan and Dr Elizabeth Riordan-Coppin used in this series were recorded by Dr Jennifer O'Mahoney as part of the Waterford Memories Project. Thanks to the many people who were interviewed for this series: Professor Katherine O'Donnell, Dr Claire McGettrick born Lorraine Hughes, John Spencer, Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley, Dr Claire McGettrick & Professor Leanne McCormick and Professor James M. Smith. A particular thanks to Dr Jennifer O'Mahoney. Additional Research: Liam Costello Additional Interviews: Stephanie Lord Voice Actor: Therese Murray Sound: Sam Blanche and Dakota Venn Keane. With thanks to Dawn Kenny. Artwork: Jenni Cooney - The Creative Pocket. Thanks to Joanne Rothwell of Waterford City & County Archives. Made possible by listeners who support the Irish History Podcast at www.patreon.com/irishhistory Resources and sources To find out more about Magdalene Laundries check out https://jfmresearch.com & https://www.waterfordmemories.com/survivors. If you are a survivor of Magdalene Laundries this is an excellent research guide https://jfmresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/Research-Guide-for-Magdalene-Survivors_April-2025.pdf If you are a relative of a survivor, living or deceased this guide is extremely useful. Research Guide for relatives of Survivors https://jfmresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/Research-Guide_Relatives_April-2025.pdf Sources mentioned in the episode Maureen Sullivan’s autobiography Girl in the Tunnel: My Story of Love and Loss as a Survivor of the Magdalene Laundries https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/girl-in-the-tunnel/ Full interview with Maureen: https://www.waterfordmemories.com/survivors Full interview with ‘Nancy’ by Dr Sinead Pembroke available here https://jfmresearch.com/home/oralhistoryproject/transcripts/survivors/nancy-shannon/Terminology Words can make all the difference The way we discuss this part of our history has changed dramatically in recent decades. We all make mistakes but this document has interesting explainers as to why terms still in use can cause hurt. https://www.universityofgalway.ie/media/unescochildandfamilyresearchcentre/2023/Language-&-Terminology-Report--Web.pdf Policy on Naming Survivors Unless given express permission no survivor of a Magdalene Laundry, living or deceased, was identified in this series. While this history remained secret for decades and there is still major obstacles to accessing archival sources, protecting individuals privacy is still paramount. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a freezing January morning in 1785, four cannons echoed across Dublin. Thousands of people abandoned their work and flooded into Ranelagh to watch Richard Crosbie step into a wicker basket, untie the ropes, and drift into the sky. To the stunned crowd below, they were watching the dawn of a new age. Except they weren't. When Crosbie died forty years later, travel in Ireland was just as slow and gruelling as it had always been. Today, we are constantly told we are living through unprecedented, breakneck change. The ground feels like it is moving beneath our feet, and it is easy to believe our generation has it faster than anyone before us. But is that actually true? In this episode, I look back at the moments the future arrived in Ireland: from Richard Crosbie’s eccentric flight over Dublin, to the first motorcars rattling along ancient dirt tracks to the steam trains and electric telegraphs that shattered distance and forced Ireland to reinvent the clock. Along the way I ask a simple question: which Irish generation actually saw the world change the fastest? Coming Next Week: The Shepherd’s Secrets Next Wednesday my major new three-part series, The Shepherd's Secrets, begins. It explores the dark and complex history of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, told through the story of the Good Shepherd Convent in Waterford. Get ad-free early access at patreon.com/irishpodcast. Sound by Kate Dunlea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The supernatural is viewed with healthy scepticism today but not so in the past. This episode looks at what our ancestors really believe about ghosts and the supernatural? Historian Dr Clodagh Tait joins me to explore why the supernatural was so important to Irish society and how they were woven into every day life. First released in October 2023, this listener-favourite episode examines why the supernatural mattered in Irish history. On November 11 my new series, The Shepherds' Secrets begins. This series explores the history of the Ireland's notorious Magdalene Laundries through the story of the Waterford Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry. Sound by Kate Dunlea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every November, the Royal British Legion organises remembrance ceremonies and millions of people wear red poppies. Often portrayed as a way to remember the dead of the World Wars, these commemorations have a far more complicated history in Ireland and Britain. They have been contested since their inception. In the 1920s, remembrance ceremonies in Dublin became a focus for unionist demonstrations after independence, provoking considerable unrest. During the Troubles, commemorations honouring the British armed forces became contentious in new ways given the British Army’s role in the conflict in the North. In this episode, historian Brian Hanley joins me to explore the contentious history of the poppy and Remembrance Day in Ireland. From British Army veterans and clashes over commemoration in the 1920s to the central place of the Somme in modern loyalism we explore what these ceremonies and commemoration are for. Sound by Kate Dunlea. Footage of Armistice Day in Dublin in 1925 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0FHpoGGMZc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Christmas Day 1929, postman Larry Griffin disappeared from Stradbally, Co. Waterford. His bicycle was found abandoned outside the village. While evidence suggested his disappearance was suspicious, the case became an enduring mystery. In this episode, I’m joined by Fachtna Ó Drisceoil, author of The Missing Postman: What Really Happened to Larry Griffin?, to explore a case that became a national scandal. From an illicit Christmas party to a troubled Garda investigation, dramatic arrests and retracted testimony, the story challenges the often idealised image of village life in post-independence Ireland. At its heart lies an unsettling question: what happens when a close-knit community closes ranks, leaving a family without answers? Get you copy of the book https://www.mercierpress.ie/books/the-missing-postman/ My guest is Fachtna O Drisceoil. Fachtna is a broadcaster and writer working in both Irish and English. He has presented and reported on television series such as Scannal, Léargas, and CSÍ, and has produced radio programmes such as Tonight with Vincent Browne, The Dave Fanning Show and Drivetime. He has contributed radio essays to the popular Sunday Miscellany programme and is a frequent contributor to Irish language publications such as Tuairisc.ie, Comhar and Scéal in the Irish Times and Irish Examiner. He currently presents the Tús Áite drivetime news and current affairs programme every weekday on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. The Missing Postman was an Irish non-fiction bestseller when it was published in 2011. He lives with his wife and two sons in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.