Irish Imperial Lives

RTÉ

From workhouse girls to colonial Governors, and from Tangiers to Tasmania, Kate O'Malley and Abie Philbin Bowman uncover the fascinating stories of Irish people whose lives were shaped by their service in, or agitation against, the British Empire.

See All
  1. Grace O’Malley: Pirate, Chieftain, Traitor? 

    EPISODE 1

    Grace O’Malley: Pirate, Chieftain, Traitor? 

    Kate O’Malley and Abie Philbin Bowman explore the fact, fiction and folklore surrounding famed ‘Pirate Queen’ Grace O’Malley. Did she really meet Queen Elizabeth I? Did she really kidnap the Lord of Howth’s grandson? How did she navigate the expansion of British power in Ireland? And just how many types of marriage were allowed under Gaelic law? All will be revealed as we track Grace’s journey from Trad Wife to Girl Boss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  2. Musketeers, Maids and Memoirists: The Irish in Imperial Russia

    EPISODE 2

    Musketeers, Maids and Memoirists: The Irish in Imperial Russia

    Abie Philbin Bowman and Kate O’Malley learn about the Irish who shaped Romanov Russia: including the musketeer Peter de Lacy, who led a daring amphibious assault on Stockholm, and commanded the Russian forces who captured the Crimea (from the Ottoman Turks). They also hear about the Wilmot sisters from Cork who formed an exceptional bond with one of the leading lights of the European Enlightenment, Princess Yekaterina Vorontsova-Dashkova. The Princess effectively adopted the younger sister, Martha, as her daughter and the two composed, and translated Dashkova’s life story in French and then English. We also learn about the letters sent home by Catherine Wilmot’s maid, Eleanor Cavanagh, who provides a servant’s eye view of Russia’s serfs and palaces. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  3. Richard Wellesley: Ireland’s Forgotten Napoleon

    EPISODE 3

    Richard Wellesley: Ireland’s Forgotten Napoleon

    Abie Philbin Bowman and Kate O’Malley hear about a Meath man who conquered more land in India, more quickly, than Napoleon conquered in Europe. And yet, he is largely forgotten today - in part because he has been eclipsed by his ungrateful younger brother. Richard Wellesley - whose Irish ancestry dates back to the 12th Century, and whose descendants include the current British King Charles III - was a lifelong opponent of slavery and Supporter of Catholic Emancipation. Both his wives were Catholic. And he served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the time of Daniel O’Connell.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min
  4. Lambert Blair: Teenage Trader to Slave Plantation Owner

    EPISODE 4

    Lambert Blair: Teenage Trader to Slave Plantation Owner

    Lambert Blair: Teenage Trader to Slave Plantation Owner See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  5. Teresa Ball: Educating the Daughters of Empire

    EPISODE 5

    Teresa Ball: Educating the Daughters of Empire

    Kate O’Malley and Abie Philbin Bowman learn about an incredible Irish woman, who helped educate girls from Canada to India. Teresa Ball, founder of the Loreto order, used her dowry to develop her first school, pioneering a business model that offered young women opportunities for education, travel and greater independence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min
  6. William Butler: British Soldier, Irish Writer, Global Adventurer

    EPISODE 6

    William Butler: British Soldier, Irish Writer, Global Adventurer

    Abie Philbin Bowman and Kate O’Malley learn about the extraordinary Willam Butler. A Catholic from Tipperary, he was held aloft by Daniel O’Connell as a baby, witnessed the famine, fought the Fenians in Canada, served as Queen Victoria's Aide-de-Camp, befriended Parnell, and openly supported Irish Home Rule. He nearly prevented the Boer War.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 min
See All Season 2 (6)

4.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

From workhouse girls to colonial Governors, and from Tangiers to Tasmania, Kate O'Malley and Abie Philbin Bowman uncover the fascinating stories of Irish people whose lives were shaped by their service in, or agitation against, the British Empire.

Information

More From RTÉ