Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast

Fin Dwyer & Damian Shiels
  • 4.9 (89)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

3,000 miles of ocean separate Ireland from the USA, but both countries share a deep and intertwined history. Links between North America and Ireland predate Columbus, stretching back over 1,000 years. Since then, Irish people have shaped the history of the United States. From Ann 'Goody' Glover, who was hanged as a witch in Boston in the 17th century, to JFK, the story of the Irish in the US is fascinating. Join historians Damian Sheils and Fin Dwyer as they join forces to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of Irish American history. In Season 1 Fin and Damian explore fascinating topics including Who was the first Irish person to cross the Atlantic?The Story of Goody Glover who was hanged as a witch in Boston.What was it like to emigrate during the Great Famine of the 1840s?How Irish people shaped the US Civil War? And much more... Subscribe and join Fin and Damian on this fascinating journey through our history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3D AGO

    42. The Lowcountry Irish: The Story of Savannah & Charleston

    The coastal area of South Carolina and Georgia, known as the "Lowcountry", may not be the first place that springs to mind when it comes to Irish America. But the historic cities of Savannah and Charleston have long, rich histories of Irish immigration that have forged connections which endure to this day. In the case of Savannah, that immigration was so large it saw the Irish population reach a percentage of the city's total white population that was comparable to New York. In this episode Professor David Gleeson makes a return to Transatlantic to discuss Charleston and Savannah's story and offer insights into a part of the U.S. he knows extremely well. We chat about their colonial origins and 18th century Ulster-Scots migrations, the expanding Irish Catholic communities of the 19th century, and the political and cultural legacies of the Irish in Savannah and Charleston in the 20th and 21st centuries. Along the way David introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters and uncovers some of the very specific regional ties the Lowcountry maintained with Ireland. Dr David Gleeson is a Professor of History in the School of of Humanities and Social Sciences at Northumbia University Newcastle. The leading historian of the Irish in the southern United States, among his many publications are The Irish in the South, 1815-1817 and The Green and the Gray: The Irish in the Confederate States of America. You can hear David's previous episode on Transatlantic, discussing the Irish in New Orleans in Episode 10, here. Savannah St Patrick's Day Parade Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min

  2. MAR 16

    41. Over Here: The Americans in Northern Ireland in World War II

    The U.S. entry into World War II in 1941 led to the deployment of tens of thousands of American troops to Ireland, just as it had during World War I. But this time they were concentrated only in Northern Ireland, which had remained part of the United Kingdom. The American arrival led to an unparalleled explosion in Northern Ireland's population. In this episode we are joined by Dr James O'Neill to discuss the U.S. military's return to the island. We cover the who, when and why of their presence, and move beyond the military to explore their social impact--covering everything from chewing gum and buying rounds to interactions with local women and racial segregation. Dr James O'Neill is Collections Officer at the Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum in Belfast's Catheral Quarter, which is dedicated to exploring the story of the Second World War in Northern Ireland. Jim is also the leading historian of the Nine Years' War (1593-1603) in Ireland; you can find his books on that here and here.  Northern Ireland War Memorial Museum Transatlantic Episode 3: 1917- The American Invasion of Ireland War and Navy Departments Washington D.C., 1942: A Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  3. MAR 9

    40. The St. Patrick's Day Parade: The Real History

    The St. Patrick's Day Parade is the centrepiece of celebrations of Ireland's patron saint the world over. But how did it start--and just who started it? In this episode Fin and Damian are joined by noted historian of the Irish aboard, Dr Cian McMahon, who is currently working on a new history of the Parade. In a far-reaching episode we discuss the Parade's origins, influences and legacy down to contemporary times. Among the nuggets Cian discusses are the misconceptions that ihe Parade's origins are as a Catholic Irish American event, and the idea that Dublin's Parade has been increasingly "Americanised." Cian T. McMahon is Professor of History at the Department of History and Honors College at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He was the co-editor of The Routledge History of Irish America and is the author The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine and The Global Dimensions of Irish Identity: Race, Nation and the Popular Press, 1840-1880. Listen to Cian discuss his Coffin Ship book with Fin on the Irish History Podcast here Read about some early St. Patrick's Day horrors in Temple Bar, involving a giant St. Patrick, a pint, and a plastic bag: https://www.thejournal.ie/st-patrick-temple-bar-pub-6968056-Feb2026/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  4. MAR 2

    39. St Patrick: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

    As the Irish communities prepare to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Fin and Damian look at who he was and what we know about his life. From his early days in the late Roman Empire to his time in Ireland as a slave and his role in conversion Ireland to Christianity. Terry O’Hagan’s Vox Hiberionacum https://voxhib.com St Patrick Dictionary of Irish Biography Entry  https://www.dib.ie/biography/patrick-patricius-patraic-padraig-a7225 Flechner, R. (2019) Saint Patrick Retold: The Legend of Ireland's Patron Saint Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland Website https://pilgrimagemedievalireland.com/ Test of St.Patrick's Confessio https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english Test of St Patrick's Letter to Corotocus: https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/epistola_english Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min

  5. FEB 23

    38. Early Catholic Power in New York: Rise and Resistance

    The beginnings of the Catholic Irish story in New York City are usually associated with the mid-nineteenth century. But in the immediate wake of the Revolution, a small, vibrant community had already begun to establish itself, quickly making an impact on the religious, political and social life of New York. In this episode we will hear about the wealthy Irish Catholic merchants who helped create Manhattan's first Catholic parish and who sought to reshape New York politics. We also discuss the growth of the City's Catholic Irish working-class, and the early nativist tensions--and sometimes violent clashes--their growing numbers created.  We are joined in this episode by AoH historian Kevin Moore, who has been studying and researching Irish Catholics in New York between 1784-1806. To find out more about Kevin's work or to get in touch with him you can do so at the links below: AOHNYC7.com AOH.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min

  6. FEB 2

    37. American Emigrants in Irish Folklore

    Irish folklore often recalls an ancient past. However, in this episode Fin and Damian explore how America and the experiences of Irish emigrants had already become part of folklore by the early twentieth century. Set down almost 100 years ago, among the stories you will hear tales of ghosts that reflect a sense of loss and remembrance of emigrants, examples of how returned emigrants were sometimes seen as "other", and even find out about how Irish children had already become fascinated by the American West and Native Americans. Folklore Archive www.duchas.ie Seymour, S. True Irish ghost stories https://archive.org/details/trueirishghostst0000seym_s6t9 Tait, C Spectres Across the Atlantic, c.1820-1940: Communicating with the Dead Over Space and Time https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14780038.2023.2258606 Interview with Clodagh Tait acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/a-history-of-the-supernatural-in-ireland&ved=2ahUKEwjOxZbyoLCSAxWRW0EAHeZIC9sQFnoECDcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3kmEFkBqKv1hnVAg6DtN7B Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min

  7. JAN 26

    36. From Famine to the Frontline: The Irish in the US Civil War

    The American Civil War was a defining moment for Irish Americans in the 1860s. Over 250,000 Irish Americans many of them Famine emigrants served in the Union army. Over the course of the war they played a key role in the defeat of the Confederacy. However their service has been dogged by stereotypes and myth for more than 160 years.  In this episode Damian discusses his latest research published in his 2025 book Green and Blue. Fin and Damian explore the book that brings new perspectives to our understanding of the war. They examine the immense Irish contribution to the Union cause and what their experiences of the conflict were really like. They also address the darker aspects of Irish involvement. Damian explains how and why Irish attitudes to emancipation and racism were not what we might expect from a community that served the Union in such overwhelming numbers. Damian’s book “Green and Blue Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861–1865” is a must read for anyone interested in the civil war of Irish America more broadly  Get your copy https://www.amazon.com/Green-Blue-Americans-Conflicting-Dimensions/dp/0807183709 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min

  8. JAN 19

    35. Catholicism & the Irish in California: Indomitable Sacramento

    How did Catholicism develop on America's West Coast during the 19th and 20th centuries, and how did it differ from the experience in the major Eastern cities? What role did Irish Americans Catholics, both women and men, play in the pioneering years of the Golden State's gold rush and the development of California's state capital over the century that followed? These are just some of the questions we explore in our latest episode of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast, taking as our lens the Irish men and women who helped to build, develop and sustain the city of Sacramento.  We are joined to discuss this by leading historian of Catholicism in America Father Steven Avella, formerly Professor of History at Marquette University in Wisconsin. Father Avella has written a number of volumes on the history of Sacramento and Catholicism in the city, including Sacramento: Indomitable City, Sacramento and the Catholic Church: Shaping a Catholic CIty and Indomitable Sacramentans: A Social History of Catholics in the State Capital.  Father Steven M. Avella Books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 3m
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3,000 miles of ocean separate Ireland from the USA, but both countries share a deep and intertwined history. Links between North America and Ireland predate Columbus, stretching back over 1,000 years. Since then, Irish people have shaped the history of the United States. From Ann 'Goody' Glover, who was hanged as a witch in Boston in the 17th century, to JFK, the story of the Irish in the US is fascinating. Join historians Damian Sheils and Fin Dwyer as they join forces to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of Irish American history. In Season 1 Fin and Damian explore fascinating topics including Who was the first Irish person to cross the Atlantic?The Story of Goody Glover who was hanged as a witch in Boston.What was it like to emigrate during the Great Famine of the 1840s?How Irish people shaped the US Civil War? And much more... Subscribe and join Fin and Damian on this fascinating journey through our history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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