Undercover Irish

Eolan Ryng
  • 5.0 (3)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Uncovering Ireland's Hidden Curriculum Undercover Irish goes under the cover of Irishness, through ballads, poems, social history, the Irish language (Gaeilge), historical events and people, especially those on the periphery— while drawing lines to today's world and adding depth to current affairs. Local, National and International.

  1. 12H AGO

    How The Great Hunger Brought Irish Sporting Identity Abroad; Liverpool, Celtic And More

    🎙️ Show Notes In this episode of Undercover Irish, we explore how the Great Famine didn't just reshape Ireland—it carried Irish identity across the world. From the streets of Liverpool to the foundations of clubs like Celtic F.C. and Hibernian F.C., we look at how Irish communities used sport to rebuild identity in exile. We examine how club names reflected memory, resistance, and belonging—and how the Irish diaspora left a lasting mark on global sport. 🔍 In this episode: The impact of the Great Hunger on Irish migration Why Liverpool became a centre of Irish life abroad The origins of Irish-named football clubs How Celtic and Hibernian emerged from diaspora communities Sport as identity, survival, and expression in exile 🎯 Key Idea: Irish identity didn't disappear during emigration—it travelled, adapted, and took root in new places. 🎧 Listen if you're interested in: Irish history • GAA • Football history • Diaspora studies • Cultural identity ☘️ About the Podcast Undercover Irish explores the hidden curriculum of Irish history—uncovering stories, meanings, and connections you won't find in textbooks.

    23 min

  2. 2D AGO

    GAA Club Names Explained: Mythology, Rebels & Irish Identity

    🔒 Get Early Access to the Next One Listen to Episodes 2 of this mini series now on Patreon: 👉 https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-great-hunger-155619855?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link In this episode of Undercover Irish, we explore the hidden meaning behind GAA club names—and what they reveal about Irish identity, history, and mythology. From rebels and outlaws to legendary heroes like Cú Chulainn, we uncover how names carry memory, culture, and meaning across generations. Because in Ireland… a name is never just a name. 🔍 In this episode: Why GAA clubs are named after places, patriots, and saints The story behind rebel names like the Rapparees and the Slashers How Irish mythology shapes club identity The meaning of names like Setanta, Fianna, and Cú Chulainn The role of female figures like Grace O'Malley and Deirdre 🎯 Key Idea: Every club name is a choice—about what to remember, what to honour, and what identity to carry forward. 🎧 Listen if you're interested in: Irish history • GAA • Irish mythology • Cultural identity • Language & storytelling ☘️ About the Podcast Undercover Irish explores the hidden curriculum of Irish history—uncovering stories, meanings, and connections you won't find in textbooks.

    23 min

  3. APR 8

    The Mountains of Pomeroy: A Love Song from a Broken Land

    🎙️ Show Notes The Mountains of Pomeroy: A Love Song from a Broken Land At first listen, The Mountains of Pomeroy sounds like a simple love song — a quiet story of two people divided by circumstance. But beneath the romance lies something deeper. In this episode of Undercover Irish, we explore the world behind the song: The rapparees, outlaws shaped by dispossession and colonisation The story of Shane Bernagh, a real figure who moved through the same Ulster landscape The role of George Sigerson and the Gaelic Revival in reshaping Irish identity And how poets like John Montague help us understand what was lost — not just land, but language and memory From the hills of Tyrone to the terraces of GAA grounds, this episode traces how a song can carry history — even when we no longer fully understand it. 📚 Sources & Further Reading George Sigerson — writings and background John Montague — A Lost Tradition Shane Bernagh — historical accounts and folklore Background on rapparees and post-Plantation Ireland ☘️ Support the Podcast If you enjoy Undercover Irish and want to support the show, get bonus content, and help keep these stories going: 👉 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/UndercoverIrish 📲 Follow & Share If you enjoyed this episode: Share it with someone interested in Irish history Leave a rating or review Follow for more episodes exploring the hidden stories of Ireland

    34 min

  4. MAR 27

    How One Town with Four Names Maps Different Irelands

    🎙️ How One Town's Four Names Map Different Irelands 📝 Charleville isn't just one name. It's also An Ráth, Rathgogan, and Rathluirc — each one telling a different story about Ireland. In this episode, we follow those names through conquest, plantation, and revival, to see how one place can hold multiple pasts at once. 🎧 Support the Podcast If you're enjoying Undercover Irish, you can support the podcast here: 👉 Undercover Irish | Podcasts on Irish History, Language, Songs and Story. | Patreon

    22 min

  5. MAR 16

    The Story Behind Óró, Sé do Bheatha Bhaile: From Jacobite Song to 1916 Rebel Anthem

    The Story Behind Óró, Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile: From Jacobite Song to 1916 Rebel Anthem One of the most famous Irish rebel songs, Óró, Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile, is closely associated with the Easter Rising and the revolutionary poetry of Pádraig Pearse. But the story of the song actually begins centuries earlier. In this episode of Undercover Irish, we explore how one melody travelled through three different political movements, transforming from a Jacobite welcome song into one of the best-known Irish rebel anthems. Originally, the song celebrated Charles Edward Stuart, known in Irish as Searlas Óg, during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. Irish supporters of the Stuart cause saw him as a potential liberator from the Protestant Ascendancy. Over time, the melody survived while the lyrics evolved, reflecting changing political struggles in Ireland. By the early twentieth century, Pearse rewrote the song entirely. In his version, the hero becomes Gráinne Mhaol, the legendary Gaelic leader who returns from across the sea with armed volunteers to free Ireland. Along the way, the episode explores some fascinating pieces of Irish language and cultural history, including: The meaning of the chorus "Óró, sé do bheatha 'bhaile" Ireland personified as the "sorrowful woman" in Irish poetry The phrase "an dord Féinne", the roaring war-cry of the legendary warriors of Fionn mac Cumhaill How ancient Irish war horns influenced the imagery of the song Why Pearse wanted a marching song for the Irish Volunteers How the English word "slogan" actually comes from Irish (sluagh-ghairm, meaning a battle cry) We also look at the events of Easter Week 1916, Pearse's role in the Rising, and his execution in Kilmainham Gaol, which helped transform the rebellion into a turning point in Irish history. As a bonus, supporters on Patreon can see the lyrics written in Cló Gaelach, the traditional Irish script used during the Gaelic revival, along with a full line-by-line explanation of Pearse's lyrics. One melody. Three centuries. A song that welcomed revolution more than once. Topics Covered History of Óró, Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile The Jacobite movement in Ireland Charles Edward Stuart and the 1745 Rising Pádraig Pearse and the Easter Rising Irish rebel songs and political symbolism The meaning of "an dord Féinne" Irish language and Gaelic revival culture The origin of the word slogan Patreon Bonus Patreon supporters get access to: The lyrics written in Cló Gaelach https://www.patreon.com/UndercoverIrish Follow Undercover Irish Exploring Irish history, language, and culture through the stories behind words, songs, and traditions.

    29 min

  6. MAR 3

    Why Britain Still Owns Part of Cyprus — And What Ireland Has To Do With It

    🎙️ Why Britain Still Owns Part of Cyprus — And What Ireland Has To Do With It When Cyprus appears in the headlines during a Middle East/West Asia war, most people ask: Why is Britain operating from there? The answer begins long before today's conflict — and it doesn't begin in Cyprus. It begins in Ireland. In this episode, we explore how Ireland's partition and the retention of the Treaty Ports in 1921 reveal a broader imperial strategy — one that reappears in Cyprus in 1960, when Britain granted independence but retained sovereign military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. This isn't a conspiracy. It's a pattern. From the Government of Ireland Act (1920) to the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921), from the Treaty Ports to the Sovereign Base Areas, we trace how partition and retained military footholds shaped two islands — and how those decisions still echo in today's geopolitics. Because sometimes empire doesn't disappear. Sometimes it leaves behind: A line. A base. A constitutional fault line. In This Episode Why Britain still controls territory in Cyprus The Government of Ireland Act (1920) and partition The Anglo-Irish Treaty (1921) and the Treaty Ports Why Ireland didn't control its full coastline until 1938 Cyprus under British rule (1878–1960) The Zurich & London Agreements (1959–1960) The creation of the Sovereign Base Areas The 1974 Turkish invasion and the Green Line How "minority protection" becomes political architecture What sovereignty really means Key Dates 1801 – Act of Union 1920 – Government of Ireland Act 1921 – Anglo-Irish Treaty 1922 – Irish Free State established 1938 – Treaty Ports returned 1878 – Britain assumes control of Cyprus 1960 – Cyprus independence & Sovereign Base Areas retained 1974 – Turkish invasion & effective partition 1983 – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared Why This Matters Now Cyprus remains strategically vital in modern conflicts. But its importance isn't new. It's the continuation of a withdrawal strategy first visible in Ireland — where independence came with conditions, and sovereignty arrived in stages. Understanding Ireland helps us understand Cyprus. And understanding both helps us understand how empires leave. Support the Podcast If you enjoy Undercover Irish, please: Follow / Subscribe Leave a rating or review Share the episode with someone who thinks partition was inevitable

    23 min

  7. FEB 14

    Henry Browne Hayes: From Vernon Mount to Vaucluse (Part 2)

    🎙️ From Vernon Mount to Vaucluse: Exile, Empire & What Remains Undercover Irish – Episode 2 Henry Browne Hayes was sentenced to transportation for life. But exile did not humble him. In this second part of the series, we follow Hayes from Ireland to Australia — from convict ship to colonial estate — and examine how power adapts even when it is supposedly punished. Along the way, we encounter Irish political prisoners, Freemasonry in the early colony, the Rum Rebellion, a dramatic shipwreck, and the unfinished legacy of both empire and rebellion. And at the centre of it all remains Mary Pike. 🔎 In This Episode The convict ship Atlas and Hayes's bribed passage Irish political prisoners transported after 1798 Tristram Moore and other United Irishmen in New South Wales Early Freemasonry in Australia The attempted lodge of 1803 Vaucluse House and its convict origins The Rum Rebellion (1808) Governor William Bligh and the New South Wales Corps Hayes's exile to Newcastle (Coal River) The role of Governor Lachlan Macquarie The controversial pardon The wreck of the Isabella in 1813 Joseph Holt's account of the disaster Hayes's return to Cork The long shadow over Mary Pike's life Modern-day legacies in Ireland and Australia

    31 min

  8. FEB 14

    Henry Browne Hayes: Power, Privilege and The Abduction of Mary Pike (Part 1)

    🎙️ Henry Browne Hayes: Power, Privilege & the Abduction of Mary Pike Undercover Irish – Episode 1 Undercover Irish | Patreon Eolan Ryng (@undercoverirish) • Instagram photos and videos In late 18th-century Cork, a wealthy magistrate named Henry Browne Hayes stood on the quay and watched Irish prisoners being transported to Australia. A decade later, he would join them. This episode explores one of the most extraordinary criminal cases in Irish history — the 1797 abduction of Mary Pike, a wealthy Cork heiress, and the fall of a man who believed the law existed to serve him. Set against the backdrop of the Protestant Ascendancy, the Penal Laws, and the social hierarchy of pre-Union Ireland, this is a story about power, gender, class, and what happened when privilege finally collided with consequence. 🔎 In This Episode Life in Cork under the Protestant Ascendancy Transportation from Ireland to Australia in the 18th century The case of Michael Lamb — poverty and exile Vernon Mount and the architecture of elite power Financial decline and social pressure among Ascendancy families The abduction of Mary Pike in 1797 The culture of "abduction clubs" among wealthy Irish men The pursuit led by Cooper Penrose The role of barber Coghlan and the Grand Parade reward houses The courtroom battle led by John Philpot Curran The precedent of Strange & Byrne The guilty verdict The sentence: transportation for life ⚖️ The Crime That Shocked Cork Mary Pike was not just any young woman. She was one of the wealthiest heiresses in Cork — connected to powerful mercantile families. When Henry Browne Hayes abducted her in an attempt to force a marriage, he assumed status would shield him. He was wrong. The case electrified Cork society. It raised uncomfortable questions about class, entitlement, and the treatment of women in 18th-century Ireland. If this could happen to an heiress — what happened to women without wealth or influence? 🏛️ Ireland Under the Protestant Ascendancy This episode also explores the wider social order that shaped Hayes: Land confiscation and elite control The Penal Laws The justice system's uneven application The intersection of gender and class Henry Browne Hayes was not simply an individual criminal. He was a product of a political system that concentrated power — and protected its own. ⚓ Transportation to Australia Long before Hayes became a convict, he oversaw the transportation of others. Irish prisoners — many convicted for poverty-driven crimes — were sent to New South Wales as part of Britain's expanding penal empire. In one of history's sharpest ironies, Hayes would later be sentenced to the same fate. 📍 Locations Mentioned Vernon Mount, Cork Grand Parade (Sráid an Chapaill Buí), Cork Christ Church, South Main Street Shandon Street Early transport ships from Ireland to Australia 🎧 Why This Story Matters This is not just a tale of scandal. It is a case study in how power behaves when challenged. It forces us to ask: Was the law applied equally? Did wealth soften consequences? How were working-class women treated in the same society? And how much of that logic survives today? 🔔 Next Episode Henry Browne Hayes is found guilty and sentenced to transportation for life. But exile is not the end of his story. Next time: Australia, Freemasonry, the Rum Rebellion, a shipwreck in the South Atlantic — and the long shadow of Mary Pike. If you enjoy Undercover Irish and want to support independent Irish history storytelling, you can support the show on Patreon.

    35 min
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5
out of 5
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About

Uncovering Ireland's Hidden Curriculum Undercover Irish goes under the cover of Irishness, through ballads, poems, social history, the Irish language (Gaeilge), historical events and people, especially those on the periphery— while drawing lines to today's world and adding depth to current affairs. Local, National and International.

Information

  • Creator
    Eolan Ryng
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Undercover Irish

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