Wild Old Times

A Wild Old Christmas Episode

For the season that's in it, we take a look at the history of Christmas in Ireland. Follow us down the centuries, from the ancient midwinter magic of Newgrange, through to English kings in Dublin, a young future priest in Wexford, and a homesick nurse in Donegal. We'll also take a look at some uniquely Irish Christmas traditions, including one very dear to my own heart.
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

Dionysus Lardner, Victorian Celebrity Scientist

Nowadays, Dublin native Dionysus Lardner is a pretty obscure name. But in the first half of the 19th century, he  was one of the most famous scientists in the world. His "Cabinet Cyclopedia" had some of the greatest writers of the day sharing their knowledge with the public, and his lecture tour of America reached fifty thousand people across over a hundred lectures. But it was his wild personal life, being involved in two different divorce cases, and his longterm rivalry with Isambard Kingdom Brunel, that really kept him in the headlines. 
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

Black Jack Adair and the Cursing Stones of Tory Island

In 19th century Donegal, few men were as hated as Black Jack Adair. Mothers would scare their children to sleep with his name, and even after his death a monument to him was destroyed. But why was he so despised, and what were the mysterious cursing stones one woman hoped to destroy him with?
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

The Mummies of Ireland

In this episode we look at the preserved corpses of Ireland - from the Egyptian mummies brought into the country, to the home-grown mummies of St Michans, to the mysterious bog bodies from our own distant past. Each of these was a life once lived, and each of them has a story to tell.
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

Haunted Irish Castles

Castles always attract more than their fair share of ghost stories, and the castles of Ireland are no exception. In this special Halloween episode we'll look at some of these stories, and at the history of the castles behind them. 
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

A History of Irish Witch Trials

Ireland holds a special place in the history of witch trials, for two reasons. The first is that it had a lot less witch trials than anywhere else in Europe. But the second is that it was where the European witch trials began. This week, in the first of two Halloween special episodes, we'll look at that historic milestone, and at all the other witch trials of Ireland.
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

The Secrets Of University College Cork

Every old building has its secrets, if you dig deep enough. In University College Cork you might not have to dig too deep. Underneath the seats in one lecture theatre there sat a preserved corpse - an ancient Egyptian mummy - with students coming and going without a care, for over thirty years. That's just one of the many mysteries we'll be unravelling in this week's episode of Wild Old Times.
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk 

A Journey Up The West Coast

Join us, this week, on a journey up the west coast of Ireland. Through myths pagan and Christian alike, we'll make our way along what was once the edge of the world. From the first footsteps on Irish soil to the largest fairy mound of them all with nothing but the deep dark cold ocean to our left as we go.
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
Our logo is by Liffy Designs.
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk

The Story of Irish Money

Ireland had to forge its own cultural identity after it gained independence, and one tool it used to do so was its new currency. Over the course of the next century it changed and evolved, becoming something that led young Irish people like me to become fascinated by the history it portrayed.
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
 
Our logo is by Liffy Designs. Check them out at https://www.liffydesigns.co.uk
 
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
 
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk

A History of Irish Duels

While it might not be true that the Irish invented duelling, it's indisputable that they took to it like fish to water. From the legendary duels of Cuchullain to the blood-soaked duelling fields of Galway City, join me as we look at the history of Irish duels.
 
(Note: this episode was reuploaded to fix audio issues.)
 
Wild Old Times is a podcast about the strange and obscure corners of Irish history, written and presented by Ciaran Conliffe.
 
Our logo is by Liffy Designs. Check them out at https://www.liffydesigns.co.uk
 
The opening theme is The Cat That Ate The Candle. The closing theme is The Parting Glass. Both were recorded by Gregory Mahan and are used under a Creative Commons license. You can find more of his music at https://tinwhistler.com
 
Wild Old Times is recorded at Farset Labs in Belfast. Learn more about Northern Ireland’s favourite hackerspace at https://farsetlabs.org.uk