A Broken People: The Survivors of the Great Hunger
Irish History Podcast
Fin Dwyer
4.7 • 1.8K Ratings
🗓️ 30 August 2023
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Great Hunger left deep scars on the Irish society. Many of those who survived the 1840s never fully survived the harrowing ordeal they had endured. They were traumatised in body and spirit. For the rest of their lives, they carried the physical and psychological injuries the Great Hunger inflicted on them.
This podcast follows the life one of the last survivors in Dublin - Catherine Mulhern.
This podcast was included in an early draft of my upcoming book A Lethal Legacy – A History of Ireland in 18 Murders. While it didn’t make the final edit for reasons explained in the show, it is a fascinating story.
A Lethal Legacy - A History of Ireland in 18 Murders is currently available for pre-order today. If you buy your copy at Easons.com & use the coupon code FD10 you will get 10% off.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | As Nigel opened his Amazon parcel, it was in love at first sight. |
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| 0:26.0 | Hello and welcome to the Irish History Podcast. |
| 0:28.8 | My name is Finn DeWire. |
| 0:30.8 | Today's episode explores the life of a woman who survived the Great Hunger |
| 0:35.8 | and against all the odds lived into the 20th century. |
| 0:39.8 | It's the first in a mini-series of podcasts, |
| 0:42.8 | where each one is based on research that didn't make the final edits of my upcoming book, |
| 0:47.8 | a little legacy, a history of Ireland in 18 murders. |
| 0:51.8 | Now finishing any book is always the trickiest part because you have to cut out material |
| 0:55.8 | that you'd love to include, but this series allows me to share those stories with you. |
| 1:01.8 | Alongside today's episode on the Great Hunger, |
| 1:04.8 | the next podcast will look at the story of the first modern royal visit to Ireland |
| 1:09.8 | which took place in 1821. |
| 1:12.8 | That and all the pomp, ceremony and scandal you would expect. |
| 1:16.8 | There's also an episode on the life of an addict in the Irish Revolution. |
| 1:21.8 | When I came across her story, it really intrigued me |
| 1:23.8 | because it's not something we often think about addiction in the early 20th century. |
... |
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