Airbrushed from History: The Great Hunger in Dublin
Irish History Podcast
Fin Dwyer
4.7 • 1.8K Ratings
🗓️ 8 October 2025
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, we’re taking a break from our series on the 1798 Rebellion for a fascinating conversation about the Great Famine in Dublin and why this key chapter in the city’s history has been largely forgotten.
When most people think of the Great Hunger, they picture rural Ireland and the suffering along the Atlantic coast. For years, it was widely believed that Dublin escaped the worst of the Famine. But is that really the case?
In this episode, I’m joined by Dublin historian Maria Ball, who shares her unique insights into how the Famine impacted the capital and why its story has faded from memory. Drawing on her own family’s history in the Smithfield tenements, Maria reveals the hidden struggles faced by Dubliners during the 1840s. She also explains how institutions like the city workhouses and the Lock Hospital (which treated venereal disease) were overwhelmed during the crisis.
Maria is also involved in organising a history festival in Cabra this week - you can find out more here.
Sound by Kate Dunlea.
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Transcript
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| 1:35.0 | The Great Hunger of the 1840s is synonymous with rural Ireland. |
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| 1:50.9 | Famine. Indeed, for a long time, it was generally believed that Dublin was not seriously |
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