{"podcast":{"title":"Irish History Podcast","slug":"irish-history-podcast-778168","podcast_index_feed_id":778168,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/9190bee0-95f3-400b-842d-3232974654ec","website_url":"https://www.irishhistorypodcast.ie/shop","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/619566332eacc3a360702518/show-cover.png","author":"Fin Dwyer","episode_count":465,"summary":"From the Norman Invasion to the War of Independence, the Great Famine to the Troubles, the Irish History Podcast takes you on a journey through the most fascinating stories in Ireland's past. Whether it’s the siege of Dublin in 1171 or gun battles in the 1920s, the podcast vividly recreates a sense of time and place. Each episode is meticulously researched, creating character-driven narratives that are engaging and accessible for all. Since the first episode was released back in 2010, the podcast has covered scores of captivating stories. Major multi-part series have explored the Great Famine, the Norman Invasion, and Irish involvement in the Spanish Civil War. If you are looking for standalone episodes, there are lots of great interviews with leading Irish historians covering topics from medieval sex magic to Irish connections in the Jack the Ripper murders! Why not start with 'Three Days in July', an acclaimed mini-series from the summer of 2024. It explores the early years of the Troubles and the forgotten story of a young Londoner who was shot dead by the British Army in Belfast in 1970. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-history-podcast-778168"},"episode":{"title":"From the Banshee to Burial: The Strange History of Irish Funerals","slug":"from-the-banshee-to-burial-the-strange-history-of-irish-funerals","published_at":"2026-04-15T03:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-history-podcast-778168/from-the-banshee-to-burial-the-strange-history-of-irish-funerals","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-history-podcast-778168","url":"https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/from-the-banshee-to-burial-the-strange-history-of-irish-fune","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/irishhistory/e/69de51bc964c5cf3162abad7/media.mp3","summary":"Irish funerals and wakes are one of the more famous aspects of our culture. Often taking the form of a celebration, it has been said we do death well. However the modern Irish funeral is not the timeless tradition we often imagine. In this episode of the Irish History Podcast I explore the strange history of Irish funerals and the lost world of 19th-century death customs. Drawing on folklore and first-hand accounts, I explore the history behind the banshee (bean sí) and other less well known death omens. I also trace the strange and unsettling rituals, superstitions and wake traditions that once surrounded death in Ireland - customs that can be difficult to relate to today. From the banshee to the grave, this is a journey into a lost world of grief, ritual and belief. Written, researched, and presented by Fin Dwyer Sound: Kate Dunlea Voice Actors: Aidan Crowe and Therese Murray If you want to learn more about wakes, check out this episode recorded in the Irish Wake Museum https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/the-irish-wake-a-history Sources * Patricia Lysaght, The Banshee: The Irish Death-Messenger https://archive.org/details/bansheeirishdeat0000lysa * St. John Seymour, True Irish Ghost Stories https://archive.org/details/trueirishghostst00seymiala Duchas.ie, the National Folklore Archive https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4602737/4599804/4634242 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427971/4362341/4466724 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649683/4646384/4650807 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4427866/4351921/4435336 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4649683/4646384/4650807 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4758475/4747226/4779806 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5008831/4959379/5072669 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4623003/4622767/4630843 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742070/4732588/48…","meta_description":"Irish funerals and wakes are one of the more famous aspects of our culture. Often taking the form of a celebration, it has been said we do death well. How…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1867,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/irish-history-podcast-778168/episodes/from-the-banshee-to-burial-the-strange-history-of-irish-funerals/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-history-podcast-778168/from-the-banshee-to-burial-the-strange-history-of-irish-funerals.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}