{"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":"Wild Animals and Public Entertainment in Georgian Ireland","slug":"wild-animals-and-public-entertainment-in-georgian-ireland","published_at":"2026-02-18T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-history-podcast-778168/wild-animals-and-public-entertainment-in-georgian-ireland","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-history-podcast-778168","url":"https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/wild-animals-and-public-entertainment-in-georgian-ireland","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/irishhistory/e/69947d79b1ca974bbc20348a/media.mp3","summary":"In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, lions, tigers and even elephants toured towns and cities across Ireland. Long before modern zoos, travelling menageries brought wild animals from across the globe into marketplaces, fairgrounds and urban streets. For many people, this was their first encounter with creatures they had only ever seen in books or sermons. In this episode, I’m joined by historian Karina Holton to explore the fascinating and largely forgotten history of Irish menageries between 1790 and 1840. We discuss what these exhibitions were, how they differed from circuses and modern zoos, and what it was actually like to visit one. What animals could audiences expect to see? We also examine the controversies surrounding these shows. Not everyone welcomed them. There were dramatic incidents involving escapes and attacks, concerns about public safety, and growing criticism around animal welfare. Sound by Kate Dunlea. About My Guest Karina Holton completed her PhD at Dublin City University and has published widely on eighteenth and nineteenth century Ireland. She is the author of  Valentine Lawless, Lord Cloncurry, 1773 to 1853: From United Irishman to Liberal Politician . https://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2018/valentine-lawless-lord-cloncurry This episode is inspired by her article: ‘A Most Curious Collection of Foreign Beasts’: Menageries in Ireland, 1790 to 1840. You can read it here https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/24DB1506CB06E117BEA2C1819FC312AA/S0021121425100916a.pdf/most_curious_collection_of_foreign_beasts_menageries_in_ireland_17901840.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, lions, tigers and even elephants toured towns and cities across Ireland. Long before modern zoos, t…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1734,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/irish-history-podcast-778168/episodes/wild-animals-and-public-entertainment-in-georgian-ireland/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/wild-animals-and-public-entertainment-in-georgian-ireland.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}