Gettysburg stands as one of the most iconic battles in American history, with thousands of Irish men fighting on both sides of the conflict. In this episode, Fin and Damian are joined by historian Harry Smeltzer to delve into the dramatic three days of the battle. Together, they uncover the pivotal roles played by Irish soldiers, share gripping stories from the front lines, and paint a vivid picture of what life was like on a Civil War battlefield.

Follow the story around the battlefield with this map (Click the arrow beside "Locations Mentioned" and "Monuments Mentioned" on the right of screen to expand the legend so you can see all the points mentioned in the show. You can follow along while listening and by clicking on each name will see where it is on the field.)

Harry Smeltzer Bull Runnings Website

American Battlefield Trust Overview and Maps of Battle of Gettysburg

Video of 69th Pennsylvania Infantry Position at Gettysburg

Photograph of James McKay Rorty

In Our Time: The Gettysburg Address

Sound: Kate Dunlea

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In 1881, Isabella Nugent wrote, “If having sexual intercourse made us man and wife, we were married.” Intimate, candid insights like this into the private lives of Irish people—both at home and abroad—are rare gems from the 19th century. Yet the private sex lives of our ancestors are just one of the many fascinating topics revealed in US Military Pension Files from that era.

After 15 years of research, Damian shares how you can unlock these invaluable resources to uncover the hidden stories of the past. From personal relationships to everyday struggles, these files offer a unique window into 19th-century lives that Irish history books often overlook.

The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America

Green & Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861-1865

Ordering Pension Files from the United States National Archives

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Ordinary people's letters provide the most immediate and intimate window into the lives of past Irish emigrants. In them are preserved their hopes, their fears and their stories. Now a new database brings thousands of these letters, written across four centuries, to our fingertips for the first time. In this episode, Damian chats with Breándán Mac Suibhne and Daniel Carey from the University of Galway's Imirce Project, discussing how it came about, how you can explore it, and what these letters reveal about the epic story of Irish migration.

Imirce Project Website

Kerby A. Miller. Emigrants and Exiles: Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America

Professor Breandán Mac Suibhne

Professor Daniel Carey

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The American Revolution had a profound and lasting impact on Ireland. While thousands of Irish people fought in the conflict and Cork Harbour served as a vital British logistics hub, the repercussions were felt far beyond the battlefield. The ideals and upheavals of the war helped radicalise Irish society, pushing it towards its own age of revolution. In this episode, Damian and Fin explore how the tensions unleashed by the American Revolution set Ireland on a path toward rebellion, and reveal the unexpected ways the conflict influenced the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Sound by Kate Dunlea

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Irish woman Annie Moore was the first person processed at the famous Ellis Island immigration station after it opened in 1892. Over the following 62 years nearly 12 million emigrants were processed there but Annie embodied this immigrant experience but who was this Irish woman?

In this episode, Fin and Damian interview Megan Smolenyak, a genealogist who has written a book titled The Quest for Annie Moore of Ellis Island: Uncovering the True Story of the First Immigrant to Arrive at America's Isle of Hope. The podcast explores Annie's life in Ireland, how she rose to fame as the first emigrant to pass through Ellis Island, and how she later faded into obscurity and was misidentified until Megan began to research her story.

Megan Smolenyak is one of the best known genealogists of Irish America. She is the former Chief Family Historian and spokesperson for Ancestry.com and has appeared on programmes such Good Morning America, the Today Show, the Early Show, CNN, NPR and BBC and has consulted on shows like Who Do You Think You Are? She is the author of six books,including Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing and Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History.

Check out Megan's website https://megansmolenyak.com/

For more info on Ellis Island. Ellis Island National Park Service Website

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Irish nuns are one of the enduring stereotypes of Irish emigrant communities. Thousands of Irish women joined these religious communities often erving as educators and nurses. In these roles they embedded themselves deeply in the communities they served leaving a lasting memory. In this episode, Damian and Fin interview Dr. Sophie Cooper of Queen’s University Belfast, an expert on the subject. We look at who these women were, why they joined and what life was like inside the convents where they lived

The discussion focuses on the fascinating case of Molly Dwyer, Fin’s grandaunt, who served as a nun in Dakota in the early 20th century. Molly left a vivid account of her life through a series of letters written to her brother, offering a unique window into the experiences of Irish nuns abroad.

Our guest, Dr Sophie Cooper, Queen's University Belfast has published extensively on this topic. You can find her work here—including her book Forging Identities in the Irish World: Melbourne and Chicago, c. 1830–1922 here. If you have any correspondence or stories relating to the female religious diaspora in your family, Dr. Cooper would love to hear from you!

Check out Fin’s podcast episode on his grandaunt Molly’s life as a nun here https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/letters-from-dakota

Sound Kate Dunlea

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The Titanic is unquestionably one of the most famous ships in history. Since it sank in 1912, it has been the focus of an endless stream of books, movies, and documentaries. In this episode, recorded in Titanic's final port of call—Cobh—Fin and Damian explore the Irish connections. It was not only built by Irish workers in an Irish shipyard, but many of the crew and passengers were also Irish.

Sources

Senan Molony, The irish Aboard Titanic

visitcobh.com

Know Thy Place Titanic Irish Map

Encyclopedia Titanica

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