The Rest Is History
July 2025
Irish Kings, Medieval Magic, and the Norman Invasion of Ireland
Discussion with Tom Holland about medieval Irish society, law, kingship and Christianity. Subscriber episode.
Broadcasting & articles
Media & Writing
Irish history for a wider audience, on podcasts, radio and television and in print.
Podcasts
Episode details
Not Just the Tudors
9 April 2026
Grace O’Malley, Ireland’s Pirate Queen
Interview with Professor Suzannah Lipscomb examining Gráinne’s life and the myths surrounding her.
You’re Dead to Me, BBC Radio 4
29 January 2021
Gráinne O’Malley
With Greg Jenner and Catherine Bohart.
You’re Dead to Me, BBC Radio 4
2 June 2023
Medieval Irish Folklore (Live)
Recorded at the Hay Festival with Greg Jenner and Seán Burke.
The Other Ireland
21 September 2026
The Banshee in Irish Folklore
Conversation with Nick Fitzgerald about banshee traditions, keening and family accounts.
The Women of Ireland Project
5 July 2026
Beyond the rose-tinted veil: meet the real women of medieval Ireland
Interview with Belinda Vigors on women, power and Brehon law.
Irish History Podcast
16 August 2019
Brehon Law: From Divorce to Irish Sex Magic
Interview with Fin Dwyer. Reissued in 2024.
The Irish Pagan School Podcast
17 July 2024
The True Nature of Irish Fairies: Myth, Folklore & Modern Misconceptions
Conversation with Lora O’Brien.
The Irish Pagan School Podcast
12 June 2024
How did Witch Hunts in Ireland Differ?
Dead Ideas
29 January 2017
Women and Magic in Medieval Ireland
Interview about women’s position in medieval Ireland and geassa.
The History of Sex
23 December 2019
The History of Sex Toys: An Interview with Dr Gillian Kenny
Radio
Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4
2018
Women’s Christmas / Nollaig na mBan
Discussion with Mary Morrissy, presented by Jenni Murray.
Making History, BBC Radio 4
2 August 2016
Making History
Guest alongside Jennifer Redmond in a programme presented by Helen Castor.
The Neil Prendeville Show, Cork’s RedFM
31 July 2026
Witches, banshees and Irish folklore
Interview with Neil Prendeville.
The History Show, RTÉ Radio 1
Love and Marriage in Medieval Ireland
Television
RTÉ / ARTE
2025
Oíche Shamhna: An Ancient Mystery
Historical contributor to the RTÉ documentary exploring Samhain and the development of Halloween, also broadcast internationally on ARTE.
BBC Northern Ireland
2025
The Long and the Short of It
Guest historical expert in “Did the English Really Invade Ireland?”, exploring the Norman arrival in Ireland with Tim McGarry and Dr David Hume.
Television
2015
Secrets of Great British Castles
Historical contributor to the series presented by Dan Jones.
Television
2015
After Braveheart
Historical contributor to the documentary series.
Television
2014
Tales of Irish Castles
Historical contributor across three episodes, credited as Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin.
Publications
VICE
11 February 2020
The ‘Itch’, and Other Ways History Explained Lesbianism
British Library
12 March 2019
A useful companion for a scholar: cats in the Middle Ages
Perceptions of Pregnancy
2014
Abortion in Medieval Ireland
Perceptions of Pregnancy
2015
Using the “poisons of sterility”: Women and contraception during the Middle Ages
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Roesia de Verdon [Verdun], noblewoman
Biographical entry. Subscription may be required.
History Today
A World Without Teenagers: Jihadi brides in Syria
History Ireland
2022
Review of Aristocratic Women in Ireland, 1450–1660: The Ormond Family, Power and Politics
History Today
11 June 2018
Ireland, Back to the Future
Marriage, divorce and reproductive choices in medieval Ireland, and their echoes in the changing present.
Substack
Unruly Ireland
Irish history has more to tell us than the familiar stories suggest. On Unruly Ireland, I explore unfamiliar lives, magic, folklore and the everyday experiences of Irish people down the centuries, exploring some of the less well known parts of our past. I also share discoveries from the archives as my books take shape.
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