Granuaile or Grace O’Malley: a woman chieftain in 16th century Ireland who ruled the seas with a fleet of ships and was both respected and deeply feared.
Daughter of the seafaring Ó Máille Gaelic clan, Gráinne carved out a position of power for herself at a time when there was little recent precedent for doing so.
She found herself contending with the encroachment of English invaders, and ended up sailing to London to plead her case directly to Queen Elizabeth I – and she won.
Naomi and Tim delve into the remarkable life of Granuaile – the myths, the legends, but also first-hand historical accounts she and her contemporaries left behind – to chart a career that encapsulates the final days of Gaelic Ireland.
A Halfpint bonus debrief is available on Patreon discussing how while written history forgot Granuaile, she was kept alive by oral and cultural traditions that made her an enduring symbol of Irish defiance. https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-158088547
Recommended reading: Grace O’Malley : The Biography of Ireland’s Pirate Queen 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers, to whom we are much indebted for research that allowed for the making of this episode.
Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh! On this most turbulent of St Patrick’s Day, we cover some of the major events that are dominating news headlines: Gerry Adams in court in London, Mícheál Martin on the Taoiseach’s annual pilgrimage to the White House, and how Ireland and Europe are reacting to the fallout of the US war with Iran.
We’ll be releasing a halfpint with further discussion exclusively for Patreon supporters later in the week. To gain access to more than 100 bonus content episodes, you can sign up today on www.Patreon.com/theirishpassport.
This month marks the official start of spring in Ireland and to mark it Naomi and Tim discuss the figure of Bridget, Brigid or Bríd. A goddess in Gaelic times who became Christianised into Saint Bridget, the stories about this figure reveal fascinating details about the society that produced them.
The checkout workers who boycotted apartheid South Africa and other stories
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In this listener questions episode, Naomi and Tim take questions from listeners on everything from Gaelic Ulster, to nomadic patterns of land use, and the quirks of Ireland’s postal system.
We discuss the long tail of an old law that forced women to quit their jobs as soon as they married. Tim tells the story of the supermarket workers who refused to handle goods from apartheid South Africa, and how they are still remembered today.
Listener questions episodes are made to answer the queries and suggestions of Patreon supporters who back us at the €5 level or above. We will release this one publicly in the coming days to let non-subscribers know about what they’re missing.
The famous ‘pint of plain’ has become one of the most recognisable commercial brands in the world, and is inextricably linked to the Irish pub. In light of a new Netflix series on the Guinness family, this episode dives into the real history of the ‘Black stuff’, and explores how the brand founded at St. James’ Gate in 1759 has reinvented itself time and time again through the miracle of marketing.
