In this captivating episode of the Irish History Podcast, Jackie Ni Chionna joins me to discuss the remarkable but forgotten Irish woman, Emily Anderson. Emily was an Irish code breaker who played a pivotal role at Bletchley Park during World War II. Despite her significant contributions to the Allied war effort, Emily has been forgotten in the wider history of the Second World War.

In 2023, Jackie published "Queen of Codes," a biography of Anderson. In this episode, she shares the life and legacy of this extraordinary Irish woman, exploring her journey from the west of Ireland to the heart of Britain's top-secret code-breaking operations.

Jackie vividly brings Emily Anderson's story to life, shedding light on her invaluable work and the challenges she faced in the male-dominated world of military intelligence.

Tune in to discover the untold story of an unsung hero of World War II.

You can get Jackie's book in audio, ebook, and hardcopy here.

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In the 1850s, Portlaw was Ireland's most successful town. The population had grown tenfold in the previous 30 years. The local Cotton Mill, built by the Malcomson Family, provided work for thousands of people. However, by the early 20th century, everything had changed. The Cotton Mill was silent, and many of the houses had been abandoned.

This episode explores the story of the Malcomson Family. Once known as the Kings of Cotton, they built one of the most successful business empires in the world in rural Ireland in the space of forty years. Their downfall was no less spectacular. This episode reveals the dramatic rise and fall of the Malcomson dynasty, showcasing their remarkable achievements but also uncovering the dark secrets of a company with controversial work practices that benefited from US slavery.

Episode 2 of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast is out now! You can hear the story of Ann Glover - The Irish Witch of Boston. Listen here.

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I am delighted to share the very first episode of Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast. It's a new show I am making with historian Damian Shiels which looks at Irish-American History. It's separate from the Irish History Podcast and Season 1 will be released each Monday. You can subscribe to Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast to get future shows. In this first episode we look at who the first Irish person to reach the Americas was. There are a few intriguing candidates.

• Was it St. Brendan, the intrepid Irish monk who is said to have voyaged across the Atlantic centuries before Columbus?
• Could it have been an Irish woman taken captive by Vikings who reached Newfoundland around 1000 AD?
• Perhaps it was an Irish sailor aboard one of Columbus' ships?

Next week I will be back with the Irish History Podcast with a show on the House of Malcomson, a dramatic story about the rise and fall of an Irish dynasty known of the Cotton Kings.

Meanwhile the second episode of Transatlantic whcih looks at the Forgotten Irish Witch of Boston comes out next Monday and will be available here https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod.

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