In 1719, the 17-year-old Polish Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska was seized by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. While the move shocked many in Europe, in the following months a group of Irish exiles plotted a daring rescue of Maria Clementina. This led to a dramatic 400-kilometer chase across 18th-century Europe.

In this episode, I am joined by historian Richard Maher, an expert in the area, who explains why Irish exiles, known as the Wild Geese, risked their lives to rescue this Polish princess and how they hoped she might change the course of Irish history.

You can follow Richard on Linkedin at https://ie.linkedin.com/in/richard-maher-a5ab8068

Subscribe to my new podcast with historian Damian Shiels. Its called Transatlantic - An Irish American History Podcast. You can hear the latest episode here https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.

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In this episode, I explore the ruins of a Temple and the intriguing concept of societal collapse and its relevance to Irish history. Often depicted as dramatic and apocalyptic, societal collapse is a topic that has captured the imagination of historians and the public alike. But how accurate is this narrative especially when applied to Ireland's past? Join me as I explore if events like the Great Hunger can be considered a societal collapse!

Check out my new podcast 'Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast' with Damian Shiels https://linktr.ee/transatlanticpod

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.

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

In this captivating episode, I explore the enigmatic world of prehistoric Ireland. I am joined by Professor Gabriel Cooney to discuss the lives of Ireland's earliest inhabitants. Our conversation challenges the stereotypes that often cloud our understanding of this distant past. We discuss what megalithic tombs can reveal about the societies that built them and what the latest DNA analysis has uncovered about life in prehistory.

Spanning an incredible 8,000 years, this episode sheds light on the sophisticated societies that thrived long before the advent of written records. Drawing insights from Professor Cooney's acclaimed book, "Death in Irish Prehistory," this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what is often an overlooked aspect of our history.

Gabriel's book Death in Irish Prehistory is available here https://shop.ria.ie/products/death-in-irish-prehistory https://shop.ria.ie/products/death-in-irish-prehistory

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/irishhistory.

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