Great Irish

Discover the extraordinary storytelling tradition that changed the world. The Great Irish Classics brings together a magnificent collection of BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations of some of the greatest novels ever written by Irish authors, performed by an all-star cast of acclaimed actor. From...

In 1845, a disaster struck Ireland. Overnight, a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops, turning the potatoes black and destroying the only real food of nearly six million people. Over the next five years, the blight attacked again and again. These years are known today as the Great Irish Famine, a time when one million people died from starvation and disease and two million more fled their homeland.

With green eyes and an easy smile, Frank McCabe stole me away from the nightmares that awaited me at home. But the son of the Irish Mob would never be mine. I belonged to the Italians. And the moment my mother sold me to the head of the Italian Mafia, I became the one the people of Boston were warned about. The only person more feared than me in our city is the Irish Ghost. When I finally flee my marital prison with my sons and my sister in tow, I unwittingly run straight into the ghost of the Irishman who died in a fiery explosion years ago.

This gripping history of the Irish famine reveals how a catastrophic crop failure sparked a desperate mass migration. When a mysterious blight decimated the island's primary food source, agrarian families under British rule faced unimaginable starvation, eviction, and disease. Perfect for a...

Ophelia Peters is a military veteran, a thrill seeker, and aspiring clothing designer living in NYC. Niall Gallagher is the marketing director for his family's Irish Whiskey brand. He needs a date for his brother's wedding back in Ireland and nothing would irritate them all more than if he brought home an American beauty. Ophelia isn't afraid of taking a trip to Ireland and acting like Niall's girlfriend for a weekend. She is afraid of how easy the Irishman seems to fit into her heart. It could just be the suit, but the man wears it well.

The Great Famine which afflicted Ireland from 1845 to 1849 was one of the most catastrophic events in Europe during the 19th century. More than one-quarter of the population of Ireland died of starvation or associated disease, or were forced to emigrate...The Great Famine left a legacy of distrust and animosity between large segments of the population of Ireland and Great Britain, and this in part led to the movements which finally produced Irish independence.

In this audiobook, you are invited on a journey back to the 1840s, to the heart of Ireland’s darkest hour. Witness the profound impact of the Great Famine, an event that reshaped not only Ireland but also the world.

CAROLINE BLACKWOOD'S MASTERPIECE, SHORTLISTED FOR THE 1977 BOOKER PRIZE *A New Yorker summer reading pick of 2026* 'Full of genuine black humour' LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS 'A darkly comic treat' CHRIS POWER, OBSERVER 'Wickedly amusing' SUNDAY TIMES 'A masterpiece . . . her humour is as wicked as it...

Eamonn McCann’s account of what it is like to grow up a Catholic in a Northern Irish ghetto - first published in 1974 - quickly became a classic account of the feelings generated by British rule. The author was at the center of events in Derry which first brought Northern Ireland to world attention. He witnessed the gradual transformation of the civil rights movement from a mild campaign for “British Democracy” to an all-out military assault on the British state. This book describes the people involved in the war and gives an account of the springs of the "Catholic" opposition.

Bloomsbury presents Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann, read by Richard Poe, Gerard Doyle, Carol Monda, Johanna Parker, Ramón de Ocampo, Chris Sorenson, Patricia R.Floyd, Jim Frangione, Alma Cuervo, Lizan Mitchell and Cherise Boothe. WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD ‘A wow of a novel...

Since the fighting Irish first took to the field in 1887, Notre Dame has developed an incomparable level of tradition and achievement - both on the gridiron and in the classroom. With a record 96 All-American players and seven Heisman Trophy winners, it's no wonder several of Notre Dame's stars have gone on not only to star in the NFL, but also to successful careers and accolades in all walks of life. Notre Dame: Where Have You Gone? catches up with Fighting Irish players.

Did you know that a poet named William Drennan was the first to name Ireland the “Emerald Island”? He was referring to the green hills of Ireland’s countryside in his poem “When Erin first rose”. The countryside is what defines Ireland probably the best since, for a long time, it played a major role in the economy and culture of the nation.

In their long history of suffering, nothing was ever so terrible as what the Irish endured during the Great Potato Famine that struck the country in the 1840s. It produced massive upheaval for several years. While countless numbers of Irish starved, the famine also compelled many to leave. And all the while, the British were exporting enough food from Ireland on a daily basis to prevent the starvation.

A gripping investigation into one of Irish history's greatest mysteries, Great Hatred reveals the true story behind one of the most significant political assassinations to ever have been committed on British soil. On 22 June 1922, Sir Henry Wilson—the former head of the British army and one of those credited with winning the First World War—was shot and killed by two veterans of that war turned IRA members in what was the most significant political murder to have taken place on British soil for more than a century.

Experience the gripping historical tragedy of agricultural collapse and mass emigration that forever fractured a nation. Perfect for a reflective commute or an immersive deep-dive into European history, this somber yet deeply educational narrative explores how a simple crop blight collided with...

Uncover the gripping European history of the 1845 potato blight, a devastating famine that forever altered a nation. Whether you are seeking a somber deep dive for your daily commute or an intense educational journey, this chronological retelling plunges you into the heart of 19th-century rural...

John Keats was largely unappreciated during his lifetime and died in Rome at the age of 26. Most of his 150 poems were written in just nine extraordinary months in 1819. This selection contains some of his finest works, including the principal "Odes", "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", "Old Meg", and "Much Have I Travelled".

On December 7th, 1955, Kitty McInerney lay dying in a New York hospital bed. The 47-year-old Irish immigrant, suffering from severe toxemia, was preparing for an emergency c-section to give birth to her 17th child. As a Catholic priest performed her last rites, Kitty succumbed to a rare moment of quiet reflection.

The Partition of Ireland and the Troubles: The History of Northern Ireland from the Irish Civil War to the Good Friday Agreement analyzes the tumultuous events that marked the creation of Northern Ireland, and the conflicts fueled by the partition. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Northern Ireland like never before.

There are very few national relationships quite as complicated and enigmatic as the one that exists between the English and the Irish. For two peoples so interconnected by geography and history, the depth of animosity that is often expressed is difficult at times to understand. At the same time, historic links of family and clan, and common Gaelic roots, have at times fostered a degree of mutual regard, interdependence, and cooperation that is also occasionally hard to fathom. During World War I, for example, Ireland fought for the British Empire as part of that empire.