Irish military history is a topic hundreds of years in the making, ranging from service under the old Gaelic lords to "Wild Geese" regiments raised throughout Europe and, of course, an entwined history with the British Army. Much of this came to an end with the emergence of the Irish Free State, and later Republic of Ireland. Ever eager to prove ourselves on the world stage, it was only natural that Irish peacekeepers would be sent to the Congo as part of the UN - but disaster was lurking. Join Conor this week as he takes us through the devastating ambush on Irish peacekeepers in the Congo and explains the lack of care gone into the planning of the mission that led to the ambush, the lack of quality equipment, and our thoughts on one of the first deployments of Irish troops since the creation of the new state. This episode was presented by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

What do you get when you take the phrase "Keep it in the family" WAY too seriously? A family tree that forms a perfect circle! And there is no better example in history of the dangers of a bit of how's your father with someone a bit too closely related to your father than the Habsburg dynasty. Join Hayley this week as she takes us on a journey to Spain at the end of the 17th century, where Habsburg King Charles II spawned into the world with every debuff known to man and destroyed ay chance of his lineage carrying on the throne of Spain! Remember folks, if your family tree has a diagonal line in it then you've gone wrong somewhere and you might get a case of the infamous "Habsburg Jaw". This episode was presented by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

Controversial? Never heard of it! Would have been nice to know before we decided this may be a good episode though... can't wait to see our ratings plummet after this one. In all seriousness, welcome to our first dive into the far more controversial and topical conversations of the day - this time being the Russo-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas War. Being graduates of military history and strategic studies, this is Arron and Conor's bread and butter and they want to at least try their hand at discussing these subjects. So if you want an overview of these conflicts in as close to our usual style as possible then this is the episode for you! There will certainly be disagreements aplenty, and we appreciate any and all disagreements that are raised by our listeners as long as they are done respectfully. We understand the heightened emotions for some of these topics, but as historians we could not avoid talking about these subjects just because they are mired in controversy. So join Arron and Conor this week as they take their first dive into both of these wars, and be sure to let us know what you think! This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

Sometimes people ask us if there's a bad way of doing history, and usually the answer depends on what they want to research - but if you're looking for a perfect example of doing it completely wrong then look no further than the abysmal and stressful Leaving Cert Higher Level History exam! The Leaving Cert is almost over now, and with the release of the exam to the public the gang have decided to look it over and give you our unfiltered thoughts on the exam, what it expects of students, and how the whole way we make students learn history in secondary schools actually does more to drive hopeful historians away from the field than to keep them interested! This episode was presented by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

Let's face it guys, we've all imagined ourselves as brave soldiers charging against enemy forces in defiance of them at some point in our lives, but unfortunately for us it's always just a dream. For Jack Churchill however, he lived it - and he excelled at being an absolute madman at every opportunity. Join Arron this week as he takes the gang through the exciting and unbelievable life of John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming Churchill, better known to the world as "Mad Jack" Churchill. From the Battle of Dunkirk to the end of the British Mandate of Palestine and finally working for the Ministry of Defense, Jack's life is so incredibly varied and exciting that it reads like fiction, and yet it was true. This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Conor Daly and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. The short audio clips of "The March of the Cameron Men" and "Will Ye No Come Back Again" were recorded by the Queen's Own Highlanders.

If some of these discussion topics don't come across as controversial to some of you then we missed the ball with this one, but nevertheless as historians we must be willing to confront difficult topics and see where the facts point us. This episode is most certainly best enjoyed with your finest whiskey to hand, and it's a long one this time folks. Join Arron, Hayley, and Conor as they get into some of the finer details of discussing history, with topics ranging from how much Catholicism affects Irish identity, to the nature of Ireland as a colony or not of the British Empire, along with some more light hearted topics like should we value historical accuracy or authenticity more. As always, your input is very much welcomed in episodes like this and we'd love to know what you think about these topics so be sure to let us know! This episode was presented by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro song - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

What do you get when you cross one of the best marksmen in the world with a Vietnamese jungle? A fascinating tale about a guy who converted a M2 Browning into his own personal sniper rifle, that's what! Introducing Carlos Hathcock II, better known to the world, and to the Vietnamese in particular, as the "White Feather". Join Conor this week as he takes Arron and Hayley on the wild and almost unbelievable tale of the man who held the record for the longest kill for decades, who struck fear in the heart of his enemies with nothing more than the sight of a single white feather, and who makes it a habit of proving time and time again to not be on the other end of his sights. This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro song - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

Scotland! The land of manly skirts, rampant hatred of the English, and... grave robbing? Not the stereotype I was expecting to see but apparently the art of cadaver caving produced some interesting results, as well as two of history's greatest resurrection men. Join Hayley this week as as she recounts the tale of Burke and Hare - two graveyard enthusiasts who got fed up waiting for people to pass away naturally that they decided to speed up the process so they could sell it to universities IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE! This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro song - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

Sun Tzu once said "All warfare is based on deception", but let's be real - Vladimir Makarov from Modern Warfare III delivered the line better. And he's right! A lot of warfare is reliant on subterfuge, espionage, and outright trickery to make your enemy think you were sneaking out of the house at night only to take a detour through the biscuit cupboard. Join Arron this week as he recounts some of the good, the bad, and the wacky examples of military deception throughout history - ranging from the classic Trojan Horse to the creation of an entirely fake Paris! This episode was presented by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro song - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.

Who doesn't like a fun quiz with friends! Me. I don't. Unless I win, then they're great. But who from That's Old News knows the most about obscure parts of history? Well find out in this week's episode, and play along at home! Join the gang this week as we face off in what will go down in history as one of the quizzes of all time, and see who will crown themselves as Historian Supreme! This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan, Conor Daly, and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro song - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.