Emerald Roots: The Irish Legacy in Argentina Think you know the Irish diaspora? Think again. Argentina is home to the largest Irish-descended community outside the English-speaking world. From Tomas and Juan Farrell in 1536 to World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, this episode uncovers the untold stories of Irish settlers, military heroes, rebellious flag-raisers, and cultural icons who shaped Argentina. Join me on The History and Heritage Podcast as we trace the rhythms of Irish life across the Pampas — sheep farmers, newspapers, shamrocks, and dance. Listen, discover, and fall in love with Ireland’s far-reaching legacy.

Irish history did not stay in Ireland.

This episode sets the direction for The History & Heritage Podcast in 2026 — not through announcements, but through intent.

The year ahead explores Irish lives under pressure, at home and abroad. From Irish shepherds on the Argentine pampas, to songs that carried memory when language faded, to the often-unacknowledged Irish influence on British public life.

It also opens space deliberately. Some episodes will be shaped by listener questions, family histories, local stories, and the kind of Irish history you only ever hear in passing — and never see written down.

What travels? What stays? What survives?

Same roots. Different soil.

Irish surnames weren’t chosen. They were inherited long before birth — and they told the world exactly where you stood. Long before much of Europe had fixed family names, Ireland was already encoding kinship, obligation, protection, and memory into language itself. This episode looks at how Irish surnames actually worked, why they appeared so early, and how conquest and bureaucracy broke their grammar. It’s not a lesson in genealogy — it’s an attempt to relearn how to read a system that once held Irish society together.