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.

This episode of The History and Heritage Podcast examines the Irish surname Leahy, along with variants such as Lahey and Leahey.

Although often treated as a single family name, Leahy derives from two distinct Gaelic lineages with different meanings, social roles, and regional histories. The episode explores how anglicisation, regional pronunciation, and administrative record-keeping caused separate families to be recorded under the same spellings.

A grounded exploration of language, identity, and the hidden complexity behind a familiar Irish name.

“Certavi et vici — I have fought and I have conquered.”

Few family mottos carry as much lived experience as the Flanagan line. From the medieval chiefs of Roscommon to Olympic champions, artists, priests, soldiers, and reformers, the Flanagans have spent centuries turning struggle into purpose.

This episode explores • the origins of the Flanagan name, • the meaning of the motto Certavi et vici, • their roots in Roscommon, • and the extraordinary people who carried that spirit into the modern world — including athletes, artists, priests, and even a Pearl Harbor survivor.

A story of grit, stewardship, faith, and the quiet power of Irish resilience.

Surname Series: O’Dwyer (Ó Dubhuir) From the rugged slopes of Kilnamanagh to the courts of Europe, the battlefields of the 17th century, and the sporting arenas of today, the O’Dwyer story is one of resilience, identity, and reinvention.

This episode explores their ancient Laigin roots, the stronghold they built in Tipperary, their resistance against Norman and Tudor pressure, the dramatic capture of the Rock of Cashel, and the upheaval that followed Cromwell’s conquest. Forced abroad, many became leaders in foreign armies and courts — while others rose in America and Australia through public service, law, and community leadership.

The legacy continues today through figures like Mick O’Dwyer, Orla O’Dwyer, Joseph O’Dwyer, and Gráinne O’Dwyer, each carrying the same drive into sport, science, and culture.

A story of perseverance, faith, and the enduring strength of one Irish name.

In this episode of The History and Heritage Podcast, we turn to one of Ireland’s most compelling medieval saints: St Malachy of Armagh (1094–1148) — reformer, peace-weaver, and one of the key figures who helped shape the Irish Church at a turning point in our island’s story.

From his childhood in Armagh to his tireless work restoring discipline, rebuilding churches, and healing political rivalries, Malachy emerges as a man of deep faith and sharper courage. His friendship with St Bernard of Clairvaux, his reform of monastic life, and his final pilgrimage to France all unfold here with the rich historical context that defined his world.

This episode marks the final instalment in the Four Patrons Series, bringing the journey full circle as we explore the lives, legacies, and spiritual imprint of the saints at the heart of Irish identity.

If you enjoy immersive storytelling, human-centred history, and a quiet thread of hope running through each tale, this episode is for you.

Saint Jarlath of Tuam rarely makes the headlines of Irish history — yet without him, the spiritual map of Ireland would look very different.

A monk trained by the disciples of Patrick. A teacher who shaped Brendan the Navigator. A founder who built where a wheel broke — and changed a landscape forever.

Tuam did not begin as a town. It began as a sign.

In this episode, we uncover the story of a saint who didn’t seek fame, power, or glory — but whose quiet legacy still echoes through Ireland’s faith, identity, and memory.

Who was Jarlath? Why did Brendan send him wandering in old age? And what does it mean when a broken wheel becomes destiny?

Press play — and rediscover a forgotten founder.

— Hosted by Liam Blake The History & Heritage Podcast