Historical Belfast
Jason Burke
Described in one review as a 'Belfast Tardis', Historical Belfast is Belfast's one and only history podcast on the airwaves. Hosted by historian Jason Burke, it provides an accessible and entertaining insight into the fascinating history of Northern Ireland's capital city, once proclaimed as 'the Athens of the North'.
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Top 10 Historical Belfast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Historical Belfast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Historical Belfast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Historical Belfast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Belfast Engineering Strike 1919
Historical Belfast
06/06/20 • 18 min
In Episode 2 of the Historical Belfast Podcast, Jason Burke takes a look back at the lesser-known engineering strike of 1919 which brought the city to a standstill for a period of four weeks in an attempt to secure a shorter working week.
Podcast theme music via Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com
Cover image produced using the A R Hogg Collection: PRONI Ref: LA/7/8/HF/3/9
VE Day in Belfast 1945
Historical Belfast
04/28/20 • 13 min
In Episode 1 of the Historical Belfast Podcast, Jason Burke takes a closer look at how VE Day was celebrated in Belfast in 1945. From burning effigies of Adolf Hitler, to all-night parties on the Shankill Road, the people of Belfast marked the occasion in style. This episode is intended to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Podcast theme music via Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com
Cover image produced using the A R Hogg Collection: PRONI Ref: LA/7/8/HF/3/9
Political Football: Belfast Celtic v Linfield, September 1912
Historical Belfast
09/11/20 • 17 min
On Saturday 14th September 1912, two weeks before Ulster Day and the signing of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant, Linfield and Belfast Celtic clashed on and off the field at Celtic Park as the Home Rule crisis gathered momentum.
In this episode, Jason Burke takes a closer look at what happened on that fateful day in Paradise and how it proved to be the beginning of the end for the greatest rivalry in the history of Irish football.
Don't forget to check out Historical Belfast Tours and the Historical Belfast Blog at www.HistoricalBelfast.com
Joseph Campbell: Forgotten Poet and Irish Rebel
Historical Belfast
08/09/20 • 24 min
Episode 4 is on the forgotten poet and Irish rebel Joseph Campbell who penned the words to the traditional airs My Lagan Love and The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby. Not only that, Campbell was a founding member of the Ulster Literary Theatre (c.1904) and the Irish Volunteers (1913), he took part in the Easter Rising (1916), became a Sinn Fein Councillor in 1921, and was interned by pro-treaty forces during the Irish Civil War in 1922/23.
Podcast theme music via Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com
Cover image produced using the A R Hogg Collection: PRONI Ref: LA/7/8/HF/3/9
An IRA Raid For Weapons At Campbell College 1935
Historical Belfast
11/06/20 • 14 min
A couple of years back I was asked to lead some historical tours of Campbell College school in Belfast. The school, situated on the Belmont estate near Stormont was primarily a boarding school and a firm favourite of prominent families in Belfast such as Davidson of Sirocco Works, Jaffe of Strandtown, Sharman Neil the jeweller, and also of clergymen who received a discount on their fees. C.S. Lewis who grew up nearby attended the school for a short period. Indeed, the gas lamppost on the school driveway is claimed to have been the inspiration for the one represented in The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe though this has also been disputed. Also worth mentioning is Fred Crawford, the UVF gunrunner in 1914 who was on the school’s board of governors.
Anyhow, while carrying out the research for these tours I came across a lesser-known story of an IRA raid on the armoury of the Campbell College Officer Training Corps on Friday 27th December 1935.
Churchill In Belfast, 1912
Historical Belfast
02/07/21 • 25 min
When we think of Sir Winston Churchill we might think of cigars, Gallipoli, the Second World War, fighting on the beaches, and accolades such as 'Man of the Century' and the United Kingdom's greatest ever leader. More recently, Churchill's name came to the fore during the Black Lives Matters protests, accused of being a racist, while his statue in London was afforded protection due to concerns that it may be defaced.
What we don't tend to consider when evoking Sir Winston Churchill is a long and complex relationship with Ireland, a relationship that has been described by one historian as being duplicitous.
This episode will not be exploring Churchill's relationship with Ireland, instead it will focus on his infamous and lesser known visit to Belfast in 1912, right at the beginning of the third Home Rule crisis.
Please remember to share the episode on your social media and, if you can, review it on whatever platform you are listening.
The Belfast Blitz - 80 Years On
Historical Belfast
04/04/21 • 40 min
This month’s episode of the Historical Belfast Podcast is brought to you in conjunction with the Northern Ireland War Memorial museum on Talbot Street who have kindly given me access to their oral history archive. I am also extremely grateful for the research and writing of the late historian Jonathan Bardon on this subject and, as such, this episode is dedicated to Dr Bardon.
80 years ago, in the course of 4 Luftwaffe attacks during the Second World War, lasting 10 hours in total, 1,100 people died, over 56,000 were homes damaged, and 100,000 people were made homeless.
The first attack on Belfast came on the night of 7th April. The docks area was attacked with great accuracy, though residential housing was hit too. The ‘docks raid’, as it became known, was small in comparison to the Easter Raid which followed on the night of 15th April, and the focus of this episode.
Northern Ireland War Memorial - World War II Museum Belfast (niwarmemorial.org)
Delia Murphy - The Spinning Wheel: (4) Delia Murphy - The Spinning Wheel - YouTube
Blitz sound effects: (4) LONDON BLITZ 1940 - ORIGINAL AUDIO - YouTube
Sandy Row Orange Hall 1868 - 2021
Historical Belfast
09/20/21 • 25 min
Standing weathered and tall at the Lisburn Road end of Sandy Row is the district’s Orange Hall; now over 150 years old.
Episode 18 of the Historical Belfast Podcast takes a closer look at the history of the hall which has acted as a community centre for generations of people living in Sandy Row.
This Sandy Row mini-series is brought to you in collaboration with Belfast South Community Resources and also with the support of the South Belfast Urban Village Initiative. If you’re enjoying the episodes please remember to give the podcast a rating and to share on your social media.
The Crozier's Return
Historical Belfast
03/11/22 • 26 min
For this episode of the Historical Belfast Podcast I visited St. Matthew’s Parish Church, consecrated 150 years ago on 11 March 1872. I chatted with Sam Guthrie (Queen’s University Belfast) who has been busy working on an exhibition about the social history of St. Matthew’s and the surrounding community of the Shankill.
Your support on Patreon would be hugely appreciated:
https://www.patreon.com/historicalbelfast?fan_landing=true
Ghosts of the Somme
Historical Belfast
07/01/20 • 50 min
In Episode 3 of the Historical Belfast Podcast, going out on 1st July, Jason Burke talks to Dr Jonathan Evershed who has spent several years researching how the Battle of the Somme is commemorated in Northern Ireland.
Use discount code '14SUM20' for 40% off Jonathan's book 'Ghosts of the Somme' at the following link: https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268103859/ghosts-of-the-somme/?fbclid=IwAR0hkzbqbQbJzv1eeN3uaiqK-YMseX27hTucD1KOwt_PocRjVaS632e4nOo
Podcast theme music via Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com
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FAQ
How many episodes does Historical Belfast have?
Historical Belfast currently has 39 episodes available.
What topics does Historical Belfast cover?
The podcast is about History, Football, Podcasts and Sports.
What is the most popular episode on Historical Belfast?
The episode title 'The Belfast Engineering Strike 1919' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Historical Belfast?
The average episode length on Historical Belfast is 28 minutes.
How often are episodes of Historical Belfast released?
Episodes of Historical Belfast are typically released every 34 days, 22 hours.
When was the first episode of Historical Belfast?
The first episode of Historical Belfast was released on Apr 28, 2020.
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