A Short History of Ireland Part 1 cover art

A Short History of Ireland Part 1

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

A Short History of Ireland Part 1

By: Dr Jonathan Bardon
Narrated by: Frances Tomelty
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

 In the wake of its 30th birthday celebrations in 2006, BBC Radio Ulster marked the beginning of a new broadcasting era by embarking on the station's most ambitious project to date: a recounting of the history of Ireland.

For easy digestion, the story of the island is told in a series of 240 short documentaries - starting with the Ice Age and the arrival of the first humans through to the outbreak of the Second World War.

©2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Europe World Celebration Funny Ireland

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Irish History for Dummies cover art
Black Potatoes cover art
The Hungry Road cover art
A Lethal Legacy cover art
War and an Irish Town cover art
Wounds cover art
The Border cover art
This Sceptred Isle Collection 2: 1702-1901 cover art
Irish Mythology cover art
This Sceptred Isle: Collection 1 cover art
Scotland cover art
British History for Dummies cover art
How the Irish Shaped Britain cover art
The Adventure of English cover art
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution: 1763-1789 cover art
Rise to Rebellion cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
Absolutely fantastic production - I learned so much. I am not strictly Irish but have some Irish ancestry (among plenty of other mongrel elements) so this helped explain some aspects of my ancestry, but also provided an incredible context for the troubles which, growing up on the mainland during the 70s and 80s, I’d never fully understood. The packaging of this history is so engaging and easy to follow that it’s a revelation. Recommended to all with even a passing interest in Irish and British history.

Brilliant history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
At every opportunity you are told “a history of Ireland in 240 episodes, until you get into the 150s. Then this stops and the audio finishes at the outbreak of WWII. The story is good though.

Disappointing end

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Picks up after chapter 10.

I must listen for anyone interested in Ireland and its history

Great apart from ladys singing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very well put together and seemed well balanced to me, excellent reading by several characters who added value to the book

The past helps us understand the present.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
For those like me who did not know much about Ireland's history this is a fascinating and revealing account that works well as an audio book.The five minute episodes are skilfully constructed and almost always contain some striking incidents and memorable characters . Occasionally the sound effects, atmospheric music or foreign accents are overdone, but generally each episode is most enjoyable to hear. The grand set pieces receive good treatment -Cromwell in Ireland, the rebellion of 1798, the great famine, Parnell- but there are also fascinating, less familiar topics: a Spaniard's account of Elizabethan Ireland, details of the Irish linen industry, the first performance of Messiah in Dublin,and many others. Sometimes perhaps colourful detail takes the place of sustained historical analysis but I'm sure that listening to these programmes will lead many to read more about what is a striking and turbulent history, and a story of which both English and Irish people should be aware. It is understandable but still disappointing that the history stops at the Second World War and so does not deal with the more recent past.

Not only for the Irish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The repetition of the title n number of chapters is painful to endure 240 times... otherwise I can't fault it

Exceptional quality of factual and cultural conten

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This has to be one of my most favourite audio books. I found this book so factual and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the dynamic and often troubled history of the Island of Ireland that is my home.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to find out the history of Ireland. I can't wait to listen to this book again.

Amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to A Short History of Ireland again? Why?

This is an excellent series. The use of various voice actors as well as music and sound effects really contribute to the narrative, without becoming intrusive.

The use by Dr. Bardon of poetry, songs, music, and other primary sources from the various different periods really help the history of Ireland to come alive.

Although it is a big time commitment (22 hours), it's well worth it, and I can't recommend it enough!

Excellent And Entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very engaging use of music, radio clips, speeches in telling the history of Ireland. I found it difficult to stop listening. Recommended for those who know nothing about the history of Ireland and to those who would like to refresh their memory.

Engaging audio on history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A thorough and informative listen, which keeps you engaged throughout. Really enjoyed it and definately recommend.

Great Book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews