Pisrógs
By Aran Pisrogs Reidy & Luke Pisrogs Conroy
A bit of learning and a bit of laughing, sher nothin' bates it
PisrógsApr 16, 2024
Cromwell's Genocide
In Ireland his lasting effect is one of a genocidal tyrant. His consideration of the Irish people as inhuman and was self-professed , and the inhumanity for which he inflicted arguably places him in a position of contempt higher than any royal.In Irish folklore this contempt is plain to be seen, Cromwell is written as the personal assistant of the satan, if not the devil incarnate.
'An cogadh a chriochnaigh Éire' - The war that finished Ireland.
This is what a conquest of the country during the War of the Three Kingdoms was dubbed. An ethnic cleansing headed by one man.
In 1641 when all was said and done, total excess deaths for the entire period was estimated by Sir William Petty, the 17th-century economist, to be 600,000 out of a total Irish population of 1,400,000 - that is around 42% of the population.
42%
Kings of Mud Island
After the Plantation of Ulster in 1606, three McDonnell brothers, dispossessed, made their way south.
One of them settled on swampy uncontested land in Dublin, claiming themselves as its monarch.
Welcome to MUD ISLAND.
A refuge at the fringes of Dublin Society, Aran and Luke seek to learn of its colourful history of Smugglers, Highwaymen and MORE.
From secret passages to the bloody pirate escapades of Art Granger, its hard to believe what is now Ballybough and Fairview was a muddy slobland soundtracked by savage fights between the Mud Islanders and the Revenue Men, and stories of banshees and Collier the Robber.
Rats & Bananas
Unbeknownst to Luke when we started recording this episode, it was going to be dominated by Rat stories. There are Bananas too. Some may say we had too much fun recording this one, I say there's never such a thing. Join us in the fun backed by the beautiful ambient music of Gareth Quinn Redmond
Sleep & Dreams
FROM spooky bedtime stories about witch's sleep charms,
TO the Goddess of Sleep Caer and her lad, Aengus,
NOT to mention some folk cures on how to get a good night's rest,
IT'S all a dreamy doozy.
SPONSOR this week is: DRY-LINE - Boring you to Sleep.
The Black Stuff (Guinness)
IT'S synonymous with Ireland, but why?
WHAT'S the difference between stout and porter?
PISRÓGS barrels into an episode of songs, stories and accounts all about the substance we love to make us silly.
MOST importantly we look at GUINNESS.
YOU probably know all of the tremendous work that Guinness has done for Ireland, Dublin and it's workers.
BUT there's a darker side to the black stuff that will have you saying... "Wait the Guinness family said WHAT during the 80s?"
AS with anything involving a feast of pints, this episode will have you loving and hating yourself for drinking.
Get it into ya like a good gosson
Forest People
GAELS - Forest People.
THIS episode will follow Irish trees through time from:
The temperate rainforest which existed before humanity's arrival on the island, to the 1% of tree cover that remains in our wake.
FROM the celts who venerated trees, to the Normans who cut them down liberally and the continued negligence by the Free State all the way to the current practice of forestry in Ireland today.
INTERESTINGLY, language can be used to plot the changing relationship between humankind and forests here in Ireland.
FROM Ogham, a language based on the natural world around us, to the present day where the word 'forest' can prove harmful in its vaguity.
PLUS, learn a possible scientific reason why the hawthorn (or fairy tree) might be such a feared bush.
Merfolk (Merrow, Selkie, Siren)
MERFOLK - Irish Mermaids - The Merrow (Murúch), Selkies & Siren.
IN this week's episode the lads travel from our seas, rivers and lakes through GALWAY and LEITRIM to KERRY and ROSCOMMON in search of MERFOLK - half-human half-aquatic beings which litter the mythology of almost every country.
THE BOYS are tracing the myth of Merfolk in Ireland from the source of our earliest mythology to the mouth of more recent folk tales. With the anatomy of the mermaid and the means of its aquatic abilities changing with time from story to story.
EXPECT yarns from 11th century monks and recollections from Tommy down the road.
MERMAIDS have long been associated with their allure, with tales of men selfishly kidnapping the poor creatures, or even drowning to death in awe of their beauty. This leads to wider discussion of mermaids as a symbol of the expectations of women.
THE LEGEND of children born here as the product of mermaid/human relations.
SO, depending on your second name, you too could be just a little bit fishy!
(ALSO we have fairy news chock full of cures and ferrets and all sorts)
Come dive in! Waters fine.
Tis The Season
In this episode, Luke and Aran fill your mug with all the seasonal delights you can gulp down. Join the boys by the toasty fire as they warm you up for a delightfully festive season.
If you have any stories you'd like to share please message us @pisrogspodcast on Instagram or email us on pisrogspodcast@gmail.com
We would only love to hear any stories or tidbits you have relating to folklore, mythology, traditions, customs and all such matters.
Delightful music of Gareth Quinn Redmond featured in part of this episode.
Vengeful Giants & Hissing Geese
LOCALLY sourced IRISH FOLKLORE, stories, cures and laughs based on the words YOU, the listener, chose via our instagram: @pisrogspodcast (God help us)
THE boys titter their way through tales of:
GEESE screaming down children's necks,
WEASELS jumping down horses ears,
GIANTS stealing cows,
EELS eating loved ones!
ALL served with piping hot tea and the musical styling of Gareth Quinn Redmond.
REVENGE, biscuits, CRYSTAL BALLS, biscuits, THE PÚCA and tea....
TIS ALL in there and it's all sourced directly from the National Folklore Collection's Dúchas Archive.
Witch Trials, Demon Love & Flying Sticks
THE first Irish witch burning, and the first known record of a Coven in the world.
PETRONILLA de Meath was tortured, interrogated and eventually burnt at the stake on the 3rd of November 1324, in Kilkenny.
HER charge? Witchcraft.
"AND though she was indeed herself an adept in this accursed art of theirs, she said she was nothing in comparison with her mistress, from whom she had learned all these things and many more."
DE Meath was maidservant to Alice Kyteler, a woman whose Husbands all had the unfortunate habit of dying . . . soon after marrying her.
WAS Kyteler: INNOCENT? MONEY-GRABBING? A WITCH?
CULTURALLY, Irish witches are more commonly associated with Goddess figures, such as the Cailleach Beara (Learn more in our previous episode) than the iconic and horrific witch burning that plagued Europe and America from the 15th Century.
IN FACT, for a superstitious nation, witch burning barely reached double digits in Ireland compared to the hundreds in continental Europe.
WHY? The boys attempt to find out just THAT.
The Leprechaun
Guess what? Aran is back....... And he's broke; shoes, wallet, the whole lot. So no better man to find than that Leprechaun with his fat crock of gold. In this episode Aran and Luke pull together stories from the ages to find the origins of the Leprechaun. How did all the tropes come to be? Hop in and found out with some gorgeous ambient music accompaniment by Gareth Quinn Redmond and plenty of hearthy chuckles. Hup
Trepanation and Health Gods
HE'S a pretty complex boy,
BUT would you believe that all the way back in the 7th century a monk by the name of Bricin was poking holes in injured warrior's skulls AND doing a damn good job on it too?
LEARN about the:
THOUSAND-year-old medical art of trepanation.
GOD of medicine in Ireland and the surprisingly terrifying origin of the River Barrow.
BRAIN BALLS and the man whose head exploded when he heard of a certain someone's crucificion.
Genitals na hÉireann
LABIAS and Gonads, the foreplay has ended. It's time for our episode of bollocks on the GENITALS NA HÉIREANN.
LEARN ABOUT:
Queen Medbh's insatiable sexual appetite, her STALLION lover and the time she carved a new path in the river with the power BETWEEN HER LEGS.
IRISH APHRODISIACS such as badger mickey and rabbit skin.
EX-PRIESTS who would marry you off at their gaff for the cheap and would tear the certificate up if you had the coin.
FILTHY place names and SHEELA NA GIG.
PLUS, learn how every standing stone in Ireland is just a big fat member.
LISTEN to this one in a dark room before and after a shower with the picture of the baby Jesus out in the shed.
OH BABY.
The Devil Himself
AN DIABHAL, The Devil, Old Nick, The Old...Boy?
WE all know of the devil, he's the red fella with the horns who is likely to be the ruler of our infinite misery if indeed it is true that you should fast on Friday, he also is the mascot for hot sauces and red wine. He's a busy lad.
BUT the devil in Irish Folklore is far from the fallen angel of Danté's Inferno, at his best he's like Al Pacino in Devi's Advocate and his worst, like Elma Fud in Looney Tunes.
THE rule of thumb? In Irish folkore, the devil is either a simpleton you owe money to (TV License Inspector) or the subject of your night terrors (Your Landlord).
LEARN about:
LOFTUS HOUSE where the devil played cards with a woman, steeping her in love and driving her insane.
MUIRDEACH'S HIGH CROSS and its ornate representations of demons.
THE DEVIL IN LANGUAGE and how it reflects satan as the anti-thesis.
THE devil as a half-witted slime ball who just cant catch a break.
Grianán of Aileach
THE STONE HOUSE OF THE SUN
THIS Donegal antiquity has been the quiet sentinel of Ireland, WITNESS to our shared history -
FROM the Tuatha Dé Danann to midnight mass, its a long-time fan of our stuff.
A temple for the sun god Baal,
THE original home of the O'Neill Clan, the site of Niall of the Nine Hostages conversion to Christianity by Old Man Patrick and the eventual hideaway for Catholics in penal times.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS also found a stone phallus there, for you stone-cold lovers out there.
IT'S been watching us a while okay so maybe give IT a listen HUH!?
Source: Samuel Scott (The National Folklore Collection) Music: Gareth Quinn Redmond. Art: Aisling Larkin Design.
Place of Oisin
KILLESHIN, Church of the Glen of Uise,
PLACE of Oisin.
TALES from Killeshin, Carlow and its surrounding areas chosen by YEE.
SONS of legends, MEN catching rabbits, HIBERNO-ROMAN arches, IRISH acres v ENGLISH acres,
NED of the HILL?
IT'S all in our spin around Killeshin! (AS well as a man who kills his goat in drunken anxiety).
STRAP into the passenger seat and put Mr. Gareth Quinn Redmond on the AUX baby.
Music - @GarethQuinnRedmond Illustration - @AislingLarkinDesign
Hanged Priest, The Black Hand & Butter
THIS episode unwinds forgotten yarns from Dromore West SLIGO, Birr Co. OFFALY and Inchicore DUBLIN.
VENGEFUL knights, evil spirits, cursed churches, stolen BUTTER.
A lean mean and captivating spin through the land of IRE.
Werewolves of Ossory
AWOO, ehem.
IN this episode a priest and our old friend 'Gerald of Wales' come across a pair of werewolves, they have a chat with them and give them a bit of communion for their trouble.
LYNCANTHROPY, the transformation of humans into wolves.
IT'S a phenom that transcends borders, there are werewolves in Germany, Greece, The Balkins . . . and the counties Kilkenny and Laois.
OSSORY was a kingdom in Ireland which spread across these two counties, give or take.
Follies & Garden Hermits
THE BOY(S) discuss the weird, wonderful world of FOLLIES and their impractical existence, as well as their unlikely connection to the FAMINE.
EVER wanted an old man living in your back garden?
EVER want a slice of Egypt in your ends?
EVER build something to break?
ARISTOCRATS did.
Conversations with a Druid
WITH Aran preparing to venture into the bowels of the Amazon, Luke holds down the fort, but not alone, as the Pisrogs Podcast takes on its its first roguish interview with the rambunctious Ronan O'Raghallaigh!
RONAN is an artist from county Kildare who took the matter of disassembling his colonization into his own hands, by taking part in a Bealtaine Baptism over quarantine and becoming a 21st Century Druid.
HE'S also a really nice guy!
OPEN YOUR EARS TO:
Shamanic drum visions, spirit animals and personal journeys
Celtic art and its misreading as purely 'decorative'
The collective conscious, Surrealism, Franis Bacon, Karl Jung, Psychedelia and Naas
Tales of Manannan the sea god and his tomfoolery,
The Celts siege on Rome and the origin of the term for which Ronan titled his first exhibition -
VAE VICTIS - WOE TO THE VANQUISHED
Invention of Music
“NO enemy speaks slightingly of Irish Music, and no friend need fear to boast of it. It is without a rival, Its antique war-tunes, such as those of O'Byrne, O'Donnell, MacAlistrum and Brian Boru, stream and crash upon the ear like the warriors of a hundred glens meeting; and you are borne with them to battle, and they and you charge and struggle amid cries and battle-axes and stinging arrows. Did ever a wail make man's marrow quiver and fill his nostrils with the breath of the grave, like the ululu or A Muire ir Truag of Munster” - Thomas Davis
ULULU, ULULU!
MUSIC has a place at the core of one's imagination of the Irish 'scene' a place so central that its place within the setting can often be overlooked:
A dimly lit room, pipes and pints, feet tapping, chats going, and all there for the sound produced by fiddles, bodhrans, whistles and hums.
Irish Martial Arts & Faction Fighting
The 18th and 19th century Irish phenomenon known as the Faction Fight was essentially a mass brawl that involved hundreds and sometimes thousands of antagonists organised into groups and meeting at designated venues and dates such as fairs, markets, funerals, race meetings, patterns or any other large gathering.
Angry stick swinging, shin kicking, Irish wrestling, shillelagh making and Faction Fighting explored by the boys in this episode.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by @aislinglarkindesign
Eoin Roe O'Neill
EOGHAN Ruadh Ó Néill is one of the most famous members of the O'Neill Dynasty of Ulster, an Irish family which claim the lineage of Niall of the Nine Hostages, a legendary High King.
HAVING only left Ireland as boy in the Flight of the Earls, O'Neill became known as an incredible defensive tactician, oftentimes fighting and winning with significantly fewer soldiers than the enemy. He quickly rose the ranks of the Spanish garrison.
IT is often said that O'Neill's defensive capabilities could have changed the sequence of events that followed Cromwell's bloody tirade across Ireland.
BUT this is not how the story goes.
LUKE and ARAN discuss the unpredictable, fascinating and unfortunate rise and fall of Owen Roe O'Neill and read through a selection of tales sourced from the National Folklore Collection.
(also it is a really hot day upon the recording and the boy's concept of whats going on hangs by a thread)
Beans, Beads and Begora!
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by Aisling Larkin Design (@aislinglarkindesign)
The Fairy Cow (Part Two)
IN PART TWO, The fairy cow takes centre stage!
ARAN and Luke read from an everlasting bucket of archival folk stories, learn about:
The first white and black cow in Ireland, EVER.
Tales of an evil Queen, her defiant son and his ability to put on weight DESPITE her best efforts.
A razor tempered with rat's blood . . . . Hold on, did we read that right?
LISTEN NOW, it's a goodie! (And check back in on the first part in case you missed anything!)
The Fairy Cow (Part One)
THE Fairy Cow is a mythical beast who was said to have an abundant supply of milk.
COUNTLESS stories on The Fairy Cow exist all over Ireland, think of the oldest story you know and then think of that story's older brother. That's give or take how ancient this beauty is.
IN PART ONE, Luke and Aran dive into the mythological origins of Glas Gaibhnenn only to find:
CYCLOPS Giants,
GLASS towers,
CUNNING Smiths,
TRAPPED princesses,
A BATTLE at Sea,
OH, and a lovely wee green cow.
Fairy Wind, Love Charms & Milky Tails
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by Aisling Larkin Design (@aislinglarkindesign)
The Tailteann Games
THE TAILTEANN GAMES drew crowds from all over Ancient Ireland to take part in competitions of swordplay, long jumps, crafting, storytelling . . . . There were even hills where mass marriages and the occasional divorce took place.
THE boys delve into the real history of the Tailteann Games, an event in honour of the Queen and God Tailtiu . . .
There's even evidence to suggest the Greeks took a little inspiration from the Irish.
Bealtaine (Gaelic May Day)
It is time to send the animals off to higher pastures, cut turf and prepare for the summer of working the land ahead.
Bonfires must be lit to cleanse and protect homes, people and animals.
The morning dew must be collected to ensure luck and prosperity.
The boys discuss all this and more in this episode on the Gaelic May Day Festival of Bealtaine
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
Crom Cruach
THIS all took place in the small clearing 'Magh Slecht' in the hills of Cavan where a golden idol to the god CROM CRUACH stood.
The boys journey to Magh Slecht, to explore Crom Cruach as a dark yet likely misinterpreted figure. Discover if there really was child sacrifice at Magh Slecht and why exactly it happened in the first place.
Gareth Quinn Redmond on music.
Aisling Larkin on the logo.
Pisrogspodcast on instagram.
Local Stories, Piseóga and Riddles
Also a sprinkling of Piseóga, superstitious beliefs and practices, and riddles throughout.
Thank you Gareth Quinn Redmond for the music.
Thank you Aisling Larkin (@aislinglarkindesign) for the logo.
Book of Invasions (Lebor Gabála Érenn)
Well there's a few first people, six groups in fact, and one group are gods, and one aren't gods... but both are related?
Lets start from the beginning.
Journey back in time with Aran and Luke to meet the many groups that settled, ruled and fought for Ireland (according to the Book of Invasions).
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
The Bean Sí (Banshee)
Those who know how piercing is the caoine, the people's lament for the dead, will realise what a dread visitant the Bean Sí would be.
Join Aran and Luke as they explore the Bean Sí's origins, purpose and alternative interpretations throughout the country.
Filled with tales both personal and from older generations.
Also hear of Luke's new internship with the Bean Sí's
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
After Life
It's a very funny and uplifting one for an episode about death, that's all we'll say.
Come along with Aran and Luke to learn about the mad craic and practical jokes which would be carried out at Wakes, a celebration of the dead individuals life (It gets very Weekend at Bernie's).
ALSO discover Irish Folktales of journeys to heavenly islands where abundant feasts, parties and beautiful beautiful people await.
Thanks for the fan submission that made this episode possible!
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
Dobhar-chú
Aran and Luke dive in to the murky depths of the stories and songs about the legendary Dobhar-chú!
There's also a water horse too.
Cailleach
Also explored in this episode are the colloquial Caillí, Witches, the like to fill your boots with butter or squeeze you to death.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
The Christmas Special
In this episode the lads chat about a long celebrated and peculiar Irish tradition, The Wren (or Wran, depending where you're from).
The tradition involves gaggles of lads all over Ireland chasing down the little bird dressed in false faces, tinsel, straw and- you know what, its best you just listen.
Learn about The Wren and laugh about much more in this fantastic Christmas themed episode.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
Bean Feasa (Woman of Knowledge)
If there was a prize for the wisest of the wise women, it'd go to none other than Biddy Early.
To the Church and the local priest, Biddy Early was a witch. To those of the locality who received her help, she was the closest thing they had to a living saint.
Join Aran and Luke to learn more about Biddy Early, and how you definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY should not speak ill of her. Or maybe even speak of her full stop.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
City of the Dead
But have you ever seen bodies rising from the ground?
Beacons burned night-after-night to ward away infectious air?
Farmers coughing blood at the roadside dropping one-by-one as a town is turned from a quiet borough to a 'city of the dead.'
Aran and Luke explore the experience of Charlotte Thornley in Sligo town during the cholera epidemic, an experience which went on to inspire her son, Bram Stoker.
Lastly, the boys chat about their own (comparatively minor) struggles after a year of Covid-19.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
Cures
You may find the cure to your ailments in this episode. Or if not, you may have a lead to tracking down your desired cure. Or discover your own ability to cure.....
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
The Black Pig
We explore the many representations of the Black Pig throughout Irish history and folklore.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
Scéalta Skerries
Find out in this weeks fun episode filled with riddles, stories and superstitions from Skerries.
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
The Whiteboys
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
Will-o'-the-Wisp
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
The Halloween Special
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign
The Changeling
Music by Gareth Quinn Redmond
Logo by AislingLarkinDesign