Strange Ireland

Singapore is not as famous a temporary destination for young professional Irish as Dubai, but there are still plenty of us there. A friend who spent nine years in Singapore drops by, and I take the opportunity to interview him on his life there. We discuss Singapore history, its relationship with the British Empire, the modern ex-pat bubble, being in an Irish band there, and of course, a few scary legends are thrown in for good measure. Why do Singapore ghosts like to listen to concerts, how do undead wives return to haunt their husbands, and why should you be buried with paper effigies of luxury items? It's all in tonight's episode of Strange Ireland.

In early-20th century Belfast, the horrors of the first world war led to a growth in spiritualism, the belief that contact could be made with the dead. This was not only an exciting religious movement, it was also a chance for scientists to finally test the claims of the paranormal. In this environment, the young Kathleen Goligher emerged as one of the era's most talked-about mediums, championed by a respected man of science, William Jackson Crawford, who was utterly convinced that the phenomenon was genuine. In this episode, I'm joined by guest Reggie Chamberlain-King, who has all the details of this strange case.

Cian is joined by writer and cultural historian Kerry McElroy to discuss various forgotten aspects of the Irish experience in America and Canada, with plenty of history, mystery, and little spookiness too. There's deserted Irish villages in Newfoundland, rumoured pre-Columbian contact, famine and emigration, Irish confederates and Chicago gangsters too. But perhaps the heart of the discussion is the nature of the Irish-American identity (both good and bad), and the nature of its complex relationship with Ireland itself, and with the current political climate. Everything from Saint Brendan to John Ford is touched on, so join us for a strong coffee and get stuck in. Image by Voicu Oara

Have a couple of beers with Cian and Chris as they return to the subject of Bram Stoker and his infamous novel Dracula. Our hosts discuss Stoker's glittering social circle, his role as an Irish author, Victorian literary London, the mysterious East, Van Helsing's cultural origins, while only occasionally stumbling over key plot points! So get stuck in - you'd have to be undead to want to miss this confection of blather, bats and blood (sorry).

Back in the days of Empire and adventure, one dirt-poor farmer named George Thomas left the town of Roscrea looking to improve his lot. Within a few years he had carved out a kingdom for himself in India, and became known as 'the Rajah from Tipperary'. From his exotic palace, he ruled hundreds of miles of territory, and commanded an army of Indian and European mercenaries. He fought wars, rescued queens in distress, fought, squabbled and loved some of the most extraordinary rulers in in India during the chaotic eighteenth century. Listen and learn the almost-forgotten story of the Tipperary Rajah. Sources: Military Memoirs of George Thomas, William Francklin, 1805 The Rajah From Tipperary, Maurice Hennessy, 1971 Dannydutch.com TheWildGeese.com Sound Credits: Ibn Al-Noor Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Desert City Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License Sword and Gun Battle Sound Effect by N Beats www.youtube.com/c/nBeatsofficial?sub_confirmation=1 Island Beach Wave and Seagull Sounds – Sony Playstation Network