Undercover Irish

• The Truth about Munster and Meath: Uncovering Ireland’s Lost Directions

  🎙️ The Truth about Munster and Meath: Uncovering Ireland’s Lost Directions What do a New Zealand haka in Limerick and the ancient kingdoms of Ireland have in common? More than you might think. In this episode of Undercover Irish, we begin with a defining moment in Irish sporting history: the All Blacks performing the haka at Thomond Park in 2008. But have you ever stopped to ask—what does "Thomond" actually mean? And what ancient map of Ireland lies buried beneath the one we know today? We trace a path back through time, cutting through the fog of colonial renaming to reveal the true, original Irish place names and the deeper meanings they held. From Munster to Meath, and through the historic sub-kingdoms of Thomond, Desmond, Ormond, and Westmeath, we explore a landscape where names were more than just labels—they were directional signposts, power structures, and cultural touchstones. In this episode, we uncover: 📜 The forgotten Irish meanings of Munster, Thomond, Desmond, Ormond, Meath, and Westmeath 🗺️ How these names reflected direction and geography within the Irish worldview 🧠 Why knowing these meanings reshapes our understanding of Irish identity, history, and land 🔥 How colonisation didn’t just rename places—it redefined reality 🌀 What reclaiming these names can do for cultural consciousness and linguistic revival Whether you're a Gaeilgeoir, a history buff, or just curious about where you really come from, this episode invites you to see Ireland with new eyes and older wisdom. 🔑 Keywords: Irish place names, Thomond meaning, Munster Irish history, Meath etymology, Irish geography, decolonising Ireland, Desmond Ormond Thomond, Westmeath Irish name, ancient Irish provinces, Gaeilge, lost Irish directions 🎧 Listen now to rediscover the Ireland hidden in plain sight.

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• An Bata Scóir and Its International Reach

  Episode 5 – An Bata Scóir and its International Reach In this powerful and reflective episode of Undercover Irish, we dive into the brutal colonial legacy of language suppression, beginning with the story of An Bata Scóir — the notched tally stick used to punish Irish children for speaking their native tongue. More than a tool of discipline, An Bata Scóir represents the systemic violence inflicted by the British Empire in its efforts to erase the Irish language as part of its wider colonisation strategy. But Ireland wasn’t alone. This episode explores how the island served as a testing ground for linguistic oppression — experiments that would later echo across the empire, from Wales to Africa and Aotearoa (New Zealand). We mark the passing of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a literary giant who, like Bobby Sands MP, used his native language as a form of resistance behind prison walls. We draw connections between their acts of defiance — between Kikuyu and Gaeilge — and the universal power of indigenous language as both identity and insurrection. Further Reading & Resources: 📰 "Oidhreacht Shaibhir Fágtha" by Róisín Nic Liam – DEARG  A tribute to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and the enduring legacy of language activism. 📰 "Irish and Kikuyu – Colonialism and Resistance" by Luke Callinan – An Phoblacht  A thought-provoking article on shared experiences of colonial linguistic suppression in Ireland and Kenya. 📚 "Language, Resistance and Revival: Republican Prisoners and the Irish Language in the North of Ireland" by Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh  An essential study of how Gaeilge became a language of resistance in Northern prisons.  🔗 Buy the book here from Pluto Press Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this episode resonated with you. Follow at Instagram @undercoverirish

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• Skorts, Shorts and the Three Stripe Affair That Rocked Cork GAA – Part 2

  In Part 2 of Skorts, Shorts and the Three Stripe Affair That Rocked Cork GAA, Undercover Irish dives into the post-1977 fallout of Cork's All-Ireland hurling triumph. Follow the dramatic twists as Adidas shifts focus to Kerry GAA, O'Neills fights back on the pitch and in the courts, and the battle over branding turns personal. This episode also bridges past and present, spotlighting the modern "Skorts not Shorts" campaign by the Camogie players of Tomás McCurtains GAA in London, and uncovers a striking 1935 parallel in the long history of attempts to control women’s sportswear. A gripping blend of sport, style, and social change.

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• Skorts, Shorts and the Three Stripe Affair that rocked Cork GAA Part 1

  🎧 Skorts, Shorts and the Three Stripe Affair That Rocked Cork GAA – Part 1 | Undercover Irish Podcast In this episode of Undercover Irish, we dive into the headlines of today—and the hidden stories of the past. The current controversy over skorts in Camogie has sparked debate across Ireland, but it’s far from the first time sportswear caused uproar in the GAA. In Part 1 of Skorts, Shorts and the Three Stripe Affair, we rewind to the 1970s to explore how global sportswear giant Adidas made its first bold move into the Irish market—and how a clash of tradition, branding, and county pride would trigger chaos on and off the pitch. Focusing on the now-infamous Cork vs. Kerry Munster battles, this episode sets the stage for one of the most unusual and dramatic episodes in GAA history. From style to sponsorship, what we wear on the field has always mattered more than you might think. 👉 Tune in to uncover the forgotten story of how a few stripes shook the GAA to its core. Keywords: Cork GAA, Kerry GAA, Adidas Ireland, Three Stripe Affair, Camogie skort controversy, GAA history, Munster final, Irish sports history, 1970s Ireland, Undercover Irish podcast

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• Let Erin Remember: The Crimes Against Lough Neagh

  Let Erin Remember is a powerful and poetic exploration of environmental and cultural injustice, using the haunting Irish song Let Erin Remember as a guide through the destruction and pollution of Lough Neagh—once a sacred and mythologically rich lake at the heart of Ireland. This podcast unpacks the ecological crisis facing Lough Neagh, contextualizing it as a symptom of deeper colonial legacies. Through the lens of Irish history, myth, and song, we examine the lake’s ancient origins as Lough Neathach, tied to the Dagda of Irish mythology, and expose how colonial ownership and mismanagement have devastated this once-pristine body of water. We draw striking parallels to other colonially renamed and claimed landmarks—from Uluru in Aboriginal Australia to Lake Victoria in Africa and Mount Everest in the Himalayas—highlighting the global pattern of erasure and appropriation. We delve into the work of Thomas Moore, whose collection of Irish melodies preserved the cultural soul of a nation, and argue that songs like Let Erin Remember act as cultural memory against colonial forgetting. The podcast also critiques the shallow coverage often seen in modern media, urging a deeper, historically grounded understanding of the crisis at Lough Neagh. Rooted in myth, melody, and memory, this podcast is both an act of resistance and a call to restore the sacred—to the land, the language, and the water.

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