Dr Gillian Kenny

a man with a beard wearing sunglasses is talking to another man who says you have stolen butter . ALT: a man with a beard wearing sunglasses is talking to another man who says you have stolen butter .

Ireland also said no thank you to demonic witchcraft as a thing.

Our greatest fear trumped anything the divil could throw at us. A fear embodied in our own witches, the butter witches.

Because the magical crime Irish people feared most was someone stealing their butter. Yep.

The Witch That Got Away The story of a powerful woman, a bishop obsessed with demons, and the trial that helped invent the European witchcraft craze

I write about devoted mother and notable accused witch Alice Kyteler who also said no thank you to being burned at the stake.
Understandably

open.substack.com/pub/medieval...

It’s Friday the 13th and it’s Mother’s Day this weekend so…

A small grey pillar stone stands proudly from the leaf strewn ground of Inchagoill Island. It has a depiction of two crosses on the visible face, and the inscription LIE LUGUAEDON MACCI MENUEH in Insular half uncial script

The Luguaedon Stone • Inchagoill Island

This small stone pillar stands close to the early church of Teampall Phadraig.

It bears one of the earliest inscriptions of Irish in the Latin alphabet. It reads:

LIE LUGUAEDON MACCI MENUEH

THE STONE OF LUGUAEDON, SON OF MENUEH

#Ireland #SpéirGhorm 🏺

I discussed a bit of Irish medieval marriage law amongst other things on @TheRestHistory and laughs were had so if you’re a subscriber sure have a listen to it for the day that’s in it.

podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the…

Unruly Ireland | Gillian Kenny | Substack Unruly Ireland explores the strange, unsettled, and deeply human sides of Irish history and folklore, from the medieval period to the modern world. Click to read Unruly Ireland, by Gillian Kenny, a Su...

I have also started a Substack where I am sharing research, odd facts and magpie-ish bits of Irish history. Including posts about women

open.substack.com/pub/medieval...

BBC Radio 4 - You're Dead to Me, Grainne O’Malley Greg Jenner takes us to 16th-century Ireland to meet pirate queen Grainne O’Malley.

She’s quite the character and if you’d like to find out a bit more about her (before the book next year) you can listen to me and Catherine Bohart chatting about her on You’re Dead To Me hosted by the fab @gregjenner.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

It’s International Women’s Day.

Luckily I am working on a new biography of an exceptional Irishwoman, Gráinne O Malley - you might know her as Granuaile or as The Pirate Queen in folklore >

#InternationalWomensDay2026

International Women's Day at the Museum | National Museum of Ireland Welcome to the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin & Castlebar covering Archaeology, Decorative Arts, Folk & Country Life, & Natural History.FREE Exhibitions

Oooh lots of great stuff going on at @nmireland.bsky.social for International Women’s Day

#InternationalWomensDay #WomensHistoryMonth

www.museum.ie/en-IE/News/I...

Women Who Refused Silence Female poets in medieval Ireland

I wrote about a couple of remarkable Irish women you likely haven’t heard of for #WomensHistoryMonth

open.substack.com/pub/medieval...

What a Statue in Ardee Reminded Me About Love and Created Family. How family was made in medieval Ireland

I was thinking about this statue and what it says about family and love and loss. So I wrote a little piece on the glue that bound these boys together - their foster-mother, the warrior woman Scàthach and what fosterage meant.

open.substack.com/pub/medieval...

What a Statue in Ardee Reminded Me About Love and Created Family. How family was made in medieval Ireland

I was thinking about this statue and what it says about family and love and loss. So I wrote a little piece on the glue that bound these boys together - their foster-mother, the warrior woman Scàthach and what fosterage meant.

open.substack.com/pub/medieval...

Now, when I say unruly what I mean is... I don’t mean chaos for the sake of it, or history reduced to oddities.

Hello - I decided to start a Substack. It’s called Unruly Ireland and I’d love to see you there open.substack.com/pub/medieval...

Hello,

I’m on today’s bonus episode of The Rest is History
It’s called: Irish Kings, Medieval Magic, and the Norman Invasion of Ireland

So if you’re a subscriber then I hope you enjoy 👍

This looks like it’s going to be a really fascinating talk.

My view today

It’s great isn’t it? Love the smelly old Bonnacon

Read a nice little blog on the Bonnacon today so thought I’d share.
If you have never before heard of this mythical creature who attacked with its farts and poo then…enjoy

blogs.getty.edu/iris/the-bon...

Sheelah take a bow: St Patrick’s wife? Probably not – she was far more important than that A symbol of Irish womanhood, she deserves to be celebrated again every March 18th

Anyway forget Paddy’s Day and get ready for Sheelah’s Day on 18th March. The campaign for another day off BEGINS

Sheelah take a bow: St Patrick’s wife? Probably not – she was far more important than that

www.irishtimes.com/culture/heri...

Well, Waterford is just MARVELLOUS

an older woman with gray hair is wearing a black dress and earrings and looking at the camera . ALT: an older woman with gray hair is wearing a black dress and earrings and looking at the camera .

That was exactly where I was. To think they favoured a Gash Garden rather than a few high crosses…

The possibility for absolute shenanigans in this neck of the woods is high

To Waterford

Bypassing number 25 for now though…

Steffen.
Sorry, bloody autocorrect

Thanks Steffan!

Thanks John. I normally stop at about 1530s ish so currently inhaling all things later Tudor…

You’re most welcome. It was such great craic to make and I’m very happy you enjoyed it

It’s…actually sunny in Ireland today.
Bran the dog welcomes this unfamiliar, glowing yellow ball in the sky as his new overlord on the beach.

Ah you’re very kind. Glad you enjoyed it