Top 9 Irish True Crime Podcasts
Being Irish it is no surprise that I am interested in Irish true crime. Here are my top Irish true crime podcast recommendations.
1. The Witness: In His Own Words - By Joseph O’Callaghan for Yellow Path Productions.
Hands down, the best Irish true crime podcast that I have ever listened to. I featured this podcast in my Five Awesome August 2021 blog. This is a ten-part true crime documentary podcast series in which Joseph O’Callaghan tells his extraordinary true story of how he was responsible for the conviction of two “gangster” men for murder in Ireland (and how he got to be involved with them in the first place). Due to his testimony he became known as “the rat” and thus the youngest ever person to enter the Witness Protection Programme in Ireland. You better clear your schedule before you start listening as I can guarantee that you will not be able to turn it off until you have listened to all the episodes - it is all consuming, an absolutely gripping story.
2. Where is George Gibney? - Hosted By Mark Horgan & Produced By Ciaran Cassidy - Second Captains Production for BBC Radio 5 Live.
Up next is a ten-part true crime podcast series about George Gibney, who in the 1980s and 1990s was a highly respected famous Irish Olympic swimming coach in Ireland. Gibney was later exposed as a predator and subsequently charged with child sexual abuse. Gibney vanished before he could be brought to court and sentenced and so has never served any time behind bars for his crimes. An excellent podcast with lots of raw in-depth interviews with those who knew Gibney during his coaching era as well as with some of his unfortunate victims. This podcast was included in my 12 Podcast Picks for February 2021 blog where you can find more information if you wish.
3. Inside The Crime: The Whelan Family Story with Frank Greaney for Newstalk.
On Christmas morning 2008 the Whelan family’s lives changed forever. Christy Whelan and his wife Nancy lost their beloved daughter Sharon Whelan and her two beautiful children, their grandchildren, Zarah and Nadia. Sharon, Zarah and Nadia were murdered by a local postman, 23 year old Brian Hennessy. This podcast tells the story of Sharon’s murder and how the events of that horrific day unfolded for those closest to her and changed the lives of all those involved forever. There are five episodes and you will definitely need tissues close by for this tragic heart-wrenching story. If you want to know more, check out my Best New True Crime Podcasts of January 2022 blog.
4. West Cork Podcast - Hosted By Jennifer Forde & Sam Bungey - Yarn fm.
The West Cork Podcast is a true crime investigation into the 1996 murder of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier. Sophie’s body was found close to her holiday home in a remote area of West Cork called Toormore. From the start of the investigation, one man stood out as the main suspect, but with no witnesses, no real motive, lots of hearsay and speculation and a bungled An Garda Síochána crime scene analysis, no one has ever been charged with Sophie’s murder. This unsolved murder has plagued the nation of Ireland since 1996, causing frustration and anger among all who want justice for Sophie. There are fourteen episodes available, so get downloading and listening and decide for yourself if the suspected murderer got away or they had the wrong person in their sights all along.
5. The Making of a Detective - Hosted By Stephen Breen for The Irish Sun.
The Making of a Detective podcast discusses five of Ireland’s most serious murder cases, all of which involved (and were solved by) the work of one particular Garda by the name of Pat Marry. Pat Marry spent over thirty years with An Garda Síochána and is highly respected and acknowledged for his work and success in solving many crimes. Pat Marry takes us through each case in detail from start to finish and offers us a behind the scenes look into, and understanding of the work of An Garda Síochána. This podcast is fascinating and eye-opening!
6. Shattered Lives with Paul Healy - Irish Daily Star.
In Shattered Lives host Paul Healy interviews victims of crime (both solved and unsolved) as they reveal how their lives have been “shattered”, forever changed through their experiences. In some cases, we hear about their relentless search for justice. The true crime experiences that are shared are intense, poignant and solemn. This podcast was part of my Top Seven New True Crime Podcasts of April 2022 blog so you can read more about it there. This is one podcast series that will stay with you long after listening.
7. The Home Babies - Hosted By Becky Milligan BBC Radio 4.
The horrific treatment of unmarried mothers and their babies in Ireland, from the period beginning in the 1920s up to the 1990s, is a truly disgraceful and shameful chapter in Ireland’s history. The discovery of an unmarked grave containing the remains of 800 infants, underneath a former home for unmarried mothers in Tuam, Co. Galway was a discovery that not only shocked the nation of Ireland, it shocked the world. In this podcast historian Catherine Corless, who made the shocking discovery, accompanied by host Becky Milligan, explains how she came to find the grave and everything that followed in the aftermath. This is a ten-part true crime series and all episodes are available now.
8. The Nobody Zone - By Tim Hinman - RTÉ Documentary on One.
In this eight-part true crime series, writer and host Tim Hinman tell us the story of Kieran Patrick Kelly. Kelly, originally from Ireland but living on the streets of London is arrested for stealing a wedding ring. While in custody, Kelly murders a fellow prisoner. Kelly is then interviewed by Police and quickly confesses to a host of other unsolved murders:
“In a forgotten London underworld, a homeless Irishman kills multiple times without detection, unseen in a world where nobody seems to care.” (Source here).
Kelly’s taped confessions feature in the podcast and I think the are a great addition, hearing the voice of Kelly as he provides the Police with the dates, times and locations of his crimes. A sad story of loss, loneliness and despair; when you have nothing left to lose, nowhere to be, nowhere to go and no one to turn to.
9. Men’s Rea: A true crime podcast - Hosted & Created By Sinead McHugh.
This long running true crime podcast is released fortnightly. In each episode of Men’s Rea the host and creator Sinead McHugh delves into notorious Irish crimes. The episodes are well researched and clearly presented. This is a great podcast if you want some true crime content but do not want to get stuck into a full series. There are 116 episodes available so far, plenty for you to choose from.
These are my top Irish true crime podcast picks for now, I hope to add to this list in the future. If you are looking for more true crime recommendations then please check out my Over 200 Top True Crime Podcast blog which is updated regularly.
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