In this episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly, Jake sat down with Fin Dwyer – the voice behind the Irish History Podcast for a conversation about storytelling, podcasting, and the work of bringing history to a global audience.

Since launching his show in 2010, Fin has built one of the most consistent and respected voices in public history – long before podcasts became a mainstream way to engage with the past.

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Fin and Jake engage in a discussion that goes beyond podcasting and explores the craft of public history in the digital age – how public historians translate complex, often uncomfortable subjects into clear, compelling narratives without losing nuance. Along the way, they talk about how the medium has evolved, the challenges of sustaining long-form storytelling, and why some of the most important historical work today is happening in audio.

At its core, this episode gets at a bigger question: how we tell history, who we tell it for, and what responsibility comes with putting those stories into the world.

This episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly explores:

• How Fin built the Irish History Podcast into a global show
• What podcasting looked like in 2010 – and how much it’s changed
• The challenge of turning deep research into clear, engaging storytelling
• Why some of the most important stories never become books – but thrive in podcasts
• The responsibility of historians in public spaces, especially online
• How nuance gets lost and why it’s worth fighting to keep it
• The tension between academic history and public-facing storytelling
• Why the past still shapes how we see the world today

Other notes:

Check out The Irish History Podcast

Check out Transatlantic: An Irish American History Podcast

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Listen to our previous podcast episode of Public History with Justin, Jake, and Molly

Podcast | Rewatching John Adams: Power, Politics, and Governing a New Nation (Episodes 5-7)

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