[Deep Dive] Religion in Ireland before the Famine

To accompany Murder at Murder Mountain, I am releasing five deep dive episodes which delve into the history of the early 19th century Ireland in greater detail. These will be released between the main episodes. 

This is deep dive looks at the pre-Famine catholic church. While religion was very important during Ellen Kennedy's childhood, the catholic church emerging from centuries of repression was a very different organsation than it is today. In this podcast Salvador Ryan, professor of Ecclesiastical History in Maynooth, discusses religion and wider spiritual beliefs in the decades before the famine. 

He also explains why rituals surrounding pattern days and ancient holy wells (also mentioned in episode one) were frowned on by the church hierarchy.