The Emerald Corridor: Ireland and Poland

Ireland and Poland are usually linked in the modern imagination by EU migration and contemporary politics. But their relationship is far older — stretching back over 5,000 years. This episode traces the long, forgotten connections between the two countries, from Bronze Age DNA and Baltic trade routes, through medieval Irish monks in Krakow, Irish mercenaries fighting for Polish kings, Polish famine relief in the west of Ireland, Cold War solidarity, and finally the modern Polish community in Ireland today. Rather than treating Ireland and Poland as separate national stories, this episode argues that they are part of a shared European history — shaped by migration, empire, religion, and resilience. It’s a history of two small nations on the edge of Europe, repeatedly meeting across time, often without realising it.