When the Spanish Armada Met Irish Shores: Survivors, Stories and Politics

After the Spanish Armada’s disastrous return in 1588, thousands of sailors drifted onto Ireland’s coast. This episode traces the wreck sites from Antrim to Kerry, examines the limited contemporary records and surviving artifacts, and explores how Irish chieftains and English authorities treated the castaways. We unpack how these events reshaped local politics, maritime law, and later memory in a story that blends fact with myth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices