Red Room

Burke and Hare are two of the most infamous serial killers in history, but they weren’t typical murderers. In 1828, Edinburgh, they killed at least 16 people and sold their bodies to medical schools in a booming underground body trade. This episode explores the real story behind the murders, the anatomy trade, and how they were finally caught.This episode was written & hosted by me, Jenny Claffey. Researched by Karl O’Reilly.LinksFever & Famine 1817-18 – In The News | Co. Tyrone People From The Past.21 May 1947 - GRIM MURDER PARTNERSHIP HELPED MAKE EDINBURGH'S MEDICAL FAME - TroveThe Burke and Hare murdersLife in Ulster in the 1800sThe Perpetrators, Burke and HareThe Story of Burke and Hare - Edinburgh.The William Burke Museum | The Cadies & Witchery ToursBodies and bureaucracy: The demise of the body snatchers in 19th century Britain - Philp - 2022 - The Anatomical Record - Wiley Online LibraryBurke and Hare: The body snatchers - BBC BitesizeProcuring Corpses: The English Anatomy Inspectorate, 1842 to 1858 - PMCThe gruesome true story of the bodysnatchers who robbed graves and resorted to murder in 18th-century BritainThe untold story of serial killer William Burke's wife and her mysterious disappearance from GlasgowPull factors affecting immigrants - Immigration to Scotland 1830s-1939 - National 5 History Revision - BBC BitesizeIrish immigration to ScotlandAn immigrant Irish contingent in the crowd at the execution of William Burke in Edinburgh in 1829 - Ken Donaldson, Christopher Henry, 2025Who were Burke & Hare? Edinburgh’s Infamous “Body Snatchers"Burke and Hare: Two Edinburgh Murderers - geriwalton.comBody Snatchers | The London DungeonTo access bonus weekly episodes of Red Room join Patreon HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An Irish Fenian bombing in Victorian London led to mass panic, a controversial trial, and the execution of Michael Barrett., who would become the last man hanged in Britain.Join Patreon for ad-free episodes & Wednesday Deep DivesFurther Reading / Sources"The Irish invasion": how the Irish Famine changed ScotlandIrish immigration to Scotlandt18680406-412 | The Proceedings of the Old Baileyhttps://www.theirishstory.com/category/history/irish-history/https://www.irishdemocrat.co.uk/features/michael-barrett/Executed men remembered in London | An PhoblachtMichael Barrett (1841-1868) - The forgotten Fenian from Fermanagh: By Fr Joe McVeigh | An PhoblachtIrish Republicanism in Scotland, 1858–1916: Fenians in exile – History IrelandMichael Barrett: a Fenian rememberedBarrett, Michael | Dictionary of Irish BiographyOn This Day: The Clerkenwell Outrage, 13th December, 1867 – Turbulent Isles150 years ago today, a Fenian became the last person to be publicly executed in EnglandBurke, Ricard O'Sullivan | Dictionary of Irish BiographyThe Times Report of the Last Public Hanging in EnglandTo access bonus weekly episodes of Red Room join Patreon HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! To celebrate, I thought I'd rerelease an episode from 2024 when we did a series on Haunted Ireland. This episode covers some spooky, dark and haunting True Crime Cases from Ireland's Victorian era. Enjoy!To access bonus weekly episodes of Red Room join Patreon HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Christmas Day 1929, postman Larry Griffin rode into the village of Stradbally to deliver the mail and vanished. His bike was found abandoned the next morning, but his body was never recovered. Nearly a century later, the disappearance of Ireland’s “missing postman” remains unsolved.Sources Mystery still surrounds 1929 disappearance of Co Waterford postmanThe strange case of the country postman who vanished one Christmas DayCSÍ The Missing Postman Part OneThe missing postman | Irish IndependentRemembering The Missing Postman - The Munster ExpressThe Case Of The Missing Postman | Liveline - RTÉ Radio 1To access bonus weekly episodes of Red Room join Patreon HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kyran Durnin was reported missing in 2024, but investigators later discovered he had not been seen since 2022, despite prior contact with child protection services. How does a child known to the system disappear for over two years without detection?LinksKyran: The Lost BoyDrogheda Mum pleads with her missing daughter to get in touchMan questioned in Kyran Durnin murder case found deadDrogheda boy may have been killed over two years ago - gardaíKyran Durnin: Search ends in 'extraordinary' missing child case| School ‘was told missing pupil Kyran Durnin was in hospital with Covid-19’How the trail on missing Kyran Durnin ran cold after May 2022Woman questioned by gardai over disappearance and murder of Kyran Durnin returns to Ireland - Irish Mirrorhttps://archive.is/ME6pS#selection-4972.2-5061.91Tusla chief says no referrals of concern made about Kryan Durnin from 2022-24 | BreakingNewsExclusive: Stories of two key witnesses in Kyran Durnin case at oddsDaniel Aruebose gardai hone in on injury 'before death' in new probe revelations after 2 suspects quizzed on bruisingTo access bonus weekly episodes of Red Room join Patreon HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alpho O'Reilly helped shape Irish television from day one, designing iconic RTÉ productions — and then, in 1996, he vanished without a trace. Decades later, his name resurfaced in probate records tied to a €500,000 estate, raising unsettling questions about why his disappearance was met with such silence.LinksFormer RTE man missingA fresh twist in the mysterious tale of Alpho O'Reilly1553DMIRL - Alpho O'Reilly Alpho O’Reilly (Dublin)Disappearance of Alpho O’Reilly | Ireland’s Unsolved Mystery (E77)To access bonus weekly episodes of Red Room join Patreon HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.