CHAS lecture: The Black Death in Carlow and Leinster
There was scarcely a house in which only one died, but commonly man and wife with their children and family crossing to death– John Clyn, Kilkenny, 1349
Finbar Dwyer
On Wednesday 18th May at 8 pm Finbar Dwyer, historian, archaeologist and author, gave a lecture on the Black Death in Carlow and Leinster. He is the creator and presenter of the Irish History Podcast – a highly popular series on Irish History. In 2013 he published his first book “Witches, Spies & Stockholm Syndrome, Life In Medieval Ireland” with New Island Press. He has just released his second book “1348: A Medieval Apocalypse – The Black Death in Ireland.
The Black Death was one the greatest killers in recorded human history. The disease which struck Ireland in the summer of 1348 was preceded by decades of warfare and famine which had already weakened the population. Following the outbreak over one third of the population died in less than a year. In this talk Dwyer detailed what medieval life was like before and after the plague and how the Black Death transformed Carlow and the wider Leinster area.
Listen to the lecture here
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