The Póilíní Podcast
- Episodes
- 10
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 12, 2026
About the podcast
The Póilíní Podcast brings listeners on a journey through stories from the history of Irish policing, stretching over 200 years. Each week, we’ll take a story from our policeman’s notebook to paint a picture of incredible, often untold, events and through the lens of these stories, look at the lives of serving members, their families and society in Ireland and beyond.
The podcast is presented by Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, and writer and journalist Helen Moorhouse.
Dr John Reynolds, PHD, holds 40 years’ service as a member of An Garda Síochána. During his career, he worked in surveillance, serious crime investigations, Disaster Victim Identification and frontline emergency dispatch. Since retiring from the force, he has founded the Garda Museum and served as chief coordinator for the Garda centenary. Helen Moorhouse is a writer, journalist, novelist and self-confessed ‘history nerd’.
Together, they have compiled a casebook of gripping yarns, tragic tales and forgotten people - not to be missed.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes 10
The Kildare Mutiny: The Turbulent Birth of the Gardaí
In 1922, with Ireland sliding into civil war, Michael Collins founded a new police force in a single night at the Gresham Hotel. Within months, hundreds of armed IRA-veteran recruits at Kildare's Magee Barracks …
Show notes
In 1922, with Ireland sliding into civil war, Michael Collins founded a new police force in a single night at the Gresham Hotel. Within months, hundreds of armed IRA-veteran recruits at Kildare's Magee Barracks mutinied, demanding the dismissal of ex-RIC officers, raiding the armoury and threatening to bring down the force before it could even begin. This episode follows the story from secret meetings to violence and anarchy, Collins's personal intervention, and the decision that left the Gardaí unarmed.
Writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds present the penultimate episode of the season.
Drawing on the Garda Museum's original documents, Collins's own words, and John's insider knowledge of the force, this episode is a story of secrecy, rebellion and the birth of a police service.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Belderrig Cave Rescue: A Night of Courage and Tragedy
In October 1997, a family outing off the rugged North Mayo coast turned into a desperate fight for survival when a small boat was overwhelmed by the Atlantic. As darkness fell and conditions deteriorated, a …
Show notes
In October 1997, a family outing off the rugged North Mayo coast turned into a desperate fight for survival when a small boat was overwhelmed by the Atlantic. As darkness fell and conditions deteriorated, a team from the Garda Underwater Unit was dispatched to a remote sea cave, where an extraordinary rescue operation was unfolding.
Join hosts Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds as they uncover the remarkable events of that night, with a rare first-hand account from Ciarán Doyle, whose actions earned him the prestigious Gold Scott Medal for Valour.
A gripping story of courage, tragedy and survival, this episode explores the extraordinary risks taken by those who put their own lives on the line to save others — and the quiet modesty of a man who insists he was simply doing his job.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Haunted Barracks: Ghost Stories from the Irish Policing Archive
In this Halloween special, we open the policeman's notebook on the unexplained, from the ghosts said to haunt the Garda College at Templemore, to a 1955 Garda Review account of a coal-shovelling spirit at …
Show notes
In this Halloween special, we open the policeman's notebook on the unexplained, from the ghosts said to haunt the Garda College at Templemore, to a 1955 Garda Review account of a coal-shovelling spirit at Dublin Castle. We investigate the 1892 Kingsworth poltergeist in Waterford, which police and clergy watched for themselves, along with haunted barracks from Cappoquin to Cork, Mountrath, and a Fermanagh station where the footsteps answered back. Why were barracks such fertile ground for the paranormal, when police and their families lived, and sometimes died, under the same roof?
Hosted by writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds, this is a conversation between a believer in keeping an open mind and a self-confessed sceptic.
Drawing on newspaper reports and John's own years at Templemore, this episode is a story of spooky tales and the serving officers who swore by them.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Birdhill Baby: A Tragic Discovery Wrapped in the Evening Herald
In April 1941, a railway gatekeeper in Birdhill, County Tipperary, found a newborn's body wrapped in a copy of the Evening Herald. This episode explores how Gardaí handled cases of concealment of birth and …
Show notes
In April 1941, a railway gatekeeper in Birdhill, County Tipperary, found a newborn's body wrapped in a copy of the Evening Herald. This episode explores how Gardaí handled cases of concealment of birth and infant death between 1939 and 1946, when wartime travel restrictions, stigma, Church influence and the lack of legal adoption left desperate women with few options. Hosted by writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds, this is a conversation about policing at its most sensitive and human.
Drawing on newspaper court reports, Garda records and John's own experience as a Garda Sergeant, this episode is a sobering look at the people who lived and worked in the shadow of these tragic cases.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The First Ban Gardaí, Yvonne Burke and the Women Who Broke the Mould
In 1959, twelve women joined An Garda Síochána amid marriage bars, Dáil sexism and instructions to avoid "girlish giddiness". Thirty-four years later, Garda Yvonne Burke and her colleague chased …
Show notes
In 1959, twelve women joined An Garda Síochána amid marriage bars, Dáil sexism and instructions to avoid "girlish giddiness". Thirty-four years later, Garda Yvonne Burke and her colleague chased shotgun-wielding armed robbers through Cabra, and she became the first woman to win the Scott Medal for bravery. This episode traces how the Ban Gardaí came to be, from their training under Liverpool's Sergeant Doreen Prissick, to 'bulletproof' tights, and explains what it takes to earn the Scott Medal. Join hosts Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds for a story of pioneers, courage and slow-won equality.
Drawing on Dáil debates, Home Office files, the recollections of the first Ban Gardaí, and John's own years in the force, this episode is a story of two kinds of bravery.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Macushla Ballroom Martyrs: From Showbands to Showdown
In November 1961, hundreds of rank-and-file gardaí defied their own commissioner and packed the Macushla ballroom in Dublin to protest draconian conditions and a pay deal that shut out the newest recruits …
Show notes
In November 1961, hundreds of rank-and-file gardaí defied their own commissioner and packed the Macushla ballroom in Dublin to protest draconian conditions and a pay deal that shut out the newest recruits. Within days, eleven men were dismissed. Then a young Justice Minister and an Archbishop joined forces to broker peace. This episode follows the revolt and its aftermath, and asks what it still tells us about industrial action in An Garda Síochána today. Join hosts Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant Dr John Reynolds for a journey through an extraordinary episode in Irish policing history.
Drawing on the record of events, vivid historical detail, and John's own decades of service, this episode is a story of low pay, divided loyalties and the most unlikely of Irish heroes.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stringybark Creek: The Irish Policemen Who Hunted Ned Kelly
This episode follows the Irish threads running through Australia's most famous outlaw story, from John "Red" Kelly's transportation for stealing a pig to the four Irish-born policemen — Kennedy, Scanlan …
Show notes
This episode follows the Irish threads running through Australia's most famous outlaw story, from John "Red" Kelly's transportation for stealing a pig to the four Irish-born policemen — Kennedy, Scanlan, Lonigan and McIntyre — sent into the bush to hunt down his son Ned. Helen and John unpack the myth-making, the class politics, and the quiet tragedy of Irishmen on both sides of the gun.
Drawing on contemporary newspaper reports, trial records, police history and John's own experience of manhunts and missing-persons searches, this episode is a story of famine, emigration and violence following Irish following Irish policemen to the far side of the world.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Kidnapping of Gilbert Potter: A District Inspector's Fatal Sense of Duty
In April 1921, at the height of the War of Independence, RIC District Inspector Gilbert Potter was seized by the IRA after stumbling into the tail end of an ambush near Clogheen, Tipperary. Marched over the …
Show notes
In April 1921, at the height of the War of Independence, RIC District Inspector Gilbert Potter was seized by the IRA after stumbling into the tail end of an ambush near Clogheen, Tipperary. Marched over the Knockmealdowns into Waterford and held for days by men he had known since they were boys, Potter was faced with a decision that would have profound consequences for him and his family.
Drawing on IRA witness statements from the Bureau of Military History, Potter's own letters to his wife Lily, and John's decades of police experience, this episode explores duty, decency, loyalty and the terrible cost paid on all sides during Ireland's revolutionary years.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Carrickshock Massacre: Ten Minutes That Shook Irish Policing
In this episode of The Póilíní Podcast, writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant and police historian Dr John Reynolds, unpack the Carrickshock Massacre: the brutal tithe system that provoked it, the …
Show notes
In this episode of The Póilíní Podcast, writer Helen Moorhouse and retired Garda Sergeant and police historian Dr John Reynolds, unpack the Carrickshock Massacre: the brutal tithe system that provoked it, the newly formed Peace Preservation Force sent to enforce it, and the catastrophic misjudgements that turned a routine errand into a bloodbath. They trace what happened to the survivors, the collapsed murder trial defended by Daniel O'Connell, and how an event largely forgotten outside Kilkenny lived on in ballads, folklore, and even GAA rivalries — becoming a rallying cry invoked all the way through to the War of Independence.
Drawing on eyewitness letters, police depositions, and John's own decades on the beat, this episode is a story of policing caught in the crossfire of colonial injustice.
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Póilíní Podcast Trailer
The Póilíní Podcast starts 17th Sept 2026.Hosted by writer Helen Moorhouse and Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, this exciting podcast will explore stories pulled from more than 200 years of Irish policing …
Show notes
The Póilíní Podcast starts 17th Sept 2026.
Hosted by writer Helen Moorhouse and Garda historian Dr John Reynolds, this exciting podcast will explore stories pulled from more than 200 years of Irish policing history.
Find out more here
Presenters - Dr John Reynolds, Helen Moorhouse
Producer - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Record and Mix - Sean Byrne
Recorded at Tinpot Productions Studios
Find out more or get in touch here
Póilíní, commonly misspelled as 'polini' or 'paolini' or even 'poleini', is the Irish word for 'police'. The Póilíní Podcast covers stories from over 200 years of Irish policing history, from the Royal Irish Constabulary, to the Dublin Metropolitan Police, to An Garda Síochána.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Similar podcasts
More History podcasts
Is this your podcast?
Confirm it with an entry in your feed: you get a code here, add it as podcast:txt to the channel of your feed, and we check it. Your podcast is then shown as “verified” on SoundNode.