Episode 29: Dublin Whiskey Fire

Smarticus Tells History

On a summer night in 1875, more than a dozen Dubliners drank so much whiskey they all perished. But it wasn’t a special occasion, and none of them ordered a single dram from a pub. They were all causalities of the Dublin Whiskey Fire. On this episode of Smarticus Tells History, Marty tells us the unbelievable story of the most destructive fire in Dublin’s history, which started in a whiskey storehouse in The Liberties and nearly engulfed both a maternity hospital and a convent. He also examines the history of Ireland’s ties to alcohol and uncovers the truth about where the “drunk Irish” stereotypes were born. Grab a saucepan, hat, or boot because you’ll want to be ready to collect your fill of free whiskey during this episode. (Just don’t consume it all at once!)

Highlights:

Marty tells us the about the Dublin Whiskey Fire, which claimed over a dozen lives without ever touching them. Highlights include:

• A brief history of Ireland’s manufacturing of whiskey and beer
• Irish pub culture and how alcohol is a given part of social life for many Irish people
• Why stereotypes about Irish drunkenness spread, despite alcohol consumption being less than or equal to the rest of Europe for centuries
• Why city-dwellers feared fire above all else
• The Dublin Fire Brigade’s heroic and inventive method for containing the unwieldy blaze
• Why some people were not running from the fiery whiskey river, but rather to it
• William Smith’s sad story of a nighttime stroll turned catastrophic over intoxication
• The aftermath of the Whiskey Fire: causalities, damages, and public perceptions.

Links:

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Sources:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dublin-whiskey-fire

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/offbeat/the-night-a-river-of-whiskey-ran-through-the-streets-of-dublin-1.2743517

https://allthatsinteresting.com/dublin-whiskey-fire

https://www.rareirishstuff.com/blog/the-great-whiskey-fire-of-dublin-1875-.6767.html

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/ireland/articles/a-brief-history-of-irish-whiskey/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7739064/

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-pubs-in-dublin-the-15-coolest-places-to-drink

https://www.history.com/news/fires-changes-reform

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