Why Didn't the Romans Invade Ireland?

🎧 Listen to the full extended podcast version here https://linktr.ee/irishhistory🎧 The Roman Empire conquered most of Europe. From North Africa to Britain, Roman legions advanced, occupied and stayed. But they never invaded Ireland. The Romans even had a name for it Hibernia, the “land of winter.” It lay just across the Irish Sea from Roman Britain. They knew it existed. They traded with it. They may even have planned for it. So why didn’t they invade? In this episode, I explore one of the great unanswered questions of Irish history. We look at the moment in the late first century AD when a Roman invasion of Ireland may have been seriously contemplated under Agricola. We examine the evidence of Roman contact – from an exiled Irish prince to possible reconnaissance missions. Then the story takes a fascinating turn. Archaeology reveals that Roman people may have lived in Ireland. Scientific testing of human remains, evidence of Roman-style religious sites, burials, and high-status material finds suggest something far more complex than simple trade. If there was no invasion, who were these people? Why did they come to Ireland? And what were they doing here? To answer these questions, I’m joined by archaeologist Jacqueline Cahill Wilson, whose research sheds new light on this fascinating history. Edited by Kate Dunlea