History podcast shines a light on Lisburn rich and layered past

Northern Ireland–based podcast, Pieces of History, with presenter Colum McGrath, aims to shine a light on the people, places, and stories that have shaped our history — both well-known and overlooked.

"My interest in history started from a young age,” explained Colum. “Growing up in Northern Ireland, you’re surrounded by traces of the past - old mills, monuments, and streets that still carry the echoes of earlier generations.

"I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that history isn’t something distant or abstract; it’s right beside us, woven into everyday life.”

The podcast aims to make history come alive for listeners and episode blends storytelling with research, archival sources, and, where possible, interviews with historians, writers, or people connected to the story’s location.

Colum decided to feature Lisburn in the latest episode because the city has such an interesting past.

"Lisburn has always fascinated me,” Colum continued. “It’s a place where so many threads of Irish history intersect - industry, rebellion, community, and resilience.

"It has deep connections to the linen industry that once powered Ulster, and its story is inseparable from wider changes that shaped Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries.

"I was drawn to the way Lisburn balances its proud industrial and cultural past with its modern identity. I wanted to bring out those layers - the people who built it, the challenges they faced, and the legacy they left behind.

"The episode isn’t just about the past; it’s about how that past still lives within the streets, churches, and records of the city today.”

Colum is joined for the episode by local historian and tour guide Aaron McIntyre.

“Aaron helps trace the story of the town from its earliest settlements to the modern city, providing insight that only someone who knows the streets, records, and rhythms of the place could offer,” explained Colum.

"He has a real passion for connecting people to the layered history beneath their feet - from the debate around Lisburn’s pre-Plantation origins, through the upheavals of the seventeenth century, to the social and industrial transformations.

"Aaron’s ability to combine archival knowledge with vivid storytelling brings the city’s history to life in a way that’s both informative and accessible.”

The episode follows Aaron as he guides listeners through the unfolding story of Lisburn.

"We begin by exploring its possible pre-Plantation roots and then move into the dramatic seventeenth century - a period defined by the Plantation, the rise of the linen industry, Lisburn Castle, and the great fire of 1707 that reshaped the town’s streets and architecture,” Colum continued.

From there, Aaron leads us into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Lisburn became a powerhouse of industry and civic life. We discuss the dominance of the linen trade, the rise of families such as the Barbours, and the town’s dynamic political scene - including the Volunteer Movement, the 1783 election, and the influence of the United Irishmen.

“Finally, we reflect on modern Lisburn - how heritage and progress coexist, and where traces of the past still reveal themselves today.”

‘Pieces of History’ can be found wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.