S8 Ep387: Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan, author of Rot, introduces the history of the Irish Famine by recounting a folk story about Queen Victoria visiting the devastated village of Skibbereen. He sets the context by explaining how the pre-famine Irish economy re
S8 Ep387: Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan, author of Rot, introduces the history of the Irish Famine by recounting a folk story about Queen Victoria visiting the devastated village of Skibbereen. He sets the context by explaining how the pre-famine Irish economy re  
Podcast: The John Batchelor Show
Published On: Fri Jan 30 2026
Description: Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan, author of Rot, introduces the history of the Irish Famine by recounting a folk story about Queen Victoria visiting the devastated village of Skibbereen. He sets the context by explaining how the pre-famine Irish economy relied entirely on the high-yield potato, which allowed landlords to pay incredibly low wages to a capital-poor population.