Avsnitt
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Simon Harris has risen without trace. Who is he and what he stands for are questions that have rarely been asked.
Harris has been described as ‘the white Obama’. He was called the TikTok Taoiseach and hailed as a great communicator. But behind the empty phrases, something is happening in Ireland which needs real leadership.
On Free State, Joe and Dion explain why it requires more than tub thumping about taking back the flag to make Ireland great again. And why Harris’s coronation as Fine Gael leader was a symptom of all that’s wrong with Ireland.
MIGA. Simon Harris making Ireland great again.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Leo Varadkar’s resignation was described as a ‘political earthquake’. Some said the political world had been turned upside down. But beyond the parlour games of the political class, does it matter at all?
On Free State, Joe and Dion ask what has Varadkar achieved? Did he lead a government or a pr agency. What does the giddiness surrounding his departure tell us about the problems in Ireland today? And is the fate of a parakeet marooned somewhere in England another example of how the trivial distracts us from the real issues?
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Davy Tweed knew exactly how to control those he abused. He did it in a million different ways, big and small.
In Part 2 of her interview on Free State, Amanda Brown recalls how Tweed would dehumanise and humiliate her along with the rest of her family. She tells Dion and Joe how she was isolated and how every one of his victims believed they were utterly alone. She talks about how that changed. How Tweed crumbled as the survivors took him on in court and in the community. Amanda explains why she waived her right to anonymity and how they life she has today is a million miles from the hell of her childhood.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Davy Tweed was an Irish international rugby player. He was a unionist politician. He was a monster. On Free State today, his step daughter Amanda Brown talks about the hell she experienced at the hands of Tweed and her slow, courageous journey to freedom.
She tells Dion and Joe about the mental, physical and sexual abuse she endured. And she explains what connected the public figure Davy Tweed to the private monster.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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History is a nightmare from which Ireland is always trying to awake.
On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at how the future is being grasped in the north. But this is a story about the whole island and why the leadership shown by Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly will ripple across the country. Ireland’s history is always with us but the future doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
In the spirit of fearlessness, Dion shares with Joe a dream he has - not a nightmare - and immediately regrets it.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Northern Ireland was once a land divided by symbols. Since Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little Pengelly became First Minister and deputy First Minister it is a place energised by them.
On Free State, Joe and Dion look at the leadership shown by O’Neill and Little Pengelly and how those like the Allosaurus (Jim Allister) are on the brink of extinction.
When Little Pengelly visited St Paul’s GAA club in West Belfast, it was not just an important gesture, to those who know the history of the area and the club, it was sign that the past is now the past.
To face the future with hope and optimism, it’s important to deal with the past with fearless honesty which is why Joe feels it is important to be more like David Trimble and less like Andrew Trimble.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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As he locked up Bellaghy Wolfe Tone GAA Club in May 1997, Sean Brown was murdered by loyalist gunmen.
The sense of injustice has deepened since the British Government passed the Legacy Act last year.
This week, a High Court judge Mr Justice Kinney was so appalled by the behaviour of the state that he pulled the plug on the inquest and recommended a public inquiry. This on the day the inquest was told that surveillance of a leading suspect had mysteriously been suspended on the day of the murder.
Among those present at the inquest was the new GAA president Jarlath Burns, a man who has embraced his Protestant neighbours, vocally supported the PSNI before it was popular and is as happy at Windsor park as he is in Croke park (unless Armagh are playing).
On Free State, Joe and Dion look at the case and the relentless search for justice.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Maze Prison is a central part of Northern Ireland’s history. But there was once a plan to make it a shared monument to a brighter future.
On Free State, Joe and Dion tell the story of the plan to turn the Maze prison into a National Stadium for the three main sports (and ice skating). They show how it was brought down by the same forces who thought Brexit was a good idea for the north and who want to stop Casement Park.
They also remember Maisie’s Garden Centre whose human rights were trampled on by the sea border which was another life and death issue until it wasn’t an issue at all.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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People were denied the truth in the north during the troubles and that denial of truth extended to sport.
The coverage of the GAA reflected the nature of Northern Ireland at the time.
On Free State, Dion and Joe look at how the north is changing and why sport is too.
The resistance to Casement Park’s redevelopment is the death rattle for the old ways when the GAA found itself billed below the Pigeon News and topless darts. Those days are gone and as Jarlath Burns takes over the GAA presidency, Joe and Dion look forward to a vibrant confident Northern Ireland where no one has anything to fear.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why is Casement Park so divisive? When Ravenhill and Windsor Park were redeveloped in the north they had cross community support. What is it about a GAA stadium that enrages a certain faction of unionists?
On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the issue of Casement Park and explain why it is linked to the days of naked sectarianism.
The redeveloped stadium will be a shining beacon on the hill in Belfast. A sign of progress and reconciliation. Is this why it angers some people so much?
Like the invisible sea border, the Irish language and a Sinn Fein First Minister, this is another battle loyalism cannot win.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The RTE scandal is not about pay-offs, flip-flops or Ryan Tubridy’s salary, it’s a story of how the media was manipulated in Ireland. From the Troubles to Gaza one point of view has always been given an easier ride than the other.
On RTE The Musical Part 5, Joe and Dion look at who has been platformed by the national broadcaster and who is excluded.
RTE’s future is a story that is much bigger than the national broadcaster. It’s not just about the media but about who governs Ireland.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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RTE can’t escape scandal. The controversies of the last six months have demonstrated how the organisation operated in the dark.
But there is a bigger story.
On Free State, Joe and Dion look at how RTE was captured. How free and fearless journalism has been replaced by cronyism.
They trace the story of decline back to the 1970s to see how journalism and journalists in RTE were censored during the Troubles. Dion and Joe disagree about Section 31 which banned Sinn Fein from television and radio.
They look too at how self-censorship took over before it increasingly resembles the political establishment, with challenging voices -and northern nationalists - not welcome. While it rightly mobilised to support the people of Ukraine, Gaza has been a different story with even the smallest show of support forbidden.
Instead of being the crusading station it once was, RTE comforted the comfortable and left the afflicted to fend for themselves.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Having dealt with the question ‘What is Bono?’ on today’s Free State, Dion and Joe ask the more important question: why? Why God why?
They look at how Bono’s endless hot air became a comfort not a challenge for the elites.
What was Bono’s plan to combat ISIS?
And they ask the most important question - how did Bono become the butter in the peace process sandwich?
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What is Bono and who is he for?
On today’s Free State, Dion and Joe look at Bono’s activism, what he has said and, as importantly, what he hasn’t said.
Is he a symbol of all that is wrong with the world? Is he a false god of philanthropy or has he achieved something meaningful?
They also discuss the Kneecap case against Kemi Badenoch and Dion explains why her censorship represents another nail in the coffin for the modern U.K.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How close are we to a United Ireland?
The unionist voices that said ‘no terrorists in government’ and no Sinn Fein First Minister have been marginalised. How will they respond to what is coming next?
Joe recalls his own encounters with Jamie Bryson and explains why he would be a good convert to Catholicism. The boys also suggest another career path for Bryson now that politics isn’t working out.
Joe and Dion disagree about the media in the south’s response to Michelle O’Neill’s election, while Dion wonders if Joe is spending too much time looking at Fine Gael Twitter accounts.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Michelle O’Neill’s election as First Minister of Northern Ireland made worldwide headlines.
On today’s Free State, Joe reflects on the importance of O’Neill’s election and considers what it means for the nationalist community.
Joe and Dion look at the generous speeches of O’Neill and the deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly and consider their journeys to this point.
It is a moment of real significance where history may now become just that - history. It is a moment where Ulster finally said Yes.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Northern Ireland prepares for a Sinn Fein First Minister, but why has it taken so long?
On today’s Free State, Joe and Dion look at how culture was used as a tool of oppression in the north. As Kneecap the movie demonstrates the Irish language is now part of a vibrant culture among young nationalists. The language has more power because of how it was so recently suppressed.
Dion also finds a strong reason called Conor Bradley for a border poll. And things get heated when the lads discuss Israel and Gaza.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Anarchy is always a threat to the establishment. Joyous anarchy unsettles them even more.
Kneecap are annoying many of the right people as they aim for world domination. Their film has angered the Daily Mail and the DUP and also won the audience award at Sundance which has angered them even more.
On today’s Free State, Joe and Dion consider the rise of Kneecap and what it tells us about a community in the north that is confident, daring and not afraid of winding up the humourless.
They also look at Jurgen Klopp, why he was never afraid to take risks and the price that is paid for obsession. Joe feels there are plenty of Gaelic football managers who could learn from him while Dion has some observations from a trip to Croke Park and what it tells us about Ireland.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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If you can’t spot the sucker at the poker table it’s you.
Today’s 'Free State' tells the story of how the GAA surrendered to corporations and how people became products.
Dion and Joe consider the new RTÉ uniforms which could be part of any sponsorship deal.
Joe reveals he has been beside himself with worry over the health of King Charles.
The boys also discuss the proposal that a future United Ireland should join His Majesty’s commonwealth. Fasten your seatbelts…
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The GAA occupies a special place in Irish life. But that special place is what makes it so attractive to sponsors.
Today Joe and Dion look at the plan to sell the naming rights of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and rename it SuperValu Park.
Dion vaguely recalls his only visit to the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh. And, in a world where everything is for sale, how does the GAA protect what is precious?
Joe also describes his day at the All Ireland club finals, his meeting with President Higgins and the president’s answer to Joe’s question: Will you endorse me as your successor?
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
To get in touch with the podcast: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Visa fler