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The Irish Passport

Irish culture and current affairs with the historical backstory that explains it all. Presented by journalist Naomi O Leary and lecturer Tim Mc Inerney, this is your passport to Ireland.

In the latest installment of our Oscar Wilde series, Naomi and Tim discuss Oscar Wilde's move to Oxford, ascent as a star student, and launch in London to become one of the most famous figures of his day -- a kind of Victorian-era influencer. This is a period in which Wilde begins to emerge is a writer: of beautiful fables to be read to children, and of his book Dorian Gray, which would cause a scandal in London.
Patreon subscribers enjoy early access to this episode. A bonus Halfpint episode all about Dorian Gray and its hidden meanings is available on Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport/posts/halfpint-dorian-166685376

Going Wilde

Before the world knew Oscar Wilde, Ireland knew Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde: the son of a famous nationalist poet mother and a pioneering surgeon who grew up at the heart of Ireland's cultural renaissance of the 19th century, between Dublin and famine-ravaged County Mayo.
We discuss how Ireland shaped the budding writer and how Irish politics and the context of the time are key to understanding who he was.
This is the first episode in a series dedicated to Wilde, a fascinating and pivotal figure for Ireland and the wider world, made available early for Patreon supporters.
A bonus episode is available over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport/posts/halfpint-irish-163604289

Oscar the Wilde Irishman

Last week footage of a shocking stabbing in Belfast went viral. After it emerged that the perpetrator was an asylum seeker originally from Sudan, protests were called that soon devolved into a racist pogrom. Gangs of young men created checkpoints, burnt out cars, and set fire to the homes of people suspected to be migrants.
An old friend of the podcast, Matthew O'Toole, got a frontline view to the impact. The constitutency office he now runs as an elected official for the SDLP was converted into a temporary shelter for families fleeing their burning homes. He drove a family in the back of his car to safety in a convoy through Belfast as the violence still raged.
Thanks to longtime listener James and to supporter Kathy for suggesting the topic. This is a bonus episode made specially to thank Patreon supporters - due to the urgency of the topic, we've decided to make this one public. You can find our full collection of bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Racist riots in Belfast


Granuaile or Grace O'Malley: a woman chieftain in 16th century Ireland who ruled the seas with a fleet of ships and was both respected and deeply feared.
Daughter of the seafaring Ó Máille Gaelic clan, Gráinne carved out a position of power for herself at a time when there was little recent precedent for doing so.
She found herself contending with the encroachment of English invaders, and ended up sailing to London to plead her case directly to Queen Elizabeth I - and she won.
Naomi and Tim delve into the remarkable life of Granuaile - the myths, the legends, but also first-hand historical accounts she and her contemporaries left behind - to chart a career that encapsulates the final days of Gaelic Ireland.
A Halfpint bonus debrief is available on Patreon discussing how while written history forgot Granuaile, she was kept alive by oral and cultural traditions that made her an enduring symbol of Irish defiance. https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-158088547
Recommended reading: Grace O'Malley : The Biography of Ireland's Pirate Queen 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers, to whom we are much indebted for research that allowed for the making of this episode.

Halfpint debrief: The legend of Granuaile

This month marks the official start of spring in Ireland and to mark it Naomi and Tim discuss the figure of Bridget, Brigid or Bríd. A goddess in Gaelic times who became Christianised into Saint Bridget, the stories about this figure reveal fascinating details about the society that produced them.
A bonus Halfpint debrief episode is available here for Patreon supporters: www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-151451289
Here are links to some podcasts we mentioned in the episode that have delived into Bridget and her legacy in Ireland:
The Irish History Podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/7frXuuvc…bERYSyD5yP-crldw
Talking History: open.spotify.com/episode/7LY4tBxJ…l0SuqBjCppl0miww

Bridget: Saint, Goddess, Myth

In this listener questions episode, Naomi and Tim take questions from listeners on everything from Gaelic Ulster, to nomadic patterns of land use, and the quirks of Ireland's postal system.
We discuss the long tail of an old law that forced women to quit their jobs as soon as they married. Tim tells the story of the supermarket workers who refused to handle goods from apartheid South Africa, and how they are still remembered today.
Listener questions episodes are made to answer the queries and suggestions of Patreon supporters who back us at the €5 level or above. We will release this one publicly in the coming days to let non-subscribers know about what they're missing.
Patreon has introduced gift memberships for the first time this year. So if you know someone who would love access to 100+ bonus episodes of the Irish Passport, you know what to do! A guide to how to get a gift membership is here: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/31344987943949-How-to-gift-memberships-to-other-fans
Thanks so much to all of you and a big shout out to those listeners who sent in their questions. We'll do another listener questions episode soon!

The checkout workers who boycotted apartheid South Africa and other stories

The famous 'pint of plain' has become one of the most recognisable commercial brands in the world, and is inextricably linked to the Irish pub. In light of a new Netflix series on the Guinness family, this episode dives into the real history of the 'Black stuff', and explores how the brand founded at St. James' Gate in 1759 has reinvented itself time and time again through the miracle of marketing. 


The Real History of Guinness

Naomi and Tim take a look at the candidates who have put themselves forward for the highest office in the land and consider what the Irish presidency means in the 21st century. We look at the odd nature of presidential office in Ireland, how the role has changed significantly over recent mandates, and why that could potentially lead to a constitutional crisis in the future.
Bonus episodes are available for supporters over on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Who will be Ireland’s New President?

An Irish language rap group has, improbably enough, become the focus of global media attention and political debate. Why? For describing Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide and accusing the United States of complicity before an approving crowd at the music festival Coachella. In this episode, Naomi and Tim explain the origins of Kneecap in the movement for Irish language rights, the controversies about the band as its fame grew to ever greater heights, and why it now appears to be becoming a test case for the freedom of cultural figures to speak out about Palestine.
A new bonus episode in which Naomi and Tim take questions from listeners about the Irish language and generational trauma is available on patreon.com/theirishpassport.
You can also listen to our 2020 Halfpint about Kneecap and the politicisation of the Irish language here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/34241066

Rebel music: Kneecap and Gaza

In the grand finale of our Conquest series, Naomi and Tim dig into one of the most notorious episodes of Irish history, starring none other than Oliver Cromwell. We explore his rise to power as a major player in the puritan faction of England's civil war, and how he came to view the task of "pacifying" Ireland both as a way to solidify his support, and as a kind of holy war. Cromwell's actions in Ireland were genocidal. Nevertheless, we discuss how his actions in Ireland continue to be played down among historians in Britain to this day.
Naomi and Tim discuss more, including the uncomfortable resonances to current day news, in a bonus debrief episode over on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-130363450
Micheál Ó Siochrú's authorative work on Cromwell, 'God's Executioner', is available here: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571218462-gods-executioner/?srsltid=AfmBOoqKEZw77QejfJJh-6OoFsKDvgeO55jZSaEZMvc665fFaNgx2SPE

Conquest Pt 7: The Curse of Cromwell

Naomi spent months investigating a rogue landlord who built up an empire of rental properties in Ireland backed by family wealth in Luxembourg. In this episode, we tell the story of Marc Godart: his back story, the controversial evictions that brought him to prominence, and the unusual ways he runs his businesses. This is based on reporting by Naomi and her colleagues at the Irish Times that was recently awarded the Mary Raftery Prize for social affairs journalism.
The winning story is here: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/01/13/under-the-eye-of-landlord-marc-godart-how-a-tenant-who-objected-to-cctv-surveillance-was-evicted/
You can read more of Naomi's reporting here: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/housing-planning/2024/02/17/working-for-marc-godart-paper-directors-shadow-airbnb-accounts-ruthless-staff-practices/
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/04/15/the-luxembourg-family-behind-an-irish-property-empire
Bonus episodes are available for supporters over on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Investigating a ruthless rental empire

In the last 24 hours the global economic order may have transformed forever, as Donald Trump declares crushing tariffs for countries all over the world, not least the European Union. In this hot-off-the-press episode, Naomi explains what this might mean for Ireland and the EU, how the figures add up (or how they don't) and why the reasoning behind these new tariffs has experts all over the world scratching their heads ...


Trump’s Tempestuous Tariffs: Ireland and the EU React

A very different cultural and political model dominated Irish society prior to the British conquest: Gaelic Ireland. This was a system that prevailed for thousands of years, right back into prehistory, protected by Ireland's geographic isolation. What norms did this society have? What laws, what economic system, in what buildings did people live? Naomi and Tim paint a picture of life in Ireland before the British conquest, in the lost world of Gaelic Ireland.
Naomi and Tim continue the discussion and delve into the enduring Gaelic dating practices around Irish horse fairs in a bonus episode now available for Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-123678971

Conquest Pt 6: The Lost World of Gaelic Ireland

Did you know that the United States' border policy and power to deport people was invented to get rid of famine-era immigrants from Ireland? It's a little-known chapter of history that challenges many current day stereotypes in anti-immigrant discourse. Naomi and Tim break it down in this new episode, featuring historian Hidetaka Hirota, whose book on the subject upended much of what was previously thought about the origins of US immigration policy. A surging nativist movement determined to root out the undocumented and deport immigrants deemed to be 'undesirable': it is a timely subject for the present day. We discuss how talk of raids and mass deportations by the new administration of Donald Trump is sparking fears among the thousands of undocumented Irish people living in the US.
Naomi and Tim dig deeper into this history in a bonus debrief episode available for supporters over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-121365055
"There is a hidden, unspoken assumption that European immigrants were always legal... I always argue that that is a really wrong association in the first place. Undocumented immigration has always involved European immigration." Patreon supporters can listen to the full interview with Hidetaka Hirota here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/deporting-poor-121367468


Deporting the Irish

Why did chaos disrupt the formation of a new Irish government? What has the government promised to do, and who's in it? We break it down in this new episode. We also a look back on some of our prior reporting on the Healy Raes: rural political dynasty from County Kerry who have chosen to go into government for the first time - with Michael Healy Rae even set for a ministerial position. What will this mean for them? We discuss the stakes.
For bonus episodes and early access, sign up to support the podcast over on patreon.com/theirishpassport


Chaos, a new government, and the Healy Raes

Nollaig shona daoibh go léir! During this festive season please enjoy this short holiday episode which we originally recorded last year.
Every year the Irish government and national media lend their full attention to the arrival of Santa Claus on the island of Ireland, and discuss the various logistics of his visit to every child in the country. In this mini bonus episode, we bring you this most important news story of the year, and explain how, for a few days every December, Santa dominates the parliamentary agenda of Dáil Éireann.

Classic Irish Passport: Santa Granted Access to Irish Airspace

Ireland went to the polls last week for the 2024 general election, and the results are beginning to build a picture of what the next government could look like. We break down what the vote means in this moment of international instability, and how the results compare to the previous election of 2020.
Many thanks to everyone who sent in questions for this episode. 
You can find over 100 extra-content episodes, and support the continued making of the podcast, over on our Patreon page, at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. A quick reminder that you can now gift Patreon subscriptions - a handy option for holiday presents this year! You can find out more here.

Election Breakdown 2024: More of the Same, Please

By the early 17th century England had finally gained political control over the island of Ireland, but within a few years the whole colonial project had once again collapsed into chaos and bloodshed. In this new edition of our Conquest mini-series, we examine the events leading up to the bloody rebellion of 1641, and explain how Ireland's colonial dynamics became central to the civil was that was breaking out in England. Warning, some of the primary sources quoted in this episode are extremely violent; listener discretion is advised. 
We dig more into this topic in a bonus Halfpint debrief episode, now available for supporters at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Conquest Pt 5: Daughter of the Antichrist

The attention of people around the world has been captured by the presence of Irish soldiers standing in the way of the Israel Defence Forces as they launch an invasion of Lebanon in a bid to defeat militant group Hezbollah. In an area where Irish troops have been stationed so long that some locals have picked up Irish accents, personal ties go deep. The chief of staff of Ireland's defence forces has said Irish troops will "stay strong" in the face of Israeli orders to leave their positions following a spate of attacks on UN outposts. How did the peace force come to be there, and what comes next? Naomi and Tim speak to reporters on the ground and sum up how the conflict reached its present point, and Ireland's unique role in the region. We hear from Sally Hayden about her reporting on the ongoing bombing of Beirut, while Hannah McCarthy explains what the Irish peacekeepers have been facing, and what may lie behind Israel's tactics.
For bonus episodes and to support the podcast, join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Irish Peacekeepers On The Frontline Between Israel And Lebanon

On Ireland's west coast, far from the noise and fury of US partisan politics, presidential contender Donald Trump has been bested by a fearsome foe: a tiny snail no larger than a pin prick.
Naomi and Tim dig into the curious links between the Republican candidate and this windswept corner of Ireland, most notably the village of Doonbeg, where the development of a Trump golf course transformed local fortunes.
We speak to journalist Kate Demolder about her experience reporting in the town and the local tensions she discovered between economic dependence on Trump, and deep reservations about his politics.
Finally, Naomi and Tim consider what's at stake for Ireland in the coming US election and whether the relationship between Trump and Doonbeg is a microcosm of Ireland's policy towards the US.
Naomi recalls her experience reporting on Trump in Scotland in 2016 and the red flags that were evident then in our bonus debrief episode over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/112180566/

Trump versus the snail

We're on holiday! So please enjoy this classic episode of the podcast first recorded back in 2018. We'll be back soon with all new episodes and Halfpint extra content.
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The most popular sports in Ireland are the Gaelic games: uniquely Irish sports with an ancient history and a dramatic political backstory that are finding increasing international success. Tim visits the Paris Gaels to hear why players who have never set foot in Ireland have taken to Gaelic football, while Naomi explores the importance of the intensely local amateur sports to communities in Ireland. We hear from sports historian Paul Rouse of University College Dublin on how the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884 was deeply linked to the nationalist politics of the time. From Bronze Age myths about hurling matches between ancient tribes, to a devastating massacre in Croke Park stadium in 1920, we hear why modern Ireland can’t be understood without the GAA. For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Classic Passport Irish: The Gaelic Games

In the fourth episode of our Conquest miniseries, we take on of the most defining moments in the history of Ireland: the mass-plantation of Ulster. We'll see how the arrival of thousands of colonial settlers in this erstwhile Gaelic stronghold transformed the geopolitical dynamics of Ireland, Scotland, and England alike. We'll look at how the Ulster project and the settlement of Virginia took inspiration from one another; we'll explain why the redistribution of land in Ireland became so important to the emerging concept of "Britain", and we'll find out why local Gaelic populations were never fully "replaced". 
The texts from the Ulster Plantation Papers can be found here.
Patreon supporters enjoy early access to this episode and also have access to an exclusive after-show debrief where we delve into our topic in more detail. If you would like to support the continued making of the podcast and gain access to over 100 exclusive "halfpint" episodes along the way, you can sign up to be a Patreon supporter at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Conquest Pt 4: The Ulster Plantation

We have made this halfpint bonus episode freely available to all our listeners. If you want to access more than 100 extra-content episodes just like this, you can sign up to support the continued making of the podcast at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
In this edition of halfpints, we answer questions about the recent EU and local elections in Ireland, and break down what the major consequences might be for the Irish and European political landscape.

Halfpints: What the EU election results tell us about Ireland

In February 2024, Michelle O'Neill assumed the position of first minister of Northern Ireland, making her the first person of an Irish-identifying, Catholic background to hold this most high-profile post in the devolved government. And yet, the difficulty O'Neill faced when trying to take her seat at Stormont highlighted the fact that, for a minority in the territory, Catholic nationalist are not seen as having a legitimate role in Northern Ireland's society. In this episode we look at the phenomenon of "uppity" Catholics - people who have been perceived to rise too far above their station, and who have thereby become targets for abuse and even violence. We speak to  Pr Colin Harvey from the Human Rights Centre at Queens University Belfast about becoming a political target in the wake of Brexit, and we hear from Irish Times journalist and Author Martin Doyle about growing up in an aspirational Catholic family during the Troubles whose successes in local business fostered dark resentments in the local community ...  
Martin Doyle's award-wining memoir, Dirty Linen, was published by the Irish Academic Press in 2023, and can be purchased here. 
Irish Passport Patrons have access to an exclusive extended reading of Martin's essay, “A ghost estate and an empty grave”. If you would like to support the podcast and access over 100 pieces of extra content, you can become a patreon supporter at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 
This episode featured ‘The Moon Got Tangled in the Branches’ by Aleksey Chistilin

Uppity Catholics

The most expensive, most all-consuming war in Elizabethan England was not waged against France or Spain, but against Ireland. In the third instalment in our Conquest series, we see how the great clan chiefs of Ireland united under the banner of "Arch Traitor" Hugh O'Neill to stage a momentous uprising against the colonial English state. From Gaelic pirate ships sailing up the Thames to fearsome crowns of peacock feathers gifted by vengeful Popes, we follow the dramatic events that led to Ireland's disparate clans combining to form an unprecedented front of resistance - one so seemingly unbreakable that it threatened the financial ruin of England itself.
Special thanks to Gráinne Smyth, who sang "Óró sé do bheatha abhaile" for this episode.
Thank you to our Patrons who keep this podcast running. You can find our Patreon debriefs and 100+ more episodes of extra audio content at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Conquest Pt 3: Rise of the Gaels

In this political update, Naomi and Tim sum up the background of the incoming new Taoiseach Simon Harris and discuss the sudden resignation of Leo Varadkar and the different factors behind it.
One of them was Ireland's two recent referendums aimed at changing some of the more Catholic-influenced conservative language in the 1937 constitution, which ended in a resounding defeat for the government. What were the proposed changes and why were they rejected by the public?
Finally, we look ahead to the bonanza of elections that are due in the coming year, and how the different parties sit in the polls.
What are your thoughts on the resignation of Leo Varadkar and the incoming Simon Harris? A bonus episode where we take listener questions is coming soon for supporters over on Patreon.

Who is Ireland’s incoming Taoiseach and why did Varadkar resign?

Part two of our Conquest mini-series explores the violent occupation of Gaelic Ireland by Elizabethan adventurers between 1560 and 1590, heralding an age of terror and genocide that would ultimately lead to a full-scale war between the Gaelic clans of Ireland and the English crown. From the demise of the Old English Lordships to the tentative plantations of Ulster, this episode lays out the very foundations for the colonisation of Ireland.
A bonus debrief episode is available for Patreon supporters over on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You'll find a link to the book we mentioned in the show here: www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2017/nine-years-war/
You can find a link to the London Irish Centre, here: londonirishcentre.org/

Conquest Pt 2: Scorching The Earth

In the period from 1534 to 1653 Ireland was profoundly transformed. At the start, it was almost entirely Gaelic, ruled by Gaelic clans with an ancient way of life, and unique legal and political system. A hundred years later, Ireland was unrecognisable. In this first part of our new mini series, Conquest, Tim and Naomi set the scene for the profound transformation of the island of Ireland by colonial invasion.
A bonus episode in which Naomi and Tim discuss the making of this episode and what stood out to them is now available for Patreon supporters here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/after-show-97840308

Conquest Pt 1: Making Ireland English

Every year the Irish government and national media lend their full attention to the arrival of Santa Claus on the island of Ireland, and discuss the various logistics of his visit to every child in the country. In this mini bonus episode, we bring you this most important news story of the year, and explain how, for a few days every December, Santa dominates the parliamentary agenda of Dáil Éireann.

Breaking: Santa Granted Acess to Irish Air Space

Tim published a book! 
How does nobility work as a power strategy,  why does it bear so many curious similarities to the construct of race, and what does all of this have to do with Ireland?
We delve into Tim's book,  "Nobility and the Making of Race in Eighteenth-Century Britain", published by Bloomsbury Academic this autumn, and uncover the intricate power dynamics of Irish nobility in the eighteenth century. We find out how during this age of colonial expansion European naturalists began to classify global populations according to ancient traditions of blood hierarchy, reimagining white Europeans as the natural aristocracy of mankind. We also explore how the very idea of "natural nobility" in Ireland at this time brought up profound anxieties, revealing a dangerous power vacuum at the heart of colonial rule.   
Listeners can buy "Nobility and the Making of Race in Eighteenth-Century Britain" on the Bloomsbury Publishing website: www.bloomsbury.com. 
Patreon members benefit from early access to this episode -- thank you for keeping the show running! If you would like access to our 100+ episodes of extra content and support the continued making of show along the way, you can sign up at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Ireland’s Imposter Aristocrats

As the world reels from the horrific Hamas attack on Israel and its deadly retribution on the Gaza Strip, Ireland has emerged as a prominent player in the European response to the worsening conflict.
In this episode, Naomi and Tim sum up the current situation and explain some of the historical context that explains why Ireland has traditionally been one of the most sympathetic western countries towards the Palestinian cause.
The two sides of this conflict have long been adopted by rival communities in Northern Ireland, with Irish republicans flying the Palestinian flag and British loyalists identifying with Israel. The episode reviews some of the lesser-known historical links between Ireland and the foundation of Israel, exploring the complexities of a time when the relationship between Zionism and Irish Republicanism was not the same as it is now.
Finally, Naomi describes her reporting on the confused European response and why Ireland has emerged as a prominent voice.
Tragically, after the recording of this episode we learned that the missing Irish citizen Kim Damti was confirmed dead. Our deepest condolences to her family.
Thank you so much to all our Patreon supporters for helping us make this podcast. You can support us on: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Ireland and the Israel-Palestine conflict

We're back and diving straight into breaking politics, as Naomi explains the chilling implications of the UK government's new "Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy Bill". This controversial new law has provoked outrage from across the communities of Northern Ireland, uniting unionist and nationalist political parties against it. But what does this law entail, how will it affect the people of Northern Ireland, and why does it represent a tense new chapter in British-Irish relations? We explain all.
Listeners to this episode might be interested in these previous instalments of the Irish Passport Podcast:
Collusion: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-3-collusion/
Poetry and Pain: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-4-poetry-and-pain/
Thanks as always to our Patreon supporters for keeping the podcast running. If you would like to access extra content from the Irish Passport, you can support the show at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.


What does the “Troubles Legacy Bill” mean for Northern Ireland?

Hi everyone, Naomi here. Like many people I've been reeling since the news of the death of Sinéad O'Connor. I took a moment to share some of my thoughts and a little about Sinéad and who she was - the girl with towering musical gifts who broke out of a Magdalene Laundry to busk on the streets of Dublin and achieved worldwide fame while never losing her soul. Unfortunately, her life was cruel, and she paid the price.
Here are some of the links I mentioned:
Radio Sinéad, a Spotify playlist of 467 songs that she loved and put together to share publicly: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tJNA0rDI3sdlO5fF2f4jW?si=goXEjQDBQiWD8lLpUopDbg
A tribute to Sinéad O'Connor by President Micheal D Higgins https://president.ie/en/media-library/news-releases/statement-by-president-higgins-on-the-death-of-sinead-oconnor
Black Boys on Mopeds (1990), by Sinéad O'Connor https://youtu.be/n14lwdpYkAA
Sinéad O'Connor explains why she ripped up the picture of the pope on Saturday Night Live https://youtu.be/b3CuF7B3tIY
Sinéad O'Connor faces down a booing crowd at Madison Square Garden, and stands by her remarks about child abuse in the days after her controversial Saturday Night Live Appearance https://youtu.be/GzxTDHMQza8
The Prayer of St Francis, 1993 https://twitter.com/KillianM2/status/1684302806067322883?s=20
You Made Me the Thief of your Heart (1994) https://youtu.be/X2SVsV7Wuh4
In her own words, Sinéad O'Connor recounts her experience in a Magdalene Laundry as a teenager http://web.archive.org/web/20230329225310/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/sinead-o-connor-on-her-teenage-years-i-steal-everything-i-m-not-a-nice-person-i-m-trouble-1.4560611
A comeback performance in 2019 on RTÉ's Late Late Show in which Sinéad O'Connor proudly appeared in dress and headscarf reflecting the spiritual refuge she found in her conversion to Islam in 2018. https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2023/0727/1074429-sinead-oconnor-melts-hearts-on-late-late-show/

Farewell Sinéad, we didn’t deserve you

Ireland's strict libel laws and onerously expensive legal system is stacked against journalists and in favour of wealthy people who abuse the situation to censor reporting about them. That's when Naomi discovered in her research for a recent report for press freedom organisation the International Press Institute. She discusses what she found out, why property developers are particularly litiguous in Ireland, and what the impact is on ordinary journalists and media organisations from the largest broadcasters to the smallest magazines and podcasts.
As it happens, Tim was recording this episode in Paris, just as France was about to face another night of large-scale rioting following the shooting of a teenager by police. He explains what led to the situation.
To access more than 100 bonus episodes like this one, support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Naomi's report can be read here: https://ipi.media/ireland-how-the-wealthy-and-powerful-abuse-legal-system-to-silence-reporting/

How the wealthy and powerful muzzle reporting in Ireland

What's in a gene? We wade into the world of genetics, to find out all about an extensive DNA mapping project called the Irish DNA Atlas and to see what it can tell us about the history of Ireland. We also take a look at the phenomenon that is at-home DNA ancestry tests, which have exploded in popularity in the past few years, as well as exploring the ethical or legal concerns they might bring up. Finally, we take a deep dive into our own genetic legacy, revealing the potential secrets hidden in our DNA...
Supporters of Patreon hear our episodes early and ad-free. You can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
A bonus episode discussing the making of this podcast and additional insights is available here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/after-show-dna-83901131
 

Mapping Ireland’s DNA

In the second part of our episode on Ireland's lost forests, Naomi travels to the Beara peninsula in Co. Cork to speak to sculptor and author Eoghan Daltun. Eoghan's award-wining book, An Atlantic Rainforest: a Personal Journey into the Magic of Rewilding, recounts how he has brought a sector of ancient Irish woodland back to life by simply making space for native ecosystems to thrive. We also hear about how E.U. policy has shaped woodland preservation in Europe, we discuss how big predators might be the key to restoring biodiversity, and we return to the mystery of the bare-bottomed Woodkernes - discovering the weird and ancient art of the Braigetóir, or professional flatulists.
A bonus episode will be available at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Ireland’s Lost Forests Pt 2: an Atlantic Rainforest

A rich political, social and economic history of Ireland can be told by an analysis of its landscape, and specifically through the history of its trees.
In this episode, Naomi and Tim delve into the history of deforestation and its tangled associations with colonialism and agriculture, and whether the 'green' image of Ireland is all that it seems.
Coming soon in part 2, we will visit a place where the ancient forest of Ireland is making a rebound: in the Irish Atlantic Rainforest restored on the Beara Peninsula by Eoghan Daltun.
Patreon supporters can access a bonus debrief episode over at https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport in which Naomi and Tim discuss a genocidal Elizabethan poet who was banished to Cork, and why a blank and featureless lawn is considered an ideal to so many...
Thanks so much for listening!

Ireland’s Lost Forests

Beannachtaí na féile Pádraig oraibh! To celebrate Ireland's national day, please enjoy this classic St. Patrick's Day episode from our archives, originally released in 2018.

Classic Irish Passport: St. Patrick’s Day Special

After years of deadlock, EU and UK leaders have declared a historic reset in their relations as they reach an agreement on Northern Ireland called the 'Windsor Framework'. Naomi and Tim unpick the details of what is in the deal on Northern Ireland's post-Brexit arrangements, intended to resolve the dispute over the so-called Protocol that came into force in 2021. What's the story with red and green channels? Why is everyone talking about the "Stormont Brake"? Will this finally be enough to get the Democratic Unionist Party back into power sharing? And why on earth was the British king involved? You'll find the answers to all these questions and more in this fresh-off-the-press Brexit update.
Check our our bonus episodes available for Patreon supporters and with our full archive of extra content over at: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport 

What is the Windsor Framework?

On the 27th of August 1979, the Provisional IRA assassinated one of the best known members of Britain's royal family as he holidayed in County Sligo. But this was just one of 25 killings that took place that day. The events of that afternoon soon came to represent a watershed in the history of Anglo-Irish relations, and a landmark moment of escalation in a Northern Ireland conflict that was now settling into what some referred to as the "Long War". Naomi and Tim unpick the wider context of this notorious episode of the Troubles, and explore how it encompassed so much more than the death of a celebrity royal.
This podcast is only mad possible by our patreon supporters.  If you would like to sign up to support the podcast today, and gain access to over 80 pieces of bonus content along the way, you can sign up to our patreon page now at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 

Mountbatten and the IRA

From a mystery in rural Ireland that has persisted for over a century, to the little-known link between a World Cup star footballer and the town of Donabate, to the unexpected ways that Hiberno English is spreading in Europe… it’s a story episode for you to enjoy over the holidays as Naomi and Tim share their favourite stories for 2022.
Naomi’s image: https://twitter.com/NaomiOhReally/status/1599362845942370304?s=20&t=aEc52pKN3a8a0w9sECahFw
Tim’s image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolving_views#/media/File:Magiclantern.jpg
A bonus episode is available for Patreon supporters along with our full archive of extra content over at: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Mystery tales of the strange and unexpected

This is a repeat of an Irish Passport classic episode, “Ireland and India: Assassins of Empire”, originally published on June 21 2021.
Today, Leo Varadkar takes over as Taoiseach. This means that both Britain and Ireland have governments led by people of Indian heritage, as in London Rishi Sunak took over as prime minister in October.
The coincidence has provoked renewed curiosity in these leaders, their backgrounds, and the complex shared history between Ireland and India under the British Empire.
To mark the day, we’re reposting our episode about that very topic: ‘Ireland and India: Assassins of Empire’.
Anarchist clubs, public assassinations, and secret rebel meetings in a notorious vegetarian restaurant – all these feature in this fascinating episode on the historical links between Ireland and India at the beginning of the 20th century. UCD’s Conor Mulvagh explains why Ireland and India were so symbolically important to the survival of the British Empire, and why the independence movements in both countries were often deeply intertwined. We hear how Indian law students in Dublin joined rebel militias, forged friendships with leaders of the Easter Rising, and later took inspiration from Irish nationalism to challenge the British Raj. Vikrant Sharma, founder of the international relations website The Global Telescope, tells us about the many parallels between Ireland and India’s history of British rule, and how both should perhaps be considered in a larger framework of colonial strategy and nationalist resistance.
The books mentioned in this episode are:
Conor Mulvagh, Irish Days and Indian Memories: V. V. Giri and Indian Law Students at University College Dublin, 1913-1916. Published in 2016 by the Irish Academic Press.
Shereen F. Ilahi. Imperial Violence and the Path to Independence: India, Ireland and the Crisis of Empire. Published in 2016 by I.B. Tauris and Co.
You can find Vikrant Sharma’s website, The Global Telescope, here: linktr.ee/TheGlobalTelescope
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Classic Irish Passport: Ireland and India’s shared history, as Varadkar and Sunak lead the Irish and British governments

Ireland’s dream as it emerged as an independent state was to ‘take its place among the nations of the world’. The principle of international cooperation has therefore always been tightly bound up with Irish nationalism and how the country pursues its goals. In this episode, Naomi and Tim explore Ireland’s quest for recognition, first at the League of Nations and then at its successor the United Nations. We speak to longtime UN staffer Niall McCann to hear the inside story of how Ireland is seen at the UN, and discuss the surprising role of the Irish government in pushing for radical reform of the intergovernmental body. Plus, Naomi discusses a story she broke that revealed how the outsized influence of the UN’s five permanent security council members can warp its policy and disable the body from being effective– in this case, on Ukraine.
A bonus episode is available for Patreon supporters in which Naomi and Tim debrief from this episode and discuss what stood out to them. It’s available for subscribers along with our full archive of extra content over at: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Ireland and the United Nations

As all Hell breaks loose in the halls of Westminster, Naomi and Tim break down what on earth has just happened in the UK. Why did Prime Minister Liz Truss resign after only 44 days? Who might take over her post? And what are the consequences of all this chaos for the island of Ireland? We hear commentary from Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, and discuss the potential fallout of the Tories' chronic instability in the context of current global crises. Don't miss out on this one! 
Bonus episodes over at: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish

Goodbye Liz, Hello Chaos: Another UK Prime Minister Resigns

In the final episode of our War of Independence mini-series, Tim and Naomi lay out the historical events that split the emerging Irish nation and led to a civil war. As we pick up on the story, global condemnation has pressured the British government into offering a truce. Following years of gruelling guerilla warfare against the might of the British army, an exhausted team of representatives from the rebel Irish government travel to London to negotiate peace terms. Tim and Naomi dig into the role of reluctant negotiator Michael Collins and consumate operator Éamon de Valera who remained back in Dublin, quoting from articles and speeches from the time to bring to life the events that would shape Irish history for decades.
Ps - what does enduring bitterness over partition have to do with a cherished Irish potato-based snack? Find out in this bonus Halfpint debrief episode made specially for Patreon supporters, in Naomi and Tim reflect on the making of this episode and discuss what stood out to them: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
 You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish 

War of Independence: The Treaty

Tensions threaten to flare again between Ireland, Britain and the EU with a new UK prime minister who has promised to take a hard line on the Northern Ireland Protocol. The death of Queen Elizabeth however put a pause on developments for the period of mourning, and produced some fascinating moments too as her successor King Charles met with Sinn Féin and acknowledged them as the biggest party in Northern Ireland. Naomi and Tim catch up on current events, discuss the Dublin drama turning heads in Brussels, and why the Irish government resembles a rotisserie chicken…
Patreon supporters can listen to a bonus debrief episode dissecting the complex Irish reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth over on patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish

A looming crisis in Irish-British relations?

The third installment in Naomi and Tim's series on the War of Independence discusses a landmark of 20th century Irish history: the partition of the island. 
Tim digs into the backstory to reveal how once again, an unhappy chapter of Irish history is linked to Winston Churchill. This episode lays out the thinking at the time and how the so-called 'Irish question' was shaped through parliamentary debates in Westminster, as a team of officials in London drew out the boundaries of the two new jurisdictions while Ireland was at war. We discuss how unionist movements evolved in relation to the question of Home Rule and partition, and the sense of betrayal particularly of southern unionists that led Dublin-born unionist leader Edward Carson to declare: "What a fool I was! I was only a puppet, and so was Ulster, and so was Ireland, in the political game that was to get the Conservative Party into power". University College Dublin historian Dr Conor Mulvagh joins us again to lay out how the pro-independence forces in the south contended with the new entity that was created on the north east of the island, and the violence unleashed as whipped-up unionist crowds drove Catholics out of their homes and jobs in the north.
A bonus episode is available for Patreon supporters in which Naomi and Tim debrief from this episode and discuss what stood out to them - including the striking parallels with present day politics in a reckless Conservative Party wreaking havoc towards the island of Ireland. You can hear it at https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish

War of Independence: Partition

The second installment of Naomi and Tim’s series on Ireland’s War of Independence focuses on the Black and Tans: the brutal reinforcements sent by Winston Churchill to put down the forces of the revolutionary Irish republic in 1920. Historian Dr Conor Mulvagh of University College Dublin lays out the key role of the women’s movement, Cumann na mBan; dissects the tactics of the old Irish Republican Army forces that came together to defend independence; and explains how the guerilla tactics and reprisals by the Black and Tans fit in to the history of modern warfare. Meanwhile, Cork historian Michael Lenihan breaks down one of the most notorious incidents of the era that was to shape the fabric of Ireland in the decades to come: the Burning of Cork by British forces.
Two bonus episodes are available for Patreon supporters delving further into this topic and era of Irish history. Naomi and Tim have a debrief following the episode and discuss what stood out to them, including the stories and scars left by the Black and Tans they encountered growing up. In a separate bonus episode, Dr Conor Mulvagh talks in full about his own research and the historical significance of Ireland’s War of Independence. To hear them you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish

War of Independence: The Black and Tans

The War of Independence was the moment in which Ireland threw off British rule and emerged as a state. The dramatic events that took place and the beliefs that informed them would shape the emerging nation, and play a role up until the present day. Tim and Naomi break down the events of 1919-1921 in this series of episodes, starting with the establishment of Ireland's revolutionary parliament: the First Dáil.
A bonus extra episode about this topic is available for Patreon supporters in which Naomi and Tim debrief, discuss what stood out to them in the making of the episode, and share their insights into this fascinating era of history. To hear it you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport 
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish
Video footage from 1917 of the crowds in Dublin turning out to welcome back Countess Markievicz, after she was released from prison where she was serving time for her role in the Easter Rising:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MiAxD12XMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXXLDIxmGQ

War of Independence: The First Dáil

A seismic election in Northern Ireland returned the pro-Irish unity Sinn Féin as the largest party for the first time ever. The Alliance Party, identifying neither as nationalist nor unionist, surged to become the third force in northern politics in another historic first. Desite this, the power-sharing executive has yet to be formed due to the opposition of the unionist Democratic Unionist Party. They are demanding changes to the so-called Protocol as their price of going into power, though many suspect that behind it lies an inherent opposition to allowing nationalists to take the symbolic top post of First Minister. It's propelled Northern Irish politics onto the international stage once again, with the British government threatening to break international law to get what it wants from the European Union. Naomi and Tim sum it all up, and discuss what comes next. Featuring guests Stephen Farry, a member of parliament and Alliance's deputy leader, and Freya McClements, the Northern editor of the Irish Times.
To hear our bonus episodes answering questions put by our Patreon supporters, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish

A new balance of power in Northern Ireland

Since our last episode, Europe's political landscape has been transformed - and that of Ireland along with it. Naomi lays out the facts about Ireland's unique position in the international response to the Ukraine crisis. We find out why debates about military neutrality and NATO membership might once again be coming to the fore, and discuss why Ukraine's president gave Ireland a less-than-glowing appraisal when it came to supporting his country. We also check back in with Nadia Dobrianska, whose life has been turned upside down in the weeks since the Russian invasion. Now safe in Co. Cork, she tells us what it was like to suddenly flee her home city of Kyiv, and how she managed to make it back to Ireland. 
This episode is our Season 5 finale. We'll be back in a few weeks with plenty more topics about Irish culture, history, and politics in a brand new Season 6!
If you want to hear more Irish Passport content and help support the show along the way, you can sign up to our Patreon account at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. We'll shortly publish a bonus episode featuring more of Nadia's story.
 You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish and Nadia at @NadiaDobryanska 


Ireland’s Response to the Ukraine Crisis

This weekend, a group of musicians gathered in O'Briens Irish pub in the Ukranian capital and belted out traditional Irish tunes as a distraction from the threat of war.
In this episode we uncover the surprisingly rich common history shared by Ireland and Ukraine, as told by a woman living through the dramatic recent events that have drawn the world's attention to Kyiv as Russian troops advance.
Joining us is listener Nadia Dobrianska, who works in a human rights organisation in her native Kyiv and happens to be an afficionado in Irish culture and history. She unveils a hidden world of historical commonalities between the two countries, who both began asserting their nationhood in the same era, suffered domination from neighbouring power, and still bear the deep scars of famine from that experience.
Nadia also has a fascinating personal story to share. She experienced two revolutions in Kyiv before moving to Belfast in 2019 to pursue her love of Irish studies. There, she managed to pick up fluent Gaeilge through lessons on the Falls Road. Now back in Ukraine, those language skills have come in handy: with the world's attention turned onto her country due to fears of a Russian invasion, Nadia has begun reporting on the situation in Irish for a range of Irish-language media outlets.
With her experience of living in Ireland, love for and deep knowledge of Irish culture and history, there's hardly a better person to explain the Ukranian perspective on the current situation and the country's unexpected but profound common heritage with Ireland.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish and Nadia at @NadiaDobryanska
Huge thanks to our sponsors, Irish at Heart, for backing this episode. Sign up to receive surprise boxes of artisan Irish goods at irish-at-heart.com, and get a special 15% discount off your first box with the discount code IRISHPASSPORT. Here’s the link: https://irish-at-heart.com/
Music in this episode:
Maidan sings the anthem of Ukraine, 2013 https://youtu.be/lItPEbc6e-I
Nadia Dobrianska: https://twitter.com/NadiaDobryanska/status/1495383843666280453?s=20&t=_ZyNy3-uZBLyZKcEFeNm9A
Oy u Kyyevi and Ziydy ZIydy by Ukrainian Village Voices; Chief Boima, Cello Duet No 1 via the Free Music Archive
Choir sings hymn in Kyiv metro, captured by Jake Hanrahan https://twitter.com/Jake_Hanrahan/status/1495460993345933312?s=20&t=30yOxSEX42Pa3XrrftF2aw

Ukraine and Ireland: a shared history

From the streets of Brussels, to an office block in Greece, to a bus ride in San Francisco, the Irish language can pop up in some unexpected places. In this episode, we explore some of the new international frontiers of Irish. We speak to people whose knowledge of the language has launched them down far-flung career paths, ask why Irish-speaking mortgage experts are in demand in the Netherlands, and celebrate some of the people who have begun learning the language thousands of miles away from the island.
Huge thanks to our sponsors, Irish at Heart, for backing this episode. Sign up to receive surprise boxes of artisan Irish goods at irish-at-heart.com, and get a special 15% discount off your first box with the discount code IRISHPASSPORT. Here’s the link: https://irish-at-heart.com/
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

An Teanga Bheo

Did you ever hear the one about the bishop and the airport? Or the unlikely group of Irish revolutionaries who ended up changing history through an ill-fated trip to Belgium on a yacht? 
Naomi and Tim tell some of their favourite, quirkiest stories from Irish history in this special seasonal story-time episode.
Huge thanks to our sponsors, Irish at Heart, for backing this episode. Sign up to receive surprise boxes of artisan Irish goods at irish-at-heart.com, and get a special 15% discount off your first box with the discount code IRISHPASSPORT. Here’s the link: https://irish-at-heart.com/
The music you heard in this episode is X-mas Carol by Jahazzar, from their album Sele
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

The Bishop, the Guns, and the Virgin Mary

This summer, the chaotic fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban left Irish citizens stranded,  exposing the state's lack of aircraft large enough to conduct an evacuation. It also highlighted the issue of Ireland's tiny and under-funded defence forces, which force the state to rely on outside forces like Britain and the European Union for day-to-day security in areas like air and maritime patrols and cyber security. From this weak position, Ireland has increasingly been drawn into participating in international defence arrangements over the last two decades, which arguably blur the lines of its neutral status. Naomi and Tim lay out what's at stake in an increasingly unstable global order and as the EU debates a shift in defence policy in response. Guest Tom Clonan shares his experience as a soldier and lays out the profound risks to Irish interests posed by gaping holes in national defence. Conor Gallagher of the Irish Times tells us the backstory of how Irish officials worked behind the scenes, leaning on old relationships with allies this summer to get Irish citizens out of Kabul.
This is part two of a two-part episode on Irish neutrality. In part one, we explained how Irelands' neutrality policy was born in the 20th century, at a time when the leadership feared that involvement in the Second World War could crush the fragile new Irish state. You can listen to the episode here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/neutrality-part-1-escaping-dominion/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
We'll post the full version of our interview with Tom Clonan for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Huge thanks to our sponsors, Irish at Heart, for backing this episode. Sign up to receive surprise boxes of artisan Irish goods at irish-at-heart.com, and get a special 15% discount off your first box with the discount code IRISHPASSPORT. Here's the link: https://irish-at-heart.com/

Neutrality, Part 2: Ireland’s Dubious Defence

In 1939, the young Irish state stood at a crossroads in its history. Europe was descending into war, and the deeply impoverished and weakly defended nation feared its strategic location on Britain's flank could mean invasion - by either side. In this episode, Naomi and Tim describe a moment when two towering figures of 20th century history came head-to-head and shaped the fates of Ireland, Britain, and Europe. The Irish revolutionary leader Éamon de Valera and Britain's wartime prime minister Winston Churchill had profoundly different starts in life and world views - and they hated each other. Their bitter personal relations led to a Second World War standoff, and a mysterious late-night telegram from Downing Street that constitutes one of the great 'what if' questions of Irish history.
This is part one of a double episode on Irish military neutrality, explaining how the flagship Irish policy came to be. In part two, we'll dig into what Irish military neutrality means in practice today, and the opportunities and challenges ahead as Europe revisits its strategic security in an era in which the United States is in retreat.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Huge thanks to our sponsors, Irish at Heart, for backing this episode. Sign up to receive surprise boxes of artisan Irish goods at irish-at-heart.com, and get a special 15% discount off your first box with the discount code IRISHPASSPORT. The link is here: https://irish-at-heart.com/

Neutrality, part 1: Churchill versus de Valera

Live from Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, Naomi and Tim discuss place and power: unpacking how place names, landscape, and architecture contain secret histories hidden within plain sight. Guest Linda Ervine, manager of the Irish language project Turas, explains how learning Irish is helping many in the unionist community to rediscover their own local histories, while writer and researcher Claire Mitchell explores how the covert history of the 1798 rebellion is etched into the landscape itself - if you know where to look.
This live show was produced as part of the 2021 Hillsborough Castle Centenary Talks programme. Many thanks to the staff and organisers at Hillsborough Castle for their support and warm welcome.
If you would like to support the podcast, you can become a Patreon subscriber today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport 

Live Show: Place and Power

Who was the iconic woman depicted on Irish banknotes from 1927-1977? Why was  she so integral to the story of Irish independence? And what lies behind her inscrutable stare? In our latest Halfpint episode, we discover the extraordinary life of Lady Lavery - a Chicago-born debutante who would go on to become the face of an independent Ireland.
This halfpint episode would not have been possible without the support of our wonderful patrons. You can find our full archive of Halfpint extra content over on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport, where you can help keep the podcast running by become a Patreon supporter today. 
This episode features the music tracks "Hopeless Waltz" and "Just a Waltz" by Alena Smirnova. 

Halfpints: Lady Lavery, the Face of Ireland

Food shortages are hitting Britain hard, and things are set to get worse - but why are shelves still fully stocked in Northern Ireland? Naomi explains the ins and outs of Brexit’s effect on UK supply chains, and how traders and consumers are going to have to adapt to some new (and pricey) post-Brexit realities. We also look at how changes to data regulation could potentially open a new can of worms on Ireland's border, and we explain why the Tories' tendency to play to a domestic audience might be losing them credibility on the international stage. 
LIVE EVENT: The Irish Passport is delighted to be taking part in the Hillsborough Castle 2021 Centenary Talks Programme. Naomi and Tim will be appearing live as part of the programme at Hillsborough Castle, Co. Down, on the 25th September 2021.  They'll be speaking to a selection of special guests to discuss the dynamics of place and power - how place names, landscape, and architecture contain secret histories hidden within plain sight. Tickets are available for purchase online here: https://www.hrp.org.uk/hillsborough-castle/whats-on/irish-passport-podcast-place-and-power/
See you there!
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Brexit Update: Empty Shelves and Data Borders

Special guests Naomi's sister Molly May O'Leary and her musical collaborator Fionn Ó hAlmhain visit the podcast to play songs from and discuss their new album, Lambent Flame. It was recorded with the famed Hothouse Flowers singer and multi-instrumentalist Liam Ó Maonlaí over a difficult period when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down much of the music industry. Molly May talks about how she began writing the songs inspired by Irish folklore and fairy traditions, building on her background in poetry. Fionn, a noted uilleann piper and singer with the Irish National Opera, takes us behind the scenes in the studio into the creative process of recording the album in the Dublin mountains. 
You can find the album at: www.lambentflame.com
Songs featured from Lambent Flame, by Molly May O'Leary, Liam Ó Maonlaí, and Fionn Ó hAlmhain: Biddy Early, Fairy Queen, Cinderella, Aisling, Sun Child, California, Thank you Witches, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wild Swans of Coole.
You can check out our prior interview with Molly about the 'wise woman of Clare' Biddy Early here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/44962226
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

Irish music special

This year, a whistleblower revealed a shocking secret. A popular British holiday camp business kept a 'blacklist' of Irish surnames, distributed to staff to bar customers from booking. In this episode, Naomi and Tim dig into the incident to explore how a policy meant to exclude Travellers inadvertently swept up a large part of the general Irish population. We hear from a veteran campsite and holiday park worker who tells us the practice of excluding Travellers is rife in the industry across Britain and Ireland. And we speak to Martin Beanz Warde, a comedian, podcaster and host of the Haz Beanz Show about how systemic discrimination works and his own experience of exclusion from venues.
Check out the Haz Beanz Show here: https://thehazbeanshow.com/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Traveller exclusion: revealing an open secret

Anarchist clubs, public assassinations, and secret rebel meetings in a notorious vegetarian restaurant - all these feature in this fascinating episode on the historical links between Ireland and India at the beginning of the 20th century. UCD's Conor Mulvagh explains why Ireland and India were so symbolically important to the survival of the British Empire, and why the independence movements in both countries were often deeply intertwined. We hear how Indian law students in Dublin joined rebel militias, forged friendships with leaders of the Easter Rising, and later took inspiration from Irish nationalism to challenge the British Raj. Vikrant Sharma, founder of the international relations website The Global Telescope, tells us about the many parallels between Ireland and India's history of British rule, and how both should perhaps be considered in a larger framework of colonial strategy and nationalist resistance. 
The books mentioned in this episode are:
Conor Mulvagh, Irish Days and Indian Memories: V. V. Giri and Indian Law Students at University College Dublin, 1913-1916. Published in 2016 by the Irish Academic Press. 
Shereen F. Ilahi. Imperial Violence and the Path to Independence: India, Ireland and the Crisis of Empire.  Published in 2016 by I.B. Tauris and Co. 
You can find Vikrant Sharma's website, The Global Telescope, here: linktr.ee/TheGlobalTelescope
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Ireland and India: Assassins of Empire

Chaos hits the Democratic Unionist Party, Northern Ireland's largest pro-British bloc, as new leader Edwin Poots is deposed in a revolt just 20 days after taking up the position. Naomi and Tim hear why the woman he usurped Arlene Foster is laughing, the Irish language dispute at the centre of Poots' downfall, and what it all tells us about dynamically changing politics in the North.
This is a Halfpint bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters. To hear our full archive and support the podcast, head over to Patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

Halfpints: Drama in the DUP

The Irish Passport brings you an interview with Jer O'Leary: actor, activist, artist, orator of Jim Larkin speeches and Dublin legend who recorded these tapes before he died in 2018. Jer discusses growing up in the Irish capital and how it changed over his life, and how he ended up in the national art college despite leaving school at 14, and his work creating banners for Ireland's union movement, a body of work that led writer Fintan O'Toole to once describe Irish protest marches as moving exhibitions of Jer O'Leary's art. O'Leary describes his route into theatre and film through political activism, and we hear from childhood friend Richard Collins about how Jer ended up behind bars for his role in an IRA holdup in the political turmoil of the 1970s - and how it changed his life.
If you haven't heard it, listen to our episode to the 1913 Dublin Lockout, a prequel to this interview: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/the-irish-left-legacies-of-the-lockout/
Some images of Jer's life and work can be seen here: https://comeheretome.com/2018/12/26/goodbye-to-jer-oleary-actor-and-larkinite/
Jer O'Leary can be seen in My Left Foot here: https://youtu.be/CNFrixpsOAg
And in Game of Thrones here: https://youtu.be/MXGPgNp719k
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Jer O’Leary: a Dublin life

A profound industrial dispute rocked Dublin in 1913, playing into a rising tide of nationalism and shaping the unique political landscape of Ireland of the following century. In this episode, Naomi and Tim tell the story of the 1913 Dublin Lockout led by firebrand trade unionist James Larkin. We hear from Jer O'Leary, an artist and actor who portrayed Larkin throughout his life, on what 'Big Jim' meant to ordinary Dubliners and his enduring legacy today. We reflect on the fate of the left following independence, when it struggled for significance against the dominant forces of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Historian Dr Niamh Puirséil talks us through the difficult aftermath of the 1913 Lockout and why it contributed to Ireland's unique political divisions in the 20th century. Finally, Naomi and Tim reflect on the political dynamics of the present day and why a combination of nationalism and left-wing politics is shaking up the status quo once again.
We'll be posting extra content including the full interview with Dr Niamh Puirséil over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Some images discussed in this episode:
The statue of Jim Larkin at the GPO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_Larkin_and_GPO_Easter_2016.jpg
Photograph of Jim Larkin giving a speech: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_Larkin_O%27Connell_Street.jpg
'Murphy must go': https://img2.thejournal.ie/inline/1043721/original/?width=630&version=1043721
Baton charge against union rally in 1913: https://dublintenementexperience.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/the-baton-charge-batons-from-the-national-museum/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

The Irish left: legacies of the Lockout

Does the recent unrest in Northern Ireland betray a growing disconnect between the DUP, loyalist paramilitaries, and the communities they claim to represent? How have the protests been influenced by the international scrutiny of police oppression in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement? And why are class politics more central than ever to factional division in the north? In this excerpt from our latest Halfpint episode, our special reporter Jennifer Smith returns to the Village in Belfast to speak to residents Conor and Hannah, who explain how international media has tended to privilege digestible narratives about Brexit over the more complex issues that have plagued communities in the territory for generations.
If you want to hear the full episode, and gain access to our archive of Halfpint bonus episodes, you can head over to www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and become a supporter of the podcast today!

Halfpints: What’s really going on in Northern Ireland?

Harps, shamrocks, hands, crowns, swords, mythical female embodiments of Éire: all Irish symbols and all up for discussion in this episode, in which Tim and Naomi are joined by Darach Ó Séaghdha of the Motherfoclóir podcast to discuss Irish flags past, present, and future.
We consider the merits and perils of the different symbols as debate begins to stir on whether a new flag might be required if Northern Ireland were to ever unify with the Republic.
Tim runs through the history of flags and their association with the nation state, Darach explains why the colours of the Irish flag have special names in the Irish language, and Naomi talks through some international examples of countries that have debated changing their flag.
To see images of the flags we are discussing, follow this link: https://www.theirishpassport.com/2021/04/07/flags-discussed-in-our-latest-episode/
This is a bonus Halfpint episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters. All our bonus episodes are available at Patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

Halfpints: Flags of Ireland

The real history of the Irish pub, the backstory to the leprechaun, and what St Patrick's Day has meant throughout the generations: Naomi and Tim sum it up in this St. Patrick's Day special in honour of the national day.
If you are celebrating the holiday around the world, we have a special message for you this year. Take a look: https://youtu.be/qnLcat_eJBw
This episode was first published in 2018.
Check out our bonus Q&A on the US election and its impact on Ireland exclusively for Patreons over at https://www.patreon.com/posts/43683072
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

St Patrick’s Day special

Surprise! While we continue to prepare Season 5, we've decided to make last month's Halfpint episode freely available to all our listeners. In this edition, Tim builds on our recent Season 4 finale by delving deeper into the colonial Irish Parliament around the time of the Act of Union of 1801. If you haven't heard that Season 4 finale yet, you can go back and listen to it here:
Part 1:  https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-1-the-history/
Part 2: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-2-the-current-day/
We make Halfpint extra content as a thank you to our Patreon supporters, who keep the podcast running. If you would like to support us too, and gain access to our full back catalogue of extra content along the way, you can become a supporter of the Irish Passport Podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
This episode features music from Peter Rudenko: Stay 17; Sublime Melody; and Iced Spring Theme, from the album Inner Mechanics.

Halfpints: Grattan and His Parliament

New survey data suggests majorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland want referendums on whether to break with the union, and a majority across the United Kingdom expect Scotland to be independent within 10 years. With the bonds of the union under strain, Naomi and Tim sum up how the Brexit negotiations concluded, and explore the ways in which the deal pursued by the British government made people's lives worse. Angry fishermen, queuing truck drivers, and the Irish government stepping in to pay for health insurance and Erasmus exchanges for people in the North: a snapshot of a period of Destructive Unionism.
You can listen to Part 1 here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-1-the-history/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.


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Destructive Unionism: Part 2, The Current Day

With the fallout of Brexit straining the bonds of the United Kingdom, Naomi and Tim look back on a period of history with huge resonance for the current moment. The union that still perseveres today was forged in crisis, as an emergency response by the British government to a Protestant-led Irish rebellion that deeply shook the Westminster government. What followed was a century of betrayal, struggle, and strife, culminating in a desperate attempt by successive British governments to love-bomb the rebellious Irish populace into supporting the union. This was a strategy known as Constructive Unionism: are we seeing its destructive mirror image today?
You can listen to Part 2 here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-2-the-current-day/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.


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Destructive Unionism: Part 1, The History

Past guests including comedian Tara Flynn, Brendan Boyle, Caitríona Perry, Emma de Souza, Sarah Maria Griffin, Caelainn Hogan, Sarah Creighton, Ronan McCrea and Matthew O'Toole join us again for a Christmas reunion! It's a bizarre one for many of us this year but we hear from people all around the world who are making it special where they are. Naomi and Tim tell some stories of hope as we approach the winter solstice: the darkest day of the year before the days get brighter, that has been celebrated as a turning point for millennia. Featuring some original (and very on point!) music by Michael Fry.
Music: Lockdown Christmas by Michael Fry, Christmas lights by TRG Banks, Let's Just Get Through Christmas by Doctor Turtle. Huge thanks to all our contributors.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.


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Christmas reunion

Self-described "Irish Catholic" Joe Biden has elected president of the United States after a momentous election that has the potential to transform international relations and potentially Ireland's fortunes as the post-Brexit talks reach their final moment. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney discuss the president-elect's Irish roots, what his Catholic identity means in this historical context, why British Conservatives are unhappy with his victory, and how the result is being received in the ancestral villages that claim Biden as their own.
Check out our bonus Q&A on the US election and its impact on Ireland exclusively for Patreons over at https://www.patreon.com/posts/43683072
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.


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The most Irish US president ever?

In this episode Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney hear the voices of women who lived through a profound social transformation in Ireland: the coming of electricity. The ability to turn on a light or boil a kettle with just a switch came relatively late to large parts of Ireland, part of an ambitious project by the young state to economically transform Ireland and help it take its place among the nations of the earth. We explore the ways in which this changed people's lives, from the design of their houses to the food they ate, and how this transformation continues to inform social ideas about domestic work to this day. Featuring insights from design historian Sorcha O'Brien of Kingston University, the voices of ordinary women from around the Irish countryside who describe how electricity changed their lives, and material from the ESB archives.
Check our our full interview with Dr O'Brien over at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43027994 
We are grateful to the Electric Irish Homes project and to the ESB for their help. Archive clips are copyright ESB and can be found at https://esbarchives.ie/. Special thanks to Molly May O'Leary for suggesting the idea for the episode.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.


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Electrifying Ireland

It's return of the clowns as Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney dissect the latest Brexit drama and speak to Congressman Brendan Boyle, whose cutting criticism of the British government went viral after the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared it would break international law. Where are we, how did we get here, and what lies ahead? We sum it up ahead of a crunch week in the talks between the European Union and Britain that have extremely high stakes for Ireland.
Featuring original music by Michael Fry, who is @BigDirtyFry on Twitter.
Support us on Patreon to gain access to our full library of bonus episodes and othe rextra content overat www.Patreon.com/theirishpassport
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.


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Gloves off, Washington to the rescue! Brexit update

A golf society dinner for 81 people has thrown the Irish government into chaos. Attended by a host of senior political figures, many at the forefront Ireland's COVID health strategy, the event appeared to flout the very social distancing regulations some of its guests had devised. This is just the latest in a series of disasters for the recently installed coalition government, which has been struggling to retain public confidence since its inception mere weeks ago. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney investigate why a scandal like this holds such high stakes in the current moment. We hear from listeners about how the restrictions have affected them, and speak to Dr Marc Scully of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, about how the lives of hundreds and thousands of Irish emigrants have suddenly and dramatically changed in a way that has largely been ignored in Ireland's public debate about travel restrictions and health policy. 
You can find our full interview with Marc Scully over on Patreon, where you can become a supporter of the podcast today. You can gain access to our full library of extra content at www.Patreon.com/theirishpassport
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Dr Scully may soon be recruiting people for a research study into the pandemic and its effect on emigrants. To keep up to date, follow him on Twitter at @marcdonnchadh.


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Scandal! Can Ireland’s government survive?

Celtic identity is politically powerful but historically nebulous, a subject of debate among historians and archaeologists, while being a source of inspiration to some and irritation to others. In this episode, Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney visit a Celtic music festival in the Netherlands to explore why the concept has such international appeal. Tim explores the political use and abuse of the idea of the Celts in debates about identity and nationalism in Scotland and Ireland. Historian Adrian Martyn tells us why he finds the idea of Celticness insulting, while National Museum of Scotland curator Fraser Hunter breaks down the complex reality of early civilisations on the Atlantic islands and what we know about our ancient ancestors.
Check out our archive of bonus content over on Patreon: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
Adrian Martyn's website is  https://adrianmartyn.ie/


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Who were the Celts?

After almost half a year of negotiations and political maneuvering, Ireland finally has a government. It's unlike any that has come before it, and it doesn't include the party that got the post votes in the last election, Sinn Féin. In this livestreamed podcast, Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney answer listener questions with special guests Aoife-Grace Moore, political correspondent with The Irish Examiner, and Darach Ó Séaghdha of the Motherfoclóir podcast.
Is the new government's policy programme really the greenest ever? Why are people calling this the end of the Civil War politics? Are the Green party falling into a trap, and will Sinn Féin ultimately benefit?
The new coalition is made up of old rivals Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with the support of the Green party. The new Taoiseach is Micheál Martin, who is supposed to be in office until the end of 2022 when he will step aside to let outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar assume the role. 
Watch the video version of this live podcast here: https://youtu.be/E8dnapYnmig
To access our full archive of bonus content head on over to our Patreon page and sign up to support the podcast www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
If you liked this podcast, do share it with your friends, give us a nice rating in your podcast app, or connect with us on social media. We're @PassportIrish on Twitter and Facebook.


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Halfpints: New Irish government Q&A livestream

Young Black people in Ireland have taken to the streets to demand an end to racism and discrimination in the midst of a global uprising inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Documentary maker Amanda Adé explores the conversations and momentum for change that is happening in Ireland in the wake of the protests. We hear from Boni Odoemene, the co-founder of the Black and Irish Instagram page, which is unearthing a hidden part of Irish history. The curator of Ireland's first Black Studies module Dr. Ebun Joseph discusses her research on the nature of racial stratification in Ireland. And Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney dig into the complex and interesting crossovers of Black and Irish history, from the dark legacy of empire, to how the US civil rights movement inspired Catholics in 1960s Northern Ireland, to the tearing down of statues.
You can check out Black and Irish here: https://www.instagram.com/black_andirish/
Featuring the track BLM (I Can't Breathe) by Jihfa http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Jihfa/61807
Check out our archive of bonus content over on Patreon: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.
If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.
You might be interested in our other episodes:
The Irish Slaves Myth: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/episode-10-the-irish-slaves-myth/
Direct Provision: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/direct-provision/
Ireland and America: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/live-show-ireland-and-america-the-long-romance/


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Ireland’s next revolution

Protests against Ireland's controversial system for housing asylum seekers Direct Provision have been re-ignited as demonstrations against racism sweep the United States. We interviewed Bulelani Mfaco where he lives in Knockalisheen Direct Provision centre on the border of Limerick and Clare for our episode on the system published in January. In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, we publish the full interview with Naomi O'Leary. He tells us about his experience living within the system and why he sees Direct Provision as deliberate marginalisation of migrants and akin to racial segregation.
This bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.
For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.


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Halfpints: Bulelani Mfaco on Direct Provision

Ireland shares a fascinating history with the Australian continent - by the 19th century, in fact, about 25% of settlers in Australia were Irish-born. In this episode, we speak to Victoria University's Diane Hall about the history of the Irish in Australia, Tim Mc Inerney meets two generations of Irish Australians who explain what their unique identity means to them, and Naomi O'Leary explores some of the major issues facing the Irish in Australia today.
If you liked this episode, why not give us a rating on whatever podcast app you use - It makes all the difference to us!
If you want more bonus content from the Irish Passport Podcast,  you can become a Patreon supporter today and gain instant access to our archive of Halfpint episodes. Just head over to www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
The music featured in this episode is "Remember Love" by Lobo Loco.


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Ireland and Australia

As the Coronavirus hits the Native Americans hard, Irish people have taken the chance to repay a 173-year-old debt. 
A fundraiser to help the Navajo and Hopi Nations fight one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the United States has taken off in Ireland. Donations have been flooding in, in tribute to an act of kindness during the Great Hunger in Ireland that has never been forgotten. In the worst year of the famine, 1847, the Choctaw people raised what they could and sent it to Ireland as aid.
It's not the only example of solidarity between Irish and Native American people throughout history. In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi O'Leary traces the history of links between Ireland and Native Americans. Did you know that during the struggle for independence, the Chippewa-Ojibwe people made future Irish President Éamon de Valera an honorary chief?
You can donate to the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/NHFC19Relief
This bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.
For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.
You can listen to our episode The Great Hunger about the Irish famine and the Choctaw donation here: https://link.chtbl.com/GreatHunger
Featuring Cello Duet No. 1 by Chief Boima


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Halfpints: Irish and Native American solidarity

In our first episode of Season 4, we take on the Irish Accent: where did it come from? What secrets might it hide? And why is it so often an issue of contention? Tim Mc Inerney speaks to accent expert Shane Walshe of Zurich University about how Irish accents are seen by the wider world, Naomi O'Leary talks with Senator Lynn Ruane about why some Irish accents can lead to discrimination and marginalisation, and most importantly we hear from our own listeners about the complications, the poetry, and the personal histories contained in every individual accent. 
In this episode we asked our listeners to take the "accent challenge". Below is the list of words they were asked to pronounce:
Wash, Oil, Theater, Data, Crayon, Ruin, Spitting Image, Toilet, Syrup, Aunt, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Again, Both, Probably, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon,  New Orleans.
We've published a bonus episode featuring a full interview with Senator Lynn Ruane on class and inequality in Ireland over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
 Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish. 
Special thanks to The Mary Wallopers, for the use of their fantastic track "Cod Liver oil and Orange Juice".


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The Irish Accent

In Northern Ireland, questions of national identity often come with some surprising answers. Our reporter Jennifer Smith catches up with two Belfast residents born around the time of the Good Friday Agreement. They explain their understanding of identity in Northern Ireland and how nationality there constitutes a complex and ever-changing web of politics, family history, and social class.
This bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.
For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.
The music featured in this episode is "You get the Blues" by Lobo Loco. 


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Halfpints: “Where are you From?” – National Identity in Northern Ireland

In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney take a look at some of the good news coming out in the times of Coronavirus. We’ll be talking about drive-through testing centres in Dublin, mass volunteering efforts to help neighbours and the health service, EU officials embracing poetry, and some very promising statistics and real concrete help coming out of China. 
You can sign up to join the Irish health service the HSE: hse.ie/oncall
If you need help or can offer help, like delivering groceries or subscriptions to your neighbours, the website to sign up is: https://localsupport.ie/ . Anyone who isn't online can ask for help by text on 087 365 8233.
We make Halfpint episodes especially to thank our Patreon supporters. If you want to access our full archive of Halfpint episodes, you can become a Patron today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
 Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish. 


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Halfpints: The good news!

The global rise of radical right nativist parties seemed to skip Ireland. But the last 18 months have seen efforts to introduce anti-immigration politics to Ireland in a way not seen before, amid a backlash against the legalisation of abortion. We hear how a conspiracy theory elevated by US pundit Alex Jones has ended up on the streets of Cork, as protesters ambush an event by ruling party Fine Gael a week out from the election. Naomi O'Leary speaks to Dutch political scientist Cas Mudde about what Ireland can learn from the experience of countries that have already seen similar trends. Mudde breaks down the evolution of the far right, new tactics at play, and the dubious role played by the media in the United States and the Netherlands.
This is an episode of Halfpints, the bonus content we make specially to thank our Patreon supporters.  You can find a whole archive of extra content  over at https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 
Share this episode and tag @PassportIrish to be in with a chance to win a copy of Cas Mudde's new book, 'The Far Right Today'.


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Halfpints: Rise of the right – what Ireland can learn. With political scientist Cas Mudde

Ireland goes to the polls on February 8th. Naomi O'Leary breaks down six points that explain the election. Who are the players? Why was the election called? What are the main issues? How will the election work? What are the likely results? And what do the Black and Tans have to do with it?
 This is an episode of Halfpints, the bonus episodes of The Irish Passport podcast we make specially to thank our supporters on Patreon. You can find a whole archive of extra content  over at https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 
 Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.  


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Halfpints: Six points that sum up Ireland’s 2020 election

Contains an interview about anti-LGBT+ and anti-immigration violence.
In this season finale, The Irish Passport takes on one of Ireland's most controversial issues: Direct Provision. The system for housing people who apply for refugee status in Ireland turns 20 this year. Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O'Leary speak to Bulelani Mfaco, who fled persecution of gay and LGBT+ people in South Africa to Ireland in 2017, and now campaigns for the rights of those seeking asylum. We visit the Direct Provision centre he lives in to take a look at life on the inside, and find out why Mfaco describes the system as deliberate marginalisation of migrants and akin to racial segregation. Irish Times journalist Sorcha Pollak explains how the system came to be, and discusses the evidence that the system was deliberately designed to be unpleasant. In the wake of a series of arson attacks on planned Direct Provision centres, Pollak's reporting has revealed that a small group of far-right activists are hijacking community meetings all around Ireland in an attempt to exploit unhappiness about Direct Provision and inflame anti-immigration politics that have so far skipped over Ireland. Finally, we explore cultural responses to the system, in a discussion with award-winning music group Rusangano Family, featuring their acclaimed song 'Heathrow'.
We made bonus episodes specially to thank our Patreon supporters over on https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
A full interview with Bulelani Mfaco about life in Direct Provision can be heard here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/35038927
You can hear a bonus episode on Irish politics and the far right featuring political scientist Cas Mudde here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/rise-of-the-right-what-ireland-can-learn-with-political-scientist-cas-mudde/
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ . 
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.


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Direct Provision

Every year, thousands of returning emigrants make their way through the sliding doors of Dublin airport arrivals to come home to Ireland for Christmas. Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O'Leary record from the scene to bring you the stories of those who have travelled from far and wide and come back home to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones. We share funny stories, sad stories, moving stories, and discuss family quirks and pre-Christian traditions that make up the Irish Christmas experience.
For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ . 
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.
Featuring the track “wound” by Jahzzar.


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Home for Christmas

The UK has voted for a Boris Brexit, and the future of the union has never seemed so fragile. What does the biggest Conservative majority in a generation mean for Ireland north and south? Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney dissect the election results, discuss how a number of upsets from the Democratic Unionist Party indicate the party seriously miscalculated on Brexit, and bring you fresh analysis from the election frontlines. Unionist political commentator Sarah Creighton tells us how Northern Ireland is reacting to the results and what it means for loyalism. Chatham House analyst Pepijn Bergsen tells us how the remaining members of the European Union are reacting. MEP and First Vice President of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness tells us why Brexit is far from over and what lies ahead in the next phase of the negotiations.
For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ . 
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.
A text transcript of this episode is available here:  https://theirishpassport.com/transcripts/transcript-what-the-uk-election-means-for-ireland-brexit-and-the-union/ 


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What the UK election means for Ireland, Brexit and the union

During the 20th century, a significant proportion of the Irish population was incarcerated in a network of institutions. These ranged from Magdalene laundries where 'troublesome' women were put into servitude, to industrial schools for children that were famed for their cruelty. Journalist Caelainn Hogan is the author of Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for 'Fallen Women'. In this interview with Naomi O'Leary, Hogan explains how this dark side of Irish society is a much more recent phenomenon than commonly thought. She tells the story of one Mother and Baby home that was only founded in the 1980s, and closed in 2006. Born to unmarried parents herself, Hogan explains how her own family history gave what she discovered additional poignancy as she tells the story of women still searching for their lost children, and adopted people struggling to uncover their origins.
This is an episode of Halfpints, the bonus series we make to thank our supporters on Patreon. To gain access to our full catalogue of bonus content, head over now to www.patreon.com/theirishpassport, and become a supporter of the podcast today.
Share this episode on social media and tag @PassportIrish to be in with a chance to win a copy of Republic of Shame.
 Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.  
Editing by Alan Meaney.



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Halfpints: Ireland’s history of locking up women: interview with Caelainn Hogan

Live from Dublin, the Irish Passport brings you the hidden history of the Irish capital with Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney. Comedian and author Tara Flynn discusses her favourite Dublin secrets. Tonie Walsh describes gay life in the city before the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and the furious anger at violence against gay people that fuelled the earliest Pride marches. Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project recounts some of his favourite Dublin tales and takes us inside the lost red light district of The Monto.
This live show was held at the Button Factory as part of the Dublin Podcast Festival. It was a double bill with our friends over at the Motherfoclóir podcast. You can hear their show and our crossover Q&A session here.
Many thanks to Headstuff, to the brilliant Button Factory production team, and to Darach, Peadar, Gearóidín and Éimear.
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.



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Secret Dublin with comedian Tara Flynn, Irish Queer Archive’s Tonie Walsh, and historian Terry Fagan

Islands on opposite sides of the world with deep differences, and surprising similarities! Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney explore the thriving traditional Irish music scene in Tokyo, reporting from a session in a downtown pub where dozens of Japanese musicians meet to play jigs and reels, many of them speaking in Irish accents. Ireland's ambassador in Tokyo Paul Kavanagh tells us why Japan is the biggest investor in Ireland in the Asia-Pacific and us why economic relations are set to get stronger. Featuring the voice of Sister Paschal O'Sullivan, the last Irish missionary nun in Japan, who taught generations of the Japanese elite including the current Empress of Japan. We interview her cousin France 24 journalist James Creedon, director of a recent documentary about her life, 'Thanks to your Noble Shadow'.  And how do you translate James Joyce's Ulysses into Japanese? We hear from Professor Kazuo Oikawa, a teacher of Irish literature and culture to students of Waseda University and author of 'The Harp and Green', who tells us why Ireland has some surprising historical overlaps with his native Hokkaido.
Featuring the track 'Fogs' by Tokyo trad band O'Jizo, the Toyota Ceili Band, and the session musicians of The Old Rock pub in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Special thanks to Kozo Toyota and Aisling Braiden.
For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. 
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ . 
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.



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Ireland and Japan

A century since a revolutionary Irish government declared the birth of a new nation, we ask how Ireland could be re-invented for the future. We are living in a moment of rapid change. Great geopolitical shifts are destroying old certainties. Climate change is poised to transform our way of life. In Ireland, landmark referendums have been a break with the Ireland of the 20th century and a beacon of democratic innovation. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney take the opportunity to re-imagine what Ireland could be, with special guests Clare Bailey, leader of the Green Party Northern Ireland, award-winning science fiction writer Sarah Maria Griffin, and the political scientist who lead Ireland's Citizens Assembly David Farrell. Unification? Votes at 16? Moving the capital out of Dublin? Banning cars? It's all up for discussion.
Special thanks to our hosts the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris.
For bonus episodes, support us on: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
Tote bags are available to buy on our website: https://theirishpassport.com/shop/
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.


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Re-inventing Ireland: live show with author Sarah Maria Griffin, Green Party’s Clare Bailey and political scientist David Farrell

The Irish Passport is opening up the floor to listeners in this episode, and taking questions on everything from recent Irish political history, to life as a returned member of the diaspora.
Several people got in touch with practical questions about a United Ireland. Is the republic prepared for the possibility of loyalist violence? And would people born in Northern Ireland still be able to claim British citizenship in a unification scenario? Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney delve into the history of countries that broke off from the British empire to ask what we can learn from precedent.
Is it true that the Irish people were told to vote again after rejecting the European Union Nice and Lisbon Treaties? We speak to the Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration John O'Brennan and discover the complex truth of an argument often used in the Brexit debate.
A listener in the United States who is Irish by descent got in touch to say he was considering a move to Ireland, and would like to hear from people who had already done the same. We hear from people who moved to Ireland as adults and discover the country through fresh eyes: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.
Special thanks to everyone who responded, including: Tadgh Jenkins, Shana Slow, Kevin from New York, Kath O'Meara, Stevie Nolan,  and Guy Le Jeune. 
To hear a full interview with Professor O'Brennan and additional responses from people who moved to Ireland, support us on: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport 
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ . 
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.


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Returning diaspora, repeat referendums and loyalists in a United Ireland: it’s a listener questions episode!

The second installment in two episodes bringing you the voices of those with the most at stake as a disastrous No Deal Brexit threatens the island of Ireland. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney speak to Orla Smyth, a businesswoman who has invested everything she had in building Belfast's thriving Kaffe O coffee chain, only to see the prospect of tariffs, the plummeting pound and delays at the border threatening all she has worked for. A man whose house is a mile from the border tells us what it was like growing up in militarized South Armagh and how the prospect of a return to the past drove him into activism. And border integration expert Caitríona Mullan talks us through life in a cross-border household, the work that has gone into building networks across the dividing line, and how she sees people reverting to old coping mechanisms from the time of conflict to deal with the atmosphere of uncertainty.
Part one of two episodes bringing you the voices of those for whom the Brexit stakes are highest. You can listen to part one here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-7-where-the-brexit-stakes-are-highest-part-1/.
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ .
For the full interview with Caitriona Mullan and more bonus episodes, support us on Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.
Featuring 'Voyeur' by Jingle Punks.


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Where the Brexit Stakes are Highest Part 2

With the threat of a cliff edge Brexit posing extremely serious consequences for the island of Ireland and the border, we bring you the voices of people with the most at stake. Featuring a doctor in Derry who is worried about his patients getting their essential medicines, young people in Belfast facing changes to their rights, and people who rely on a peaceful open border in their daily lives. We hear from Irish News security correspondent Allison Morris on why the Brexit uncertainty and talk of a hardened border has emboldened dissident republicans, with an increasing pace of shootings and bombings over recent months. Tim Mc Inerney sums up the chaos and shenanigans in Westminster so far, and the government's predictions of riots and shortages in the case of a No Deal. Naomi O'Leary describes the view from Belfast's loyalist Shankill Road, where she went to interview former paramilitaries about their dissatisfaction with the peace, why they hate the so-called "Backstop", and the real risks of a return to violence they see now.
This is the first in a two-part episode focused on the voices of those for whom the Brexit stakes are highest. You can listen to part two here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-8-where-the-brexit-stakes-are-highest-part-2/
Featuring editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ .
For the full interview with Allison Morris and more bonus episodes, support us on Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.


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Where the Brexit Stakes are Highest Part 1

Irish law in an international outlier in its restrictions on where its its citizens can vote. The franchise is limited to those resident inside the boundaries of the 26 counties of the republic, with almost no provision for early, postal or overseas voting. Ahead of a planned referendum to extend the right to vote for president to all Irish citizens, including in Northern Ireland and overseas, Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney explore the political implications of the current voting system and weigh the arguments for and against change. We hear the case for reform from Irish people from the north, and from people who travelled back to Ireland in the famous 'Home to Vote' movements. This episode features a report from the campaign launch of Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad by contributor Michael Lanigan, as well as the voices of ordinary people in Dublin on their hopes and concerns about the proposal.
Editing by Alan Meaney  http://alanmeaney.ie/ 
For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.


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Why can’t all Irish citizens vote?

Fishermen kings, Spanish galleons, and fearsome pirate marauders - these are just some of the things that make the history of Galway City on the west coast of Ireland so intriguing. Take a tour around the medieval old town with Tim Mc Inerney and historian Adrian Martyn, and find out all about the infamous 'Tribes of Galway' who presided over this western frontier-city for over five centuries. Who were they? Where on earth did they come from? And what's left of them today? See Tim's photographs of the landmarks discussed here.
For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.
Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. 
If you want to check out more from historian Adrian Martyn and order his book 'The Tribes of Galway', you can find his work here:  https://adrianmartyn.ie/


Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.




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