Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

Епизоди

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  Donald Trump. The orange man uniting Ireland 15.09.2026 40мин

  What a weekend for Ireland. Donald Trump flew in and across the land, people whooped and hollered as if these were the greatest days of their lives.Before he left, Trump had presented the Irish Open trophy to Shane Lowry, removed tariffs on Irish whiskey and united Ireland.On Free State, Dion and Joe consider the significance of Trump’s comments and whether it brings the prospect of a border poll closer.Who was in more discomfort from his words, Micheal Martin or the unionist politicians who believed Trump was an ally.But there are no allies as far as Trump was concerned. Will those cheers at Doonbeg ensure Ireland and unity are looked on favourably? Or will they, as is so often the case with Trump, be viewed as just another transaction which only has significance until the next payment is due? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace? 12.09.2026 50мин

  The great historian Jill Lepore joins Dion on today's Free State to talk about the history of the artificial state and what we can learn from past movements which attempted to advance the cause of machines. Jill takes us on a journey from the Technocracy movement through to today's AI evangelists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Ed Miliband, the war on truth and the truth about Israel 10.09.2026 39мин

  When Ed Miliband announced that the UK would take action and sanction illegal Israeli settlements, the response was swift. Britain had lost its moral compass, these moves would only aid Benjamin Netanyahu, the real victims were the Palestinian people were among the lines of attack. Miliband, who is Jewish, was called a ‘Jew hater’ by Mike Huckabee, the US’s ambassador to Israel.On Free State today we look at how Israel went on the attack and why it is not a pariah but a model for the future. We examine the range of the criticism for anyone who deals in the reality of life in Gaza and the West Bank and details the ethnic cleansing and war crimes that have been committed. Will Israel’s approach be viewed dimly in time or will it be seen as a template for the post democratic apocalypse we’re entering? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Free State: Live in West Belfast 08.09.2026 1ч 3мин

  What will it take to unite Ireland? In a live Free State we took that question (and Dion) to West Belfast. We were joined by Paul Howard, author of the brilliant new novel ‘A Nation Once Again’ about the government department secretly planning for a United Ireland.In front of a packed crowd, Paul took us through the absurdities of the situation and why bureaucracy says no even if the people say yes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Qatar & the unbribeable Mr Trump 03.09.2026 37мин

  Joe and Dion look at the 'cruel and unknowable' Donald Trump, and how Qatar are regretting getting friendly with the 'hyena' in the White House. Meanwhile, the Man With Zero Political Convicton, Keir Starmer, is stepping down as a MP mere weeks after relinquishing his role as Prime Minister - in sharp contrast to Jeremey Corbyn who has remained on to serve his constituents long after leaving his role as leader of the Labour Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Andy Burnham announces border poll for 3026 01.09.2026 46мин

  Should Andy Burnham have a say in the future of Northern Ireland? Could "Kitchen Appliances : The Musical" be the next big thing at the Fringe? And will Dion be shunned by the Dungiven whatsapp group when he heads to Belfast this Thursday with Joe to interview Paul Howard? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Why Nobody wants to be a Referee (and what it tells us about the world) 29.08.2026 55мин

  Referees are abused and derided. They are mocked and pursued but what does their demonisation tell us about the world we live in today? William Ralston talks to Dion about his deep dive into the world of refereeing. He talks about his own attempts to referee at the lowest level and the lack of humanity shown to officials - people - at all levels of sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  ‘We used to be neo-Nazis but we're all right now’ - Why Sweden is a warning for Ireland's future 27.08.2026 50мин

  Few things make Irish people feel more inadequate than being told how well everything functions in Scandinavia. We are constantly told about their education systems, its welfare system and its work-life balance.But have we got it wrong?On Free State, Philip O’Connor, who has been based in Sweden since 1999, talks to us about the upcoming election in Sweden.He explains the rise of the Sweden Democrats and how a party with Neo-Nazi origins may now hold the balance of power.He also tells us how they did it, how they switched from talking about race to talking about culture even if their message is the same. And he explains why Ireland should be concerned.A reminder that on Sept 3rd, Free State will be live in Belfast with Paul Howard to talk about his brilliant new book ‘A Nation Once Again’. Book your free ticket here - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-free-state-podcast-live-paul-howard-in-conversation-tickets-1998226075984?aff=oddtdtcreator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Agreement, what agreement? Donald Trump and his disappearing pens 25.08.2026 35мин

  ‘We recognise sometimes its signature is written in pencil’With these words Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney declared a trade war with its unreliable neighbour, the United States.On Free State today, we look at why so few want to assert what Carney stated so baldly, that America under Donald Trump cannot be trusted.This is a reality the world knows but the leaders instead of acknowledging it, run from it as they try and pretend the world is still the same.A reminder that on Sept 3rd, Free State will be live in Belfast with Paul Howard to talk about his brilliant new book ‘A Nation Once Again’. Book your free ticket here - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-free-state-podcast-live-paul-howard-in-conversation-tickets-1998226075984?aff=oddtdtcreator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How the world might end with Annie Jacobsen 22.08.2026 44мин

  Annie Jacobsen deals in scenarios. As she says on today's Free State, there are other scenarios around biological war. They are worse. Jacobsen talks to Dion about the world's failure to learn from the pandemic, the Wuhan lab theory and what we can do to prepare for an even more devastating lab leak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How James McClean became football’s Kneecap 20.08.2026 32мин

  James McClean’s return to Derry hasn’t worked out as anticipated.But beyond the headlines, what was at stake when he was on the receiving end of abuse on social media, in the English media and from the football grounds of England?On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at how McClean was reduced to caricature and how the outrage machine shaped it. We also have some Free State news. On Sept 3rd, Free State will be live in Belfast with Paul Howard to talk about his brilliant new book ‘A Nation Once Again’. Book your free ticket here - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-free-state-podcast-live-paul-howard-in-conversation-tickets-1998226075984?aff=oddtdtcreator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Tragedy of Jason Arday 18.08.2026 40мин

  On August 14, Jason Arday was found unresponsive at his home in Battersea in London.In a statement, his family said they were "in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son".They added that the “campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone."On Free State today, we look at the life and death of Jason Arday. A man who made mistakes in his life but was pursued relentlessly by sections of the media until it became too much.Was it just sport for them or was there something more sinister at stake? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Mo Salah: The Most Important Footballer in the World? 15.08.2026 55мин

  "Can you tell us how he died, where and why?" On August 9, 2025, Mo Salah tweeted this above a Uefa post which said "Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the Palestinian Pele". Salah's tweet has been viewed 140 million times. On Free State today, Melissa Reddy talks to Dion about the cultural importance of Mo Salah, how he has been held to a different standard and why his last year at Liverpool wasn't what it seemed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Total Eclipse of the Heart: How the Gambling Industrial Complex stole sport. With Darragh McGee 13.08.2026 51мин

  Darragh McGee understands sport. As a Donegal man he understands the hold and the importance sport has across this land. So as an academic when he went to investigate the betting industry, he didn’t expect to discover all that he learned about its hold on so many individuals and on society.On Free State today. Darragh McGee talks to Joe and Dion about his book Imitation Games - How Gambling Hijacked Sport. He explains why the digital age caught everybody by surprise, but while the betting industry was quick to grasp what it could do, the legislators were asleep at the wheel and then slow to act.He explains what happens to someone who bets and why we are all sitting ducks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Regime Change: Inside the White House of Emperor Trump 11.08.2026 49мин

  David Hearn was once an Olympic canoeist. He was facing ten years in a federal prison for allegedly vandalising the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC before all the charges were dropped.‘It’s a relief, but there’s a detachment to that relief of extreme concern for other people and for our country,’ Hearn said,On Free State today we explain why the story of the Reflecting Pool is a perfect example of how Donald Trump works. We look at how Donald Trump captured the United States and what the new book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Sean tells us about that operation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Writer Michael Thomas on breaking the chains of the past 08.08.2026 1ч 5мин

  Michael Thomas found the kind of success most writers dream of with his first novel, Man Gone Down, but his life and career took a different direction. Now he has returned with an astonishing memoir, The Broken King. On Free State, he talks to Dion about addiction, race, and retiring to Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Embrace the Mediterranean life. Embrace death. 06.08.2026 42мин

  July was the driest July on record in Ireland and the second hottest since 1900. Most of us have enjoyed this summer but should we just now accept our Mediterranean climate and whistle past the climate graveyard.On Free State today we look at how climate and migration became weapons to protect the elites and sustain inequality. Dion and Joe look at the way the events in Ceuta were seized upon. It provided a backdrop for misinformation and fear and another chance to tell you your freedoms were under attack while your freedoms were being trampled on somewhere else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Merchants of doubt. The men who conspired to destroy the planet. 04.08.2026 47мин

  In the 1980s, there were 21 days when the temperature in London reached 30 degrees. In 2026 there have been 24.In Greece, two died in a midair collision between helicopters fighting wildfires. France has seen the greatest civilian evacuation outside wartime as people flee the danger areas. And yet people will take issue with what they are seeing.On Free State we look at the movement that turned climate science into a climate debate. We examine how the methods that were used by big tobacco transferred to the climate arena. We look at how Brexit may be the model as the same alliance that drove the UK out of the EU, question the science as the world can burn so long as it doesn’t affect the bottom line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How John Ware searched for the truth in the darkness of the Troubles 01.08.2026 1ч 2мин

  Running agents during the Troubles has become one of the darkest element of the history of the north. John Ware has covered this story since the 1970s and produced a ground breaking Panorama on the topic. Ware talks to Dion today about a lifetime covering this subject and the stories of Brian Nelson and Freddie Scappaticci. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Mayo vs Gianni Infantino 30.07.2026 36мин

  Can you put a price on what we watched at Croke Park on Sunday? What would you sell a Mayo victory in the All Ireland for?We know that what we watched affects us in ways that money can’t buy but Gianni Infantino thinks he can sell the essence of sport.On Free State today Dion and Joe look at why sport is so important and why men like Infantino are a danger to the things that are most important in our lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.