Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

More than a million people tuned into RTE’s final election debate and if he could Simon Harris would have thanked every one of them. Instead he thanked Sarah McInerney and Miriam O’Callaghan for every question as he tried to recover the ground he has lost. Harris’s encounter with the woman in Kanturk Charlotte Fallon has defined the election campaign. But what has really led to Fine Gael’s slump? On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at what the establishment parties took for granted during the campaign and how it might still cost them. What has the media’s role been and is it time for RTÉ to explain the contact they had with Fine Gael about the Kanturk encounter? They also have a politician’s tip for how to make a mark at a funeral.

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Conor McGregor believes he lives in a world without rules, a world where he hears only the laughter of his entourage and answers to nobody.  Like Andrew Tate, he is mainstreaming misogyny and violence to an audience of young men who idolise him. On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the world McGregor lives in and how he came to believe the law doesn’t apply to him. McGregor has boasted about running for president. Will the verdict in the court case make any difference to his appeal? Or like Tate, will he continue to deny reality and depend on the support of those who idolise him. Joe talks about the statement he made to the guards about McGregor’s tweets on the day of the Dublin riots. Why he asks was nothing done? Last week, Conor McGregor had to answer to Nikita Hand. Hand had accused McGregor of raping her and a jury in Dublin’s High Court agreed. She got the verdict her bravery deserved. As a criminal barrister, Joe analyses the case and asks the question Nikita Hand’s family had asked too. Why did Nikita Hand have to crusade for justice? Why did the state fail her in the case of Conor McGregor?

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How does RTÉ influence politics in Ireland? During an election campaign dominated by photoshoot which are just government press releases on camera, is power being questioned as it should? On Free State today, Dion and Joe ask what does press freedom mean in Ireland? They argue about Sinn Féin’s independent review into RTE’s coverage of Gaza. Joe also looks at the history of censorship by the establishment in Ireland, while Dion learns that the Dungiven WhatsApp group have been keeping an eye on him.

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When Paul Mescal said meeting King Charles was ‘not on his list of priorities’, some were appalled. We should be thanking the British not booing them, one commentator said. On Free State today, Dion and Joe argue about what the British have ever done for us. Why is the history of Empire still concealed from so many? And do we all have a reckoning with history? History remains with us too. The British colonisation of Palestine isn’t in the past as the Israeli government have clearly learned from them in more ways than one. The Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick said Britain’s former colonies owe a ‘debt of gratitude’ to the Empire. Joe explores the true cost for those who were colonised and all they have to be grateful for.

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What does the selection of John McGahon as a general election candidate tell us about Fine Gael and their attitude to power? On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the controversy, what it tells us about Irish politics and how power has been acquired in Ireland through the generations. Will people continue to vote as their forebears vote or has that vanished in Ireland today? Joe also considers the new Derry manager and why the professional managerial cartel could spell doom for the GAA.

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What are the election candidates’ favourite biscuit? Who is the best runner? Who can pour the best pint? Given the photo ops that have marked the election campaign so far these would seem to be the issues convulsing Ireland. On a Free State Saturday special, Dion and Joe ask if these stage managed stunts are what will decide the election. Or will the issues that matter to people like housing and the cost of living take over? 

Joe reveals the contents of The Monk’s election manifesto, including his plan to abolish extradition. When Eoghan Murphy tells us that when he was Fine Gael Housing minister he didn’t solve the housing crisis because Fine Gael did not want to, do we believe him? Will it make a difference to voters once they learn about a candidate’s love of custard creams?

Dion and Joe also tell the truth about small talk while extending an invitation to the Taoiseach Simon Harris.

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What is Mary Lou McDonald’s vision for a United Ireland? On the second part of a Free State Special, Mary Lou McDonald talks about the Ireland she believes in and the 32 county country she imagines.

With half a million new voters added to the register this year, McDonald outlines how she wants to change Ireland. She explains what led Sinn Fein to alter their policy on immigration and why the far right protestors were not disenchanted Sinn Fein voters. Mary Lou also talks about her difficult relationship with her father and what she said to him before he died earlier this year.

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Mary Lou McDonald is promising change but will Sinn Fein be able to deliver? On the first Free State election special, Mary Lou McDonald joins Dion and Joe for a major podcast interview.

She talks to Dion and Joe about the challenges facing her party and why she believes the media is hostile to Sinn Fein. Will Dion indulge in ‘IRAing’ or are these legitimate questions to be asked of the leader of Sinn Fein? When does IRAing come to an end and normal politics begins? When it does will Sinn Fein bring the same radical change as Bernie Sander and Jeremy Corbyn promised? Or will they be destroyed by the system before addressing Ireland’s fundamental problems. Will this be the first podcast where one of the interviewers storms out? And will any hamsters be harmed in the making of the podcast?

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When historian Rick Perlstein is asked what awaits America under Donald Trump’s second presidency, he quotes Clubber Lang in Rocky III - Pain.

On a Free State Special, Perlstein talks to Dion and Joe about the long rise of the right in the US. Through his books Nixonland and Reaganland, Perlstein has chronicled the Republican Party and their journey to the world beyond truth.

He tells Dion and Joe how Trump is now ready to take full control of American democracy and what will happen to that democracy.

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How do you destroy democracy and will anyone notice if it happens in America? On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at how Donald Trump became US president again. Was it the economy, stupid, was it the weakness of Kamala Harris or did America embrace the hateful elements Trump has tapped into.

Joe Biden’s role in Trump’s return can’t be overlooked. What will Trump do with the power which is coming his way and which he is ready for this time. Are there any warning for Ireland in what has happened in America? Democracy might be under threat but do the 70 million Americans who voted for Trump care?

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America gets ready to vote but what is really at stake? Kamala Harris doesn’t have a radical plan to tackle the inequality that plagues America. Donald Trump might have a radical plan, but it looks a lot like fascism. On Free State Dion and Joe look at the polarisation of America, Trump’s Project 2025 plan which attacks democracy at its heart and why Trump might not care about the polls. Joe also reveals a letter to his new baby from a surprising source

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What drives people to behave recklessly? What is it that motivates men to send dick pics without a thought to the consequences? On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the anatomy of scandals and how they unfold. They move on to disagree about the developments in the Brian Stanley affair. They also consider the new drama Say Nothing and argue about the damage it may or not do to Sinn Fein.

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Are you happy with the Ireland you live in? Are you happy with the Ireland your children are going to grow up in? When the General Election is called, it won’t be a parlour game, but a chance to shape Ireland for the better. On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the media coverage of the crises that have engulfed Sinn Fein and how it affects the opportunity for change. Will the election be shaped by these issues or will the need for radical change in housing, health and education dominate? What would make Ireland a better place to live in?

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Roddy Doyle is the great chronicler of Dublin in our time. On the latest Free State special, he talks to Dion about working with Roy Keane, the housing crisis and an encounter in a toilet with Liam Gallagher. Doyle’s new book The Women Behind the Door has been nominated for an A Post Irish Book Award. Doyle talks about his long journey with the main character Paula Spencer from the seminal series Family to today. He remembers the abuse he and his mother received at the time. He also explains why death threats aren’t what they used to be.

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What is at the heart of the media response to the Sinn Fein ‘omnicrisis’? On Free State today, Joe and Dion debate the coverage of Sinn Fein. Is it just a new form of IRAing, a way of denying Sinn Fein a platform to talk about how they would change Ireland or are these serious issues being covered seriously by the media.

Joe argues that the talk of glove puppets and unseen controllers insults those in the north who have voted and relied on Sinn Fein, while Dion believes there are legitimate questions.

But is this because Sinn Fein also ate his hamster?

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The world is divided into the bereaved and unbereaved. On Free State today, Dion talks about the death of his mother, the enduring pain of loss and how some sadness has deepened with time. Dion and Joe ask the question we all will face-how do we keep going when death visits us? They talk about the rituals we have to cope with death and they also make up after a weekend falling out.

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What is the difference between winning and losing? In 2023, Ireland lost another World Cup quarter final to New Zealand, but was this different to their other failures? In the second part of the Johnny Sexton interview, he talks to Dion and Joe about how Ireland had only one goal in 2023 and what failure felt like. He speaks about other obsessives, the agonies he put his body through and why he responded so well to the black and white philosophy of Joe Schmidt. Sexton explains why loyalty would make him a bad pundit and how he thinks his mother will respond when she reads his book.

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What drove Johnny Sexton? What did he have that separated him from other players?

On a Free State Special, one of the world’s great rugby players joins Dion and Joe to talk about obsession, falling out with people and Irish rugby culture.

He explains why telling the truth in his autobiography was difficult and he gets to the bottom of a story involving Tadhg Furlong and duck eggs.

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"Almost nobody in the world who has ever got power has wanted to lose it,” author Robert Harris tells Dion during this special episode of Free State. Harris was once a political journalist and he became close to Tony Blair but absorbed the change in Blair as he moved from everyman to a messianic figure. Dion and Harris discuss what drives politicians and how they are different from the rest of us. Dion also solves a mystery that has bothered him for nearly 20 years.

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In 2002, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US congress as the drums for war in Iraq beat louder and louder. “If you take out Saddam I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region,” Netanyahu said. He supported the decision to invade Iraq. “The choice of Iraq is a good choice, it’s the right choice.” Netanyahu was horrifically wrong but he had established his credentials with the neocons. On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at how the Israeli government has turned the horror and trauma of October 7 into a narrative that advances war and slaughter. As Beirut is attacked as Gaza was once attacked, Israel are beating the drums of war as loud as they can again. War with Iran may be inevitable. Joe and Dion consider The Troubles and why how we deal with trauma determines how we respond to it. They also have news about a new weekend podcast where Dion will be listening to someone other than Joe…

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Since the horrors of October 7, Israel has waged war on the people of Gaza with genocidal intent. The slaughter now has spread to Lebanon with the west offering little but hollow words and repeating the mantra that Israel has the right to defend itself. On Free State, Joe and Dion look at how it reached this point and how the media has failed not only Palestinians but the world. There’s also the latest in parenting with Joe Brolly and the tragedy of Aidan O’Shea.

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If you are building a bike shed in the Oireachtas or the new children’s hospital, Ireland is a good place to live. But what about those marginalised who ask: what does Ireland stand for? Whether it is Gaza, Lebanon, housing or asylum seekers, the ruling elite recoils from action that would have meaning.

On Free State, Joe and Dion look at how Ireland is entering a dark place, unable to resist the impulse of right wing movements across Europe of blaming the country’s problems on immigrants and the most in need.

In a political culture driven by opinion polls and giddiness about election dates, will anyone provide the leadership Ireland needs?

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How do you reason with a 13-day-old baby? On Free State, Joe deals with the after effects of a night trying to soothe an unsoothable newborn while Dion feels like he’s taken a role in Falling Down. They look at Israel’s attack on Lebanon. Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of the country. Will the west do anything to stop them after the sickening failure to stop the slaughter in Gaza? They reflect too on the death of Kris Kristofferson, a singer of integrity with a relentless commitment to justice, which he knew had to be justice for all.

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In one of the most personal episodes of Free State, Joe talks to Dion about his childhood growing up surrounded by violence and trauma. He talks about how it shaped who he was as a TV personality and a barrister who wanted acclaim and recognition. But too much was never enough so he reached a point where he knew it would have to change. He speaks honestly about the decision to seek help and how even then he wanted to manipulate the situation. Instead he found a new way of looking at life and viewing what he had endured.

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Today’s Free State is the podcast you didn’t know you needed. Joe provides tips on nappy changing, getting babies to sleep and dealing with the unreasonable demands of a newborn baby. Joe was in Belfast last week. He saw the families protesting over the Legacy Act lay out the shoes of their loved ones. It was an act of memory and honour. It was a reminder of the trauma endured by so many. Dion and Joe also reflect on last week’s episode and an extraordinary message from the son of William Strathearn, who was murdered by members of the Glenanne Gang in 1977.

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When the British government announced a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, the news was met with the same noises from the usual chorus. On Free State, Joe tells the real story of the Finucane family, a story of a mixed marriage and children raised to be non sectarian. Pat Finucane was murdered in 1989, a brutal time in what Heaney called ‘the man-killing parishes’ that Northern Ireland had become. Joe and Dion argue about what it means to speak honestly about those times. Joe accuses Dion of ‘IRAing’ and Dion wonders who Joe would actually vote for.

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On Free State today we celebrate life. Joe spent the weekend on the maternity ward and he speaks with joy and wonder about the experience of being present as a new life come into the world. He is equally in awe of those who work in hospitals and provide guidance and inspiration during the darkest hours before the dawn. One of those who contacted Joe this week was John Finucane. John Finucane watched loyalist terrorists murder his father when he was eight years old in 1989. Joe reflects on his friendship with this remarkable man and the grace that comes from being around those who provide hope.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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Donald Trump was undermined by his own narcissism in his presidential debate. Kamala Harris took him apart with a lawyer’s precision. On Free State, Joe considers how he would deal with Trump in a debate but also how the genocide in Gaza is being normalised. Dion and Joe look at the story of the Two Nice Jewish Boys podcast and how they joked about ‘erasing’ Gaza. What does it tell us about the human condition when two ordinary Israelis can speak like this? What does it tell us about suffering when it can be dismissed in this way?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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The Tánaiste Micheál Martin condemned the booing of God Save The King by Irish fans before Ireland played England on Saturday. The Daily Mail called for England manager Lee Carsley to be sacked before the game because he said he wouldn’t sing the anthem.

On Free State today, Joe and Dion wonder why this plastic patriotism is indulged and why real patriotism can transform a country. Dion was at the Aviva on Saturday. Joe can’t understand why he was there - or why he doesn’t get better seats. Dion has frustrations other than the pantomime booing.

In the world where actions can make a difference, Joe talks about the visit by the DUP’s Gordon Lyons to Creggan GAA club. Joe also recalls the darker period in the club’s history. He tells the powerful story of Peadar Heffron, who became one of the first GAA members to join the PSNI, and how he was failed by his own community. A failure which should makes us ask questions of ourselves and dismiss those who peddle cheap nationalism.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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What is more rewarding? Winning or glory? If you are Donald Trump or the modern GAA coach then nothing matters except winning. But can we as Trump said, get tired of winning? Is the story of the coalman’s son, Tommy Loughran, the moment when people had enough? On Free State today, Joe and Dion talk about the decision to give a marking job on Tommy Loughran to two players in an U-14 match. Why has Gaelic football gone this way? Joe doesn’t believe the suggested rule changes will save it and makes some proposals of his own. Dion has a more radical solution and announces also that he has entered the c-suite.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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Enoch Burke is in jail again. He is unwavering in his beliefs but is he a pawn in other people’s games? On Free State, Dion and Joe look at foot soldiers like Enoch Burke and what they are doing for their beliefs. Brazil has banned X as they attempt to protect their country. Elon Musk insists free speech is the cornerstone of democracy but is free speech on social media, the instrument that will destroy democracy while promoting fascism? Joe is not an Oasis fan. He recalls the night he tried to get a Gallagher brother’s autograph and the unpleasantness that followed.

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On August 31, 1994, the Provisional IRA announced that “there will be a complete cessation of military operations. All our units have been instructed accordingly”. It was a statement that brought joy, tears and relief to so many in Northern Ireland who had endured violence. So much that would follow came from the ceasefire and the delicate negotiations that brought it about. As the 30th anniversary of the ceasefire approaches, Joe and Dion consider the people who made that possible, the role of the US and the refusal of unionism to move forward. They also ask why the lessons of the north are being ignored in Gaza. And can Dion, a Protestant in his heart, pass the Orange Lodge test?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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More than 30 years ago, Bill Clinton said he still believed in a town called Hope. At the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama said hope is making a comeback. Is this just a tagline for a bad movie or if Kamala Harris was elected would she make a difference in Gaza and in fixing structural inequality in the US? On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the choice in the US presidential election and ask if it is a choice at all. They also ask if there is a chance of real change in Ireland or have the same forces taken hold here?

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When Doug Beattie sank a bayonet into Taliban fighter during a hellish fight for survival in Afghanistan, he could never escape his actions. Yet the trauma of killing also brought an empathy that was missing in other unionists leaders. On Free State today Dion and Joe look at the fall of Doug Beattie. Joe recalls his day with Beattie when he talked emotionally about how it feels to take a man’s life. They consider how a life marked by conflict at an early age, shaped a leader until he was undone by the tyranny that is unionism in Northern Ireland.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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Funerals matter in Ireland. They are an expression of community. On Free State today, Joe recalls the extraordinary life of Colm McCusker and why his funeral told so much about the man. Colm McCusker was 91 when he died and he didn’t waste a minute during a life packed with love and family, but also car chases, tommy guns and All-Irelands. Joe also prescribes a surprising cure for Dion’s boredom.

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As people are sentenced to years in prison for their part in the riots, what is the real purpose of the pogroms? There are those who will say it is a cry for attention from the dispossessed but what do those in control want? On Free State, Dion and Joe look at how countries are being destabilised by astroturf movements designed to seem like community-driven groups. They explore the funding of those like Tommy Robinson who encouraged riots while in a five star hotel in Ayia Napa. They ask why there is a light touch being applied in Ireland to the far right and ask what Elon Musk’s mission is. They also wonder where Dion and Joe should go if they wanted a mini break?

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At their best, the Olympics represent all that is good about humanity. For Ireland the Olympics brought an outpouring of spontaneous joy and happiness, at least until the homecoming parade. But the hate and fear that is being weaponised across Ireland and Britain won’t be combated by two weeks in Paris.

On Free State, Dion and Joe discuss the far right pogroms and what needs to be done to stop them. While communities have stood up for the marginalised, the Coolock Says No leaders are drinking with loyalist paramilitaries on Sandy Row. And the powerful have used the trouble for their own end and as a dress rehearsal for what is to come.

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For Pat Spillane, the golden years with Kerry were about a lot more than winning. The game for him was, in Danny Blanchflower’s words, about glory. It was also, sometimes, about holidays. On part two of his conversation with Joe, Pat recalls the brilliance of Mick O’Dwyer, how he motivated a team of geniuses and the lock-ins across the north that were a central part of Kerry’s challenge matches.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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From Croke Park to the Olympics, the boys of Armagh have been making their mark. Like Daniel Wiffen, Joe is a former pupil of St Pat’s in Armagh and naturally he has his own accomplishments to add to the honours board. Including one few people felt they needed to know. Joe also explains why Armagh’s All Ireland is so important and considers how much credit Kieran McGeeney deserves for the triumph.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Unforgettable things have happened here. These words were used to describe the history of West Cork but they also could be a fitting description of the history created in Croke Park by Armagh. But some people don’t see it that way. On Free State today, Joe and Dion ask why certain unionist politicians can’t lead.

In Armagh a PSNI officer faces sanction for flying an Armagh flag from his patrol car. This was a joyous act which would be unremarked upon nearly anywhere else. Why are unionist leaders trapped? Why can’t they find someone who speaks as Jarlath Burns speaks for the GAA? And the boys risk the wrath of the Belfast Newsletter as Joe has a surprising new entry for things loyalists hate.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Is there hope for America and the world if Kamala Harris becomes president? Or is the deterioration in the US terminal? On this episode of Free State, Joe talks to Dion about the Joe Biden he knows, how he can never forgive him for what is happening in Gaza and why Biden resisted leaving for so long because he knows no other life outside politics. 

There is a now a chance that Donald Trump will be defeated but there are more important orangemen on Joe’s mind this week. Ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland’s final, the boys consider the importance of a game like this to counties like Armagh and Galway. They look at the life and times of Marcelo Bielsa as an example of how sport connects and why that connection matters most of all. And as Joe gets more abuse from the far right, he wonders if it’s time for to get help with his dog-w***ing problem.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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America has Donald Trump’s Republican convention; Ireland has the All-Ireland hurling final. America has Hulk Hogan; Ireland has Tony Kelly. On Free State, Dion and Joe discuss the cultural importance of the All-Ireland final. What is it that makes hurling compelling? Why is sport at its most powerful such an important unifying force? As Joe Biden departs, America is more divided than ever. On All-Ireland final day we are reminded of what connects us, it is a day when even Cork people are welcomed on the streets of Dublin.

The GAA is more important than money. For everything else there’s Mastercard.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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As tricolours burned on the bonfires in the north before the Twelfth of July, the Irish far right stayed silent. What does that tell us about their allegiances?

Why are there so many Israel flags flying in loyalist areas in the north? What does that tell us about their allegiances?

On Free State, Dion and Joe look at what is next for unionism as their world shrinks. How much longer can they be defined by what they don’t like? And, after the GB News live coverage of the Twelfth, the boys wonder who is better at anchoring a show - Joe Brolly or Arlene Foster?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Across Ireland, people celebrated when Spain beat England in the Euros final. Even Dion was happy, but a few were appalled at the carry on. On Free State today, Joe and Dion wonder why people are still policing celebrations and examine England’s failings, cultural and sporting. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump has been called a crossroads for America. The reality is different. There may be no turning back for America. Joe and Dion discuss why Joe Biden can’t win the election. Those who say America face a terrible choice are doing the work of the dark forces who want to both sides the contest. The truth is that Trump is the latest victim of a force he has directed towards others and the latest example of how violence, when it’s unleashed, can’t be contained.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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When Keir Starmer visited Northern Ireland, it was a moment when it was possible to believe that things will start moving again. Casement Park will be built, maybe in time for the Euros in 2028 and the childish stunts of the recent past might not be tolerated with Hilary Benn as Secretary of State. Joe talks about why it’s important to distinguish between a politician like Gregory Campbell and honourable unionists. Joe explains why the SDLP would run a candidate against Sinn Fein even if it meant the leader of the Ku Klux Klan won the seat. And Dion makes Joe an offer he can’t refuse- will he play a game of cricket if it means meeting one of his heroes?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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In France, the far right have been rejected. In Britain, the Conservatives are gone. Keir Starmer visited the north this week and there is a new hope in Ireland that change is coming. But what about Derry? In Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the fall of the House of Paisley (and Mickey Harte). What do the election results tell us about Northern Ireland? And Joe explains why the election of one MP signals the end of the old destructive ways of doing politics.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Sport is too important to fall into the hands of cultural vandals. The death of Mícheal Ó Muircheartaigh was a reminder of the role sport plays in Irish life.

Nothing elevates a community like sporting joy and community is central to all that is good in Irish life. On Free State, Joe and Dion look at how sport has been turned into a commodity. From Buenos Aires to Bellaghy, sport has had the joy removed. Who, apart from Mickey Harte, is to blame?

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Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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What is wrong with Gaelic football? Joe insisted that Dion watch the All Ireland quarter finals last weekend and will he ever forgive him? On Free State, Joe reflects on the decline and fall of Dublin and explains what they need to do next. Joe and Dion also remember Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Joe recalls his days training with him in Dublin. They also ask a critical question in these troubled times: when were white shoes first worn in Mayo?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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What is your greatest fear? How much do we all dread humiliation? Derry were humiliated three times in the championship but are still alive. They’ve been to the bottom. Now, the only way is up and they have nothing left to fear. On Free State today Joe and Dion look ahead to Derry’s game against Kerry and what may be another upset. Are Derry now All-Ireland contenders? Could Kerry be upset by another northern team. And Dion explains why, as a member of the Kerry diaspora, he doesn’t need to get sucked into Joe’s mind games .

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Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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How much credit does Mickey Harte deserve for Derry’s win over Mayo? On Free State, Joe tells Dion how Derry pulled off what many felt was the shock of the season. Was it really a shock? Joe didn’t think so and neither did the local rat catcher in Mayo. Dion wonders if Mayo are like the Scottish football team but Joe explains why they’re more like England. And who are the snipers Mickey Harte is talking about?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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At the American Ambassador’s residence in Dublin last week, there was an extraordinary event. Many of the main architects of the peace process gathered to talk about how it was done and what the world can learn from it as the horrors of Gaza continue. Joe was among the invited audience and it reminded him of a time when politicians were serious. On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the recent election results. What do they mean for Sinn Féin and the country? As Nigel Farage hijacks the U.K. election, has the far right in Ireland done something similar? Is the country heading down the same road as Britain and the US?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Will Joe be wearing a half and half scarf when Mayo play Derry? On Free State, Joe explains to Dion why he will be desperate for a Derry win when the two counties play. He remembers his many memorable encounters with the great Brian Mullins, one of which ended with Joe promising to seek professional help. He didn’t follow up on this promise.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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As Derry fall apart under Mickey Harte, what are those closest to the squad saying? Who else - if anyone- is responsible for the fall in recent months? On Free State, it’s Mickey Harte week with a forensic analysis of where it went wrong at Derry and if anything can be done to save their summer.

Dion also triggers Joe by mentioning a name that may upset him even more than Mickey Harte. A beautiful partnership hangs by a thread…

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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Who will Mickey Harte blame next? Was it inevitable that it would fall apart at Derry? On Free State today, Joe and Dion talk about the fall and fall of Mickey Harte. Joe explains why Harte is an intruder in the county and how it went to pieces. They look at why the Derry County Board have betrayed the values of the GAA by bringing Harte in. But a county like Offaly with their rock ‘n’ roll U-20 hurlers have captured its essence.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

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Gideon Levy says he is an Israeli patriot. But he is a patriot in a land where truth is seen as treason. In Part 2 of his Free State interview, Gideon Levy provides a frightening insight into Israel today. As Israeli government censorship looks to silence the truth about Gaza, he tells Joe and Dion what happens to those who write honestly about the plight of the Palestinians.  He talks about how in Tel Aviv recently, a woman on the street called him a traitor. And he explains why the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu from office is not going to deliver the change many liberals believe.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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When Gideon Levy was a teenager growing up in Israel he was devoted to the ‘nationalistic religious orgy’ in the country. Today, as a journalist working for Haaretz, he has been described as the ‘most hated man in Israel’. His fearless determination to record the suffering of the Palestinians has seen him banned from reporting in Gaza by the Israeli government since 2006.

On a two part special, Gideon Levy joins Dion and Joe on Free State. He talks about how, even as the atrocities mount in Rafah, Israeli society doesn’t want to know. He explains why many in the country care more about the fate of animals than those suffering in Gaza. He also tells Joe and Dion about his own journey from one who believed all he was told in Israel about the Palestinians to a man who courageously tells the truth in a country that doesn’t want to hear it.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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As a young man, he fled the racism of Louisiana. His father could take no more: violence or exile was the next step. He began what at first was an unpromising basketball career before becoming the most inspirational leader in the history of the NBA.

On the final part of The Captain Class, Joe and Dion look at the extraordinary life of Bill Russell. Russell was the man who shaped the Boston Celtics even as he was being racially abused by his own fans. He had no interest in fame or the trappings of celebrity but as a captain he found a higher purpose for himself and his team.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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When Leinster missed a drop goal in the final seconds of the European final were they just unlucky? Or were they, like Mayo, missing chances or losing three finals in a row because something fundamental was missing? On Free State today, Joe and Dion continue their exploration of the great teams and captains in sport.

Is team spirit just an illusion glimpsed in victory or is there another reason why these team succeed and others experience relative failure? 

They look at what the great teams had in common, the factor that drove them towards relentless success and why luck had nothing to do with it.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Roy Keane drove Manchester United and Ireland on through the force of his personality. He was the most important player in Alex Ferguson’s side but was he a man apart or the invisible essence of the team? On Free State today, Joe and Dion debate Roy Keane and where he belongs in the captain class. They look at those who led a different way, who didn’t let heart attacks or jibes about being a water-carrier stop them leading.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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What is it that unites the greatest teams in sport?

What is the factor that ensures a team remains successful over a prolonged period?

When the American journalist Sam Walker began to study the greatest teams in sport, he found a common denominator that shocked him.

On Free State today, Joe and Dion discuss Walker’s book The Captain Class and the individuals who drove the greatest teams, even if, in one case, it resulted in his testicle being ripped out.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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The Ulster final was a study in winning and losing. A perfect example of the question everyone in sport has wrestled with for generations: what makes one team win and another team lose?

What makes one team confident as they reach the dying moments of a game while another becomes tense, tight and anxious?

What separates Dublin from Mayo or Donegal from Armagh? What distinguishes Alex Ferguson from David Moyes?

On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the difference between winning and losing. Joe talks about the time he spent with the men from the great Kilkenny sides recently and what he discovered from those conversations about the secret of success. And when they talk about winning, naturally the conversation leads back to Jim McGuinness.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Joe Klecko always had mayhem on his mind. Klecko, the legendary defensive linemen for the New York Jets, is regarded as the strongest man in the history of American Football.

When Joe Klecko was inducted into the Hall of Fame, he invited Joe Brolly to Cleveland to be part of the event.

On Free State today, Joe Klecko talks to Joe about his life on the front line of the most demanding sport of all. But it came easy to a man who once wrestled a bear and another time pulled the doors off Burt Reynolds’s tour bus. How he dealt with Joe was another story…

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Roger Casement’s executioner described him as ‘the bravest man it fell to my unhappy lot to execute’. In part 2 of a special Free State on Casement, his biographer Roland Philipps explains the doomed and heroic final act of Casement’s life when he was driven by an obsessive desire for Irish freedom. He talks to Dion and Joe about the love affair which helped to condemn an impractical romantic. 

If Roger Casement’s life had ended after he had exposed the barbarity in the Congo, he would have been hailed as one of history’s great humanitarians. But his final years were taken up with the cause closest to his heart: Irish freedom

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When Roger Casement was hanged in Pentonville Prison in 1916, he died an Irish hero and a traitor to the British Empire.

On Banna Strand in 2016, President Higgins described Casement as “not just a great Irish patriot, he was also one of the great humanitarians of the early 20th century”.

On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the many lives of a man who so impressed a tribe of cannibals with his courage that they didn’t eat him. 

Casement’s lives were varied, and some of them were secret, but he also, as President Higgins said, exposed “the darkness that lay at the heart of European imperialism”. His biographer Roland Philipps joins Joe and Dion to talk about this modern story. A story of a man who exposed the rotten heart of empire. It was a life that changed Ireland and the world. Nobody will ever live a life like Roger Casement’s again.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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What drives Jim McGuinness? Why does he inspire such devotion and how does he command such loyalty?

On Free State, Joe explains his own complicated relationship with Jim McGuinness.

In a world where GAA managers are conformist and conservative, McGuinness is a man apart. Is this why he was able to dismantle Derry? And Joe reveals what he was shouting at Mickey Harte from the stand.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Christy Moore has been a giant in Irish life. In the final part of the Free State special he talks to Joe and Dion about the songs and the people who have guided him along the way.

He plays the songs whose success surprised him and he talks about the ones that were censored. What word led the BBC to ban ‘St Brendan’s Voyage’? How did a review of ‘The Time Has Come’ lead to it being taken off the airwaves? 

He also tells the extraordinary story of how he was given the lyrics to ‘Back Home In Derry’ which were written by Bobby Sands in the H Blocks.

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When the Stardust Families were on their own, Christy Moore stood with them. 

On Part 2 of the Free State Special, Christy Moore remembers the dark days of the tragedy in 1981. When Christy found himself in court in 1985 charged with contempt because of one line in his song about the fire ‘They Never Came Home’, the Stardust Families stood with him. Christy also talks about the impact his father’s death had on him and the rest of his family. He also turns the tables on Joe and has a few questions of his own.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Christy Moore has been the voice of the nation for more than fifty years.

Christy has been on the side of the underdog, called out the establishment and has never taken a backward step. In the first part of a Free State special, Christy Moore joins Dion and Joe to reflect on his extraordinary life. Christy recalls his own parents’ time in politics, his involvement with the hunger strikers and why he still finds a live show such a special and unpredictable place.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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When it comes to a united Ireland, economists might know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Except they’re not even sure of the price. On Free State, Dion and Joe consider the report which said a united Ireland could cost €20 million a year for 20 years and look at all it didn’t say.

Are these numbers being used to scare voters in the south by an establishment which fears becoming irrelevant in a united Ireland? Or do they show the need for a conversation that everyone can be part of? One commentator said Simon Harris knows where Fine Gael’s erogenous zones are and Joe and Dion wonder exactly what they could be and they also have news about some very special episodes

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Ireland’s new Taoiseach Simon Harris says he belongs to a generation more familiar with Berlin and Paris than Belfast or Derry. To the Irish citizens of Belfast and Derry, it may have been a surprise but not a shock to hear the Taoiseach speak of them as if they were a strange and distant people. Or maybe they’ll be relieved he didn’t say Londonderry.

On Free State today, Joe and Dion talk about a united Ireland. Ireland is the only country with a constitutional aspiration for unity so why do the government parties find it so hard to talk about?

As Fine Gael lionise Margaret Thatcher, is it any wonder they continue to view the north in a negative way. Joe and Dion argue about the recent report into the cost of unity and if there is a significance that one of the authors of the report is the son of Garret FitzGerald.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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The power of the GAA is best seen when the people who are its lifeblood support a cause. The sense of a community united for the greater good is what makes the GAA different and special. On Free State, Joe and Dion talk about how the GAA makes a difference and why it contrasts with the one-way street of fandom in the Premier League. Joe explains the importance of the 65 Roses Day, the Fundraising Day for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, and the phenomenal work the charity is doing. Joe also explains why his views on Mickey Harte haven’t changed despite Derry’s success and why Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t be a great GAA man.

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The Late Late Show special on the GAA demonstrated what makes the association special. The people and the communities are where the real glory is found in the GAA, not in the fleeting fame of All-Irelands A UK academic currently studying the GAA spoke of how the association ‘blew his mind’. On Free State today, Joe talks to Dion about how it felt to be back in RTÉ for the Late Late, his Eoin McLove moment and the ties that bind GAA people in life, death and everything in between.

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They were “young, dumb and full of c**”. The ambitious young men who became traders in the city of London would have been drug dealers if they grew up where Gary Stevenson grew up. And the drug dealers would have been traders if they’d gone to the same public schools as the people he worked with in Canary Wharf.

On Free State today Gary Stevenson tells the story of how these insanely ambitious young men have shaped the world we all inhabit. He tells of one trading floor boss who was literally barking mad. 

Gary was the most profitable trader for Citibank and he saw how the world was distorted by the deals that were made. While everyone he worked with was making money to fit in, Gary Stevenson was taken away from his community by the trillions he dealt in. He tells Dion and Joe how he recovered from that experience and how the voices of dissent who speak out against the inequality built into the system are silenced.

Gary Stevenson's book “The Trading Game” is available now.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Gary Stevenson was once the most profitable trader in the world for one of the planet’s biggest banks. He was a working class boy from east London who grew up in the shadow of Canary Wharf. He then went to work in the skyscrapers that had loomed over him and promised him escape.

Gary made a fortune. But as he made that fortune, he realised that the game was rigged. On Free State today, Gary Stevenson joins Joe and Dion to talk about his stunning book The Trading Game, his journey to the top of Canary Wharf and the price he paid for success in a banking system that rules our world.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Simon Harris has risen without trace. Who is he and what he stands for are questions that have rarely been asked.

Harris has been described as ‘the white Obama’. He was called the TikTok Taoiseach and hailed as a great communicator. But behind the empty phrases, something is happening in Ireland which needs real leadership. 

On Free State, Joe and Dion explain why it requires more than tub thumping about taking back the flag to make Ireland great again. And why Harris’s coronation as Fine Gael leader was a symptom of all that’s wrong with Ireland.

MIGA. Simon Harris making Ireland great again.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Leo Varadkar’s resignation was described as a ‘political earthquake’. Some said the political world had been turned upside down. But beyond the parlour games of the political class, does it matter at all? 

On Free State, Joe and Dion ask what has Varadkar achieved? Did he lead a government or a pr agency. What does the giddiness surrounding his departure tell us about the problems in Ireland today? And is the fate of a parakeet marooned somewhere in England another example of how the trivial distracts us from the real issues?

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Davy Tweed knew exactly how to control those he abused. He did it in a million different ways, big and small.

In Part 2 of her interview on Free State, Amanda Brown recalls how Tweed would dehumanise and humiliate her along with the rest of her family. She tells Dion and Joe how she was isolated and how every one of his victims believed they were utterly alone. She talks about how that changed. How Tweed crumbled as the survivors took him on in court and in the community. Amanda explains why she waived her right to anonymity and how they life she has today is a million miles from the hell of her childhood.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Davy Tweed was an Irish international rugby player. He was a unionist politician. He was a monster. On Free State today, his step daughter Amanda Brown talks about the hell she experienced at the hands of Tweed and her slow, courageous journey to freedom.

She tells Dion and Joe about the mental, physical and sexual abuse she endured. And she explains what connected the public figure Davy Tweed to the private monster.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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History is a nightmare from which Ireland is always trying to awake.

On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at how the future is being grasped in the north. But this is a story about the whole island and why the leadership shown by Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly will ripple across the country. Ireland’s history is always with us but the future doesn’t have to be a nightmare. 

In the spirit of fearlessness, Dion shares with Joe a dream he has - not a nightmare - and immediately regrets it.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Northern Ireland was once a land divided by symbols. Since Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little Pengelly became First Minister and deputy First Minister it is a place energised by them.

On Free State, Joe and Dion look at the leadership shown by O’Neill and Little Pengelly and how those like the Allosaurus (Jim Allister) are on the brink of extinction.

When Little Pengelly visited St Paul’s GAA club in West Belfast, it was not just an important gesture, to those who know the history of the area and the club, it was sign that the past is now the past.

To face the future with hope and optimism, it’s important to deal with the past with fearless honesty which is why Joe feels it is important to be more like David Trimble and less like Andrew Trimble.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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As he locked up Bellaghy Wolfe Tone GAA Club in May 1997, Sean Brown was murdered by loyalist gunmen. 

The sense of injustice has deepened since the British Government passed the Legacy Act last year. 

This week, a High Court judge Mr Justice Kinney was so appalled by the behaviour of the state that he pulled the plug on the inquest and recommended a public inquiry. This on the day the inquest was told that surveillance of a leading suspect had mysteriously been suspended on the day of the murder.

Among those present at the inquest was the new GAA president Jarlath Burns, a man who has embraced his Protestant neighbours, vocally supported the PSNI before it was popular and is as happy at Windsor park as he is in Croke park (unless Armagh are playing).

On Free State, Joe and Dion look at the case and the relentless search for justice.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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The Maze Prison is a central part of Northern Ireland’s history. But there was once a plan to make it a shared monument to a brighter future.

On Free State, Joe and Dion tell the story of the plan to turn the Maze prison into a National Stadium for the three main sports (and ice skating). They show how it was brought down by the same forces who thought Brexit was a good idea for the north and who want to stop Casement Park.

They also remember Maisie’s Garden Centre whose human rights were trampled on by the sea border which was another life and death issue until it wasn’t an issue at all.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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People were denied the truth in the north during the troubles and that denial of truth extended to sport.

The coverage of the GAA reflected the nature of Northern Ireland at the time.

On Free State, Dion and Joe look at how the north is changing and why sport is too.

The resistance to Casement Park’s redevelopment is the death rattle for the old ways when the GAA found itself billed below the Pigeon News and topless darts. Those days are gone and as Jarlath Burns takes over the GAA presidency, Joe and Dion look forward to a vibrant confident Northern Ireland where no one has anything to fear.

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Why is Casement Park so divisive? When Ravenhill and Windsor Park were redeveloped in the north they had cross community support. What is it about a GAA stadium that enrages a certain faction of unionists?

On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the issue of Casement Park and explain why it is linked to the days of naked sectarianism.

The redeveloped stadium will be a shining beacon on the hill in Belfast. A sign of progress and reconciliation. Is this why it angers some people so much?

Like the invisible sea border, the Irish language and a Sinn Fein First Minister, this is another battle loyalism cannot win.

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The RTE scandal is not about pay-offs, flip-flops or Ryan Tubridy’s salary, it’s a story of how the media was manipulated in Ireland. From the Troubles to Gaza one point of view has always been given an easier ride than the other.

On RTE The Musical Part 5, Joe and Dion look at who has been platformed by the national broadcaster and who is excluded.

RTE’s future is a story that is much bigger than the national broadcaster. It’s not just about the media but about who governs Ireland.

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RTE can’t escape scandal. The controversies of the last six months have demonstrated how the organisation operated in the dark.

But there is a bigger story.

On Free State, Joe and Dion look at how RTE was captured. How free and fearless journalism has been replaced by cronyism.

They trace the story of decline back to the 1970s to see how journalism and journalists in RTE were censored during the Troubles. Dion and Joe disagree about Section 31 which banned Sinn Fein from television and radio. 

They look too at how self-censorship took over before it increasingly resembles the political establishment, with challenging voices -and northern nationalists - not welcome. While it rightly mobilised to support the people of Ukraine, Gaza has been a different story with even the smallest show of support forbidden. 

Instead of being the crusading station it once was, RTE comforted the comfortable and left the afflicted to fend for themselves.

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Having dealt with the question ‘What is Bono?’ on today’s Free State, Dion and Joe ask the more important question: why? Why God why? 

They look at how Bono’s endless hot air became a comfort not a challenge for the elites.

What was Bono’s plan to combat ISIS?

And they ask the most important question - how did Bono become the butter in the peace process sandwich?

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What is Bono and who is he for?

On today’s Free State, Dion and Joe look at Bono’s activism, what he has said and, as importantly, what he hasn’t said.

Is he a symbol of all that is wrong with the world? Is he a false god of philanthropy or has he achieved something meaningful? 

They also discuss the Kneecap case against Kemi Badenoch and Dion explains why her censorship represents another nail in the coffin for the modern U.K.

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How close are we to a United Ireland?

The unionist voices that said ‘no terrorists in government’ and no Sinn Fein First Minister have been marginalised. How will they respond to what is coming next?

Joe recalls his own encounters with Jamie Bryson and explains why he would be a good convert to Catholicism. The boys also suggest another career path for Bryson now that politics isn’t working out.

Joe and Dion disagree about the media in the south’s response to Michelle O’Neill’s election, while Dion wonders if Joe is spending too much time looking at Fine Gael Twitter accounts.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Michelle O’Neill’s election as First Minister of Northern Ireland made worldwide headlines.

On today’s Free State, Joe reflects on the importance of O’Neill’s election and considers what it means for the nationalist community. 

Joe and Dion look at the generous speeches of O’Neill and the deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly and consider their journeys to this point. 

It is a moment of real significance where history may now become just that - history. It is a moment where Ulster finally said Yes.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Northern Ireland prepares for a Sinn Fein First Minister, but why has it taken so long?

On today’s Free State, Joe and Dion look at how culture was used as a tool of oppression in the north. As Kneecap the movie demonstrates the Irish language is now part of a vibrant culture among young nationalists. The language has more power because of how it was so recently suppressed.

Dion also finds a strong reason called Conor Bradley for a border poll. And things get heated when the lads discuss Israel and Gaza.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Anarchy is always a threat to the establishment. Joyous anarchy unsettles them even more.

Kneecap are annoying many of the right people as they aim for world domination. Their film has angered the Daily Mail and the DUP and also won the audience award at Sundance which has angered them even more.

On today’s Free State, Joe and Dion consider the rise of Kneecap and what it tells us about a community in the north that is confident, daring and not afraid of winding up the humourless.

They also look at Jurgen Klopp, why he was never afraid to take risks and the price that is paid for obsession. Joe feels there are plenty of Gaelic football managers who could learn from him while Dion has some observations from a trip to Croke Park and what it tells us about Ireland.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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If you can’t spot the sucker at the poker table it’s you.

Today’s 'Free State' tells the story of how the GAA surrendered to corporations and how people became products.

Dion and Joe consider the new RTÉ uniforms which could be part of any sponsorship deal.

Joe reveals he has been beside himself with worry over the health of King Charles.

The boys also discuss the proposal that a future United Ireland should join His Majesty’s commonwealth. Fasten your seatbelts…

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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The GAA occupies a special place in Irish life. But that special place is what makes it so attractive to sponsors.

Today Joe and Dion look at the plan to sell the naming rights of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and rename it SuperValu Park. 

Dion vaguely recalls his only visit to the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh. And, in a world where everything is for sale, how does the GAA protect what is precious?

Joe also describes his day at the All Ireland club finals, his meeting with President Higgins and the president’s answer to Joe’s question: Will you endorse me as your successor?

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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Sportswashing works. From the English Premier League to the World Cup to golf, sport is being transformed by countries whose main interest is transforming their image. 

On Free State today, Dion and Joe ask what is the real cost of sportswashing and is it an inevitable consequence of a broader issue?

Society is divided and while inequality grows people have been persuaded that the problem is the refugee child looking for shelter in a Roscrea hotel. The real problem lies elsewhere and sport is being used to conceal the truth.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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When JP McManus donated €32 million to the GAA last month, people were falling over themselves to hail his generosity.

JP didn’t need to do this, they said. What a gesture from a man who truly loves the GAA. Put the envy to one side and celebrate these millions which will make a difference to every club in Ireland.

Only begrudgers, the petty and socialists could complain.

On Free State today, Dion and Joe discuss JP McManus, false philanthropy and wonder if he wouldn’t be better off simply paying his taxes in Ireland. What could be done with the money if those who are non domicile were resident in the country? Is his gesture something that should be celebrated? After all, when did someone last pat you on the back for paying your taxes?

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

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On today’s Free State, Dion and Joe are joined by Sally Hayden, a remarkable journalist covering the story of our time.

Sally’s book My Fourth Time, We Drowned exposed the incompetence and corruption in the EU’s treatment of the most vulnerable in society, desperate families crossing the Mediterranean and leaving poverty and war in African countries.

Sally reports from some of the most dangerous places in the world yet seems oblivious to danger. From Ballinrobe to Rosslare, hearts are hardening and human beings are brutalised and dehumanised. Sally talks about what she has witnessed, the mass death that has been normalised and gives an insight into what drives a remarkable and relentless young reporter.

Sally Hayden's book "A magnificent, engagé investigative report… [an] act of witness...It is clear from [Hayden’s book] that the current politics of immigration have turned & twisted human nature against itself and our own kind and are fostering unimaginable maltreatment of those who wish only to survive and live a better life… [It] strongly convey[s] the urgency of fundamentally rethinking immigration policy… It is already late to act, but that is a poor reason for inaction.” - The New York Review of Books

Sally Hayden: Winner ‘journalist of the year’, Irish Journalism Awards 2023

Winner best ‘foreign coverage’, Irish Journalism Awards 2023

Finalist in the 2023 BookTube Prize

Nominated for the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature 2023

Finalist for the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism 2023

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

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Luke Littler was magnificent as he reached the world darts championship final. On today’s Free State, Dion and Joe look at a special kind of sporting talent. They ask what Littler has in common with David Clifford, Wayne Rooney and Jesus Christ. Does it matter if Littler now fulfils his potential or is the beauty of sport about the joy he brought this winter?

Joe is also intrigued by cheating in chess and wonders about the various uses for anal beads.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com 

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