Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
Episodes
Enoch Burke or Bono? The choice is yours.
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekend at the White House, Joe Biden bestowed America’s highest civilian honour on a group of what he called “truly extraordinary people”....
Luke Littler, Donald Trump and the Death of the American Dream
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve reached that special time of year when Dion tries to get Joe interested in cricket. He opens with a hard sell this time but will Joe, who rece...
We are the champions. A journey into the minds of multiple All Ireland winners
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It is a time of resolution and new beginnings but what do you do when your resolve shatters immediately? Joe wonders about a spectacular resolution fa...
Jimmy Carter, Rebirth and Drink. A Free State New Year’s Eve Special
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On New Year’s Eve, Dion and Joe call a temporary ceasefire. Joe talks about Lola’s christening and they look back on the extraordinary life of Jim...
Colm Tóibín: Free State Special
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Colm Tóibín is one of Ireland’s greatest living writers. He joins Dion on this Free State Special for a wide-ranging chat on Ireland today, what h...
Free State St Stephen’s Day (or is it Boxing Day?) Special
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lola is enjoying her first Christmas but Joe breaks away to look back on another Free State highlight. In another crucial history lesson, Dion educate...
Free State Christmas Eve Special
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Christmas Eve, Joe and Dion reflect on the meaning of Christmas and if that meaning can include calling someone a c***? Joe remembers a memorable C...
Eoghan Murphy: From Idealist to Fine Gael’s Minister for Homelessness. A Free State Saturday Special
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Eoghan Murphy became minister for housing, he wanted to change everything. He wanted to declare housing an emergency. He wanted a constitutional ...
Fantasemitism. Israel, Ireland and why when everyone is an antisemite, no one is.
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018, the Israeli foreign ministry summoned Ireland’s ambassador in the country to their offices. Ireland was debating the Occupied Territories B...
Tax Breaks, Horseracing, Greyhounds and the GAA: Where Do Ireland’s Priorities Lie?
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How important is the GAA in Irish life? How important is it to our politicians? Is it something they cherish or does it provide merely a photo opportu...
The moral dilemma of Luigi Mangione, CEO killer. Hero or villain?
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Luigi Mangione was eating a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania when an employee recognised him and called the police. Mangione was arrested and sub...
Rebel without a clue. The curious schizophrenia of Michéal Martin
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Micheál Martin will be Ireland’s next Taoiseach. He returns to the most important position in Ireland at a critical time in Irish life.But during t...
The true cost of being Conor. Conor McGregor & the race for our young men.
07 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the court where he faced Nikita Hand, Conor McGregor had money but he didn’t have power. On the streets where some continue to idolise him, McGre...
Parenting with Joe & Dion. With contributions from Jim Gavin & Greg Wallace.
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past 18 months Free State has wrestled with the big issues in Ireland and across the world. But today they confront the most intractable...
Pardon Me, President Biden & what the election results tell us about Ireland
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The General Election was a glorious example of democracy at work. Ireland showed that it is a place where ideas are debated, policies fiercely contest...
“Great question Miriam. And thank you for asking it.” A Free State election eve special.
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Conor McGregor for President 2025. Make Ireland Great Again.
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Should RTÉ be independent? Or is free speech a thing of the past? Free State Weekend Election Special
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does RTÉ influence politics in Ireland? During an election campaign dominated by photoshoot which are just government press releases on camera, i...
What Has Britain Ever Done For Us?
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
The Godfather, the Garda commissioner & the McGahon dynasty. Another Free State Election Special
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Monk’s Manifesto, abolishing extradition and winning the egg and spoon race: A Free State Election Special
16 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 el...
Hello Again Mary Lou. Part 2.
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 b...
Hello Mary Lou. A Free State Special with the leader of the opposition, Part 1 (no hamsters were harmed in the making of this podcast)
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Di...
Rick Perlstein on Donald Trump and the Dukes of MAGA. A Free State Saturday Special
09 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 F...
Trump’ll fix it for you, and you and you…
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 pre...
The Last US Election? Donald Trump & Project 2025
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. Don...
The Perilous Life of the Penis (and associated scandals)
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 tod...
Sinn Féin set to lose seats as their part in the assassination of JFK revealed. And Mary Lou denies involvement in the crucifixion of Jesus.
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Free State Interviews: Dion talks to author Roddy Doyle
26 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 housin...
Sinn Féin ate my hamster
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
The Day of the Dead
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ho...
Johnny Sexton. Part 2. House of Pain
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 the...
Johnny Sexton. Running into brick walls. Part 1
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 joi...
Free State Interviews: Dion talks to author Robert Harris
12 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Genocide Pictures, in association with Hollywood studios present: How Israel saved Gaza
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Making genocide respectable. How the Western media colluded with Israel.
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 wes...
Embracing Racism: Fine Gael’s Plan To Win the Election
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Surviving a newborn, Lebanon burning & how Kristofferson beat the Devil.
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 whil...
What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Parenting with Joe Brolly
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 un...
Mona Lisa: John Finucane, the man behind the mask. Part 2
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. O...
Mona Lisa: John Finucane, the man behind the mask. Part 1
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 pre...
Trump, Kamala and two nice Jewish boys
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Poisonous Patriotism: Lords, Anthems & broken lives
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Tánaiste Micheál Martin condemned the booing of God Save The King by Irish fans before Ireland played England on Saturday. The Daily Mail c...
The coal man’s son
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 sai...
From Elon to Enoch: The entrepreneurs of hate
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 sol...
Will they ever get tired of walking backwards? Kicking the Brits out, Part 2
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On August 31, 1994, the Provisional IRA announced that “there will be a complete cessation of military operations. All our units have been instructe...
Kicking The Brits Out, Part 1
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Keep a light at the window. The rise and fall of Douglas Beattie
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Tommy guns, car chases & All Irelands. The life and times of a great Irish man.
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Drinking with Loyalists, Part 2. Conor McGregor is not at war. While he sails his yacht in the Med, it’s your kids who go to prison.
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Drinking with Loyalists, Part 1. Ulster (and Coolock) says No
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At their best, the Olympics represent all that is good about humanity. For Ireland the Olympics brought an outpouring of spontaneous joy and happiness...
The surprising truth about Pat Spillane, part 2
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
The surprising truth about Pat Spillane, part 1
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20Free...
Celebrating Sam with the Orangemen: Part 2
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Cups, cops and complainers. Celebrating Sam with the Orangemen
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
The Boys from the County Armagh. Some Orangemen have culture.
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
The GAA is more important than money. For everything else there’s Mastercard.
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
America has Donald Trump’s Republican convention; Ireland has the All-Ireland hurling final. America has Hulk Hogan; Ireland has Tony Kelly. On Free...
Big hair, bowler hats & bonfires. Can Orangemen survive the modern world?
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 al...
Crosshairs and Crossbars: Trump’s Close Call & Southgate’s England Misfire
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 St...
Never say never again part 2. What we talk about when we don’t talk about Joe Biden
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Keir Starmer visited Northern Ireland, it was a moment when it was possible to believe that things will start moving again. Casement Park wi...
Never say never again, part 1. The fall of the House of Paisley (and Harte)
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
And then there were four, part 2. The football factory - how science is replacing humans with robots.
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 I...
And then there were four, Part 1: The last days of the Dublin empire.
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Fre...
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose. Derry, from Death Row to Croke Park. Part 2
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
From death row to Croke Park. Derry, Mayo and milking the cows in Killala Part 1.
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Irish Elections: How the elites persuade sheep to vote for wolves.
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At the American Ambassador’s residence in Dublin last week, there was an extraordinary event. Many of the main architects of the peace process gathe...
Jungle Book. The essential survival guide for Gaelic footballers. Featuring Brian Mullins and an All Star cast
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Mickey Harte, football manager. Oh Lord it’s so Harte to be humble, Part 2
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
‘Oh Lord, it’s so Harte to be humble.’ Part 1
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The unbearable agony of Palestine. Part 2. With Gideon Levy
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The unbearable agony of Palestine. Part 1. With Gideon Levy
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Big Bad Bill. The greatest captain of them all. Captain Class Part 4.
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 unp...
Are Leinster cursed or just losers? What causes great teams to become serial failures? Captain Class Part 3
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
The Roy Keane Conundrum - The Captain Class Part 2
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Captain Class Part 1
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Winners & Losers
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Superman. An American football story. Joe Klecko, quarter back killer
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 histo...
Roger Casement Part 2. The Mission.
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Casem...
Roger Casement And The Temple Of Doom Part 1
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, Presi...
Jimmy’s Winning Matches (Again)
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 rel...
Anyone For the Last Few Choc Ices? The Life and Turbulent Times of Christy Moore. Part 3
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
They Never Came Home. The Life and Turbulent Times of Christy Moore. Part 2
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 dar...
Don’t Forget your shovel if you want to go to Tulsk. The life and turbulent times of Christy Moore. Part 1
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
United Ireland or Bust? Part 2
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
United Ireland or Bust? Till debt do us part.
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 citizen...
Jurgen Klopp, Mickey Harte and the real glory in the GAA
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The GAA & The Wall Of Love. Birth, life, death, funeral expenses & why an English statistics professor was “blown away”
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 foun...
Trading My Soul: Part 2
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 gre...
Trading My Soul: The Man Who Blew Up the Financial System
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
MIGA: Simon Harris, Making Ireland Great Again
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Politicians, pundits & parakeets. Leo Varadkar and his anticlimactic rise & fall
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Leo Varadkar’s resignation was described as a ‘political earthquake’. Some said the political world had been turned upside down. But beyond the ...
‘Davy Tweed, bloody mother fucking asshole.’ Part 2
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
‘Davy Tweed, bloody mother fucking asshole.’ As told by his step daughter Amanda Brown.
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Brow...
Dreaming of Emma Little-Pengelly
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 n...
Ceili dancing, cúpla focal & the clash of the sash. The conversion of the DUP
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Northern Ireland was once a land divided by symbols. Since Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little Pengelly became First Minister and deputy First Minister...
“The Bloody Protestants” Part 2: Northern Ireland’s Match of the Day…
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 si...
“The Bloody Protestants” Part 1
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ulster says No to Casement Park: Part 2
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ulster says No to Casement Park: Part 1
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 G...