Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

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.

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

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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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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On today’s brand new episode, Joe and Dion intended to look back on 2023 and anticipate 2024. They celebrated the return of Ryan Tubridy and wondered if Jim McGuinness can pull off the same trick at Donegal again. But as they remembered those who died in 2023, Joe and Dion go on a meandering journey of their own. They talk about their memories of life and loss. They remember those who passed away in 2023 like Hughie Russell, Liam Hinphey, Shane MacGowan and Johnny Flaherty as they reflect on the absurdity of life and of death. And in the midst of the grotesque events in Gaza, the boys discuss a minor miracle in Dublin that cheered their hearts.

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, Joe is looking for America as he takes a belated honeymoon across the US. From Music Row in Nashville, Joe and Dion talk about the magic of country music and the endless possibility in America. They also ask what 2024 holds for Donald Trump and why he is also a product of the American dream. They also wants to know if there is merchandising potential in Mickey Harte condoms.

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 select more of their favourite moments from 2023.

They choose from their most enjoyable guests to those occasions where they bitterly disagreed. And, of course, the revelation late in the year about Joe and dogs. One of our highlights was the contributions of ‘Resting Bitch Face’ who to this day is hunting the man who named him.

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

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This week on Free State, Dion and Joe have selected their favourite moments from the first eight months of the podcast. From hallucinating ten Joe Brollys to the priest who thought one Joe Brolly was bad enough. There is also the extraordinary moment when Moneyball author Michael Lewis talked about how he kept going following the death of his daughter Dixie Lee

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

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Paul Howard and Roddy Collins are back for the second part of the Free State Christmas Special.

Roddy remembers how he tried to take a bit of the Dublin southside culture back to the northside with predictable results.

He also recalls his first encounters with Paul, then known as the Milky Bar Kid, and how a very young Paul Howard accidentally sabotaged Stevie Collins European title fight and kept the secret for over 25 years.

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

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Roddy Collins and Paul Howard join Dion and Joe for the 'Free State' Christmas special.

They explain how Medjugorje is a good place to go on the lash, their time on the road together with Steve Collins and the rise of the D4 accent. And Joe is surprised to discover that a place he thought was a figment of Ross O’Carroll Kelly’s imagination actually exists.

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

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On today’s episode, Al Foran recalls the good and bad in the celebrities he has encountered. He takes us inside the mechanics of creating an impression and talks about the movie greats from Brando to Denzel Washington. Dion also recalls a day in Barnsley when Roy Keane went full Joe Pesci.

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

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This week's Free State welcomes figures from politics, sport and entertainment. From Donald Trump to Katie Taylor to Tyson Fury, Al Foran has an unparalleled ability to make people feel as if they are listening, not to an impression, but to the person themselves.

Al joins Joe and Dion to talk about making it in a new media world, how he has to inhabit the people he mimics and what links Christopher Walken to Eamon Dunphy.

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

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Why has Ireland caught the attention of Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk? In today’s Free State, Joe and Dion look at how the stability of the state can be threatened by the powerful preying on the public’s irrational fears. And, as Conor McGregor continues to rain hate down on innocent people, Joe considers if there is a different path.

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

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What attracts people to conspiracy theories? In an uncertain world is it certainty or do they offer excitement missing in their lives? In today’s Free State, Joe and Dion enter the twilight zone, the fantasy land where Ireland is at war with the other.

They look at what drives these theories, the anger of those who believe them and discuss one previously unknown fact uncovered by the conspiracy theorists: Did you know that Joe Brolly wanks dogs?

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

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How do we combat hate? 

What happened in the Dublin Riots was driven by far right agitators but how do we fight their message? 

Dion and Joe ask how should we treat those on the margins of the hate movement.

Finland has become a world leader in combating hate and misinformation using a curriculum that starts when their kids are five years old. Turns out kids don’t hate “others” unless they have been taught to hate them.

Why can’t the same happen in Ireland?

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

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Last Thursday, Joe Brolly was returning to the Stardust Inquest when he witnessed the events unfolding on Parnell Square.

On Free State today he talks about what he saw and how humanity and courage revealed themselves at this most frightening moment.

Dion and Joe reflect on the riots that followed, how the hate movement needs to be dealt with and why Conor McGregor has nothing to offer Ireland.

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

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Five Derry girls went to the Stardust nightclub. Only four came home.

How do people keep going when their lives change tragically in a moment? What is it that defines the human spirit?

On today’s Free State Joe talks about the Stardust Inquest, the resilience of people in the worst of circumstances and the quiet heroism that has been revealed. Dion and Joe talk too about Hillsborough and the fight for justice when the British establishment tried to smear them. They look at the state of the British establishment today where Brittania can only waive the rules.

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

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What is more mind altering, a trip to Amsterdam or trying to track the lies and deception of the Tories in Britain?

On this week’s Free State, Joe has all the information on a hallucinogenic trip - maybe too much information - in Holland. The Covid Inquiry, Suella Braverman’s propaganda and the return of David Cameron tell us everything about the British establishment. Joe also can’t tell the difference between Dion and a humanoid just out of its box.

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

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When did ‘ceasefire’ become a dirty word?

In the second podcast this week on the destruction of Gaza, Dion and Joe look at how language has been weaponised during the conflict. How did a desire for a ceasefire come to mean that you are, at best, hopelessly naive and, at worst, a Hamas sympathiser? The barbarity of what has been inflicted on the people of Gaza by the Israeli government is changing that view but too slowly. Is this why those like Barack Obama who speak in riddles prosper. Joe offers his own version of a Barack Obama speech, even if Dion is now ready to embrace Michelle Obama’s solution for world peace.

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

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Around the world people are marching in their millions for peace and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. On Free State, Joe and Dion have a difficult conversation about war, peace and propaganda which reflects the difficult conversations people are having everywhere.

They ask why are these conversations so difficult and how did calling for peace become such a risky thing to do?

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

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David Gough felt sure he would live a life where love was denied to him. But a poem changed his life.

In part 2 of Free State, David Gough talks about the sliding doors moment in his life and how it changed everything.

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

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David Gough is the most famous and the best referee in Ireland.

He grew up in a religious and staunch GAA family and like everyone he wanted to fit in. He was an altar boy and a Gaelic footballer but one day, when he was 15, he saw the front page of a newspaper and it changed everything.

David is this week’s guest on Free State. He tells Joe and Dion about his journey. Joe also tries to get David to apologise for the yellow card that led to his sacking from RTÉ, with surprising results…

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

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During the rise of Sam Bankman-Fried, Michael Lewis got closer to him than anybody else. But the fall of the crypto baby gave the Moneyball author a different story. When people turned on Bankman-Fried, Michael Lewis knew they would turn on him too. 

In the second part of his interview on Free State, Michael Lewis talks about why he took on the story and what kept him going.

In May 2021, Michael Lewis’s daughter Dixie was killed in a car accident in California. Dixie was nineteen years old. He talks to Dion and Joe about how he struggled through the jungle of grief, why Dixie’s spirit has sustained him as his book is published and what he told Bankman-Fried’s mother about loss as they prepare for their son’s incarceration.

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

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On this week’s Free State, Michael Lewis, the author behind Hollywood blockbusters Moneyball, The Big Short and The Blind Side, joins Dion and Joe. 

Michael's new book Going Infinite charts the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried who within two years of discovering crypto was worth $22 billion. 

In the first part of a two-part interview, Michael talks to Joe and Dion about why sport in America has become as violent as it was for gladiators in the Roman Empire and why he would give up sex before exercise. After two hours in Joe's company, Michael wants to write his next book about him. But Michael wonders who would play Joe Brolly in the movie now that Tom Cruise is too old?

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

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Where is the way out of the horror in Gaza? When the Shankill Road bomb killed ten people in Frizzell’s fish shop 30 years ago there seemed to be no way out of violence and destruction in the north. But a year later there was a ceasefire and by 1998 a peace process that was the envy of the world. It happened because world leaders like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair were resolute in working with those who wanted peace. Unfortunately today in Gaza, the leaders in the U.K. and US have turned their faces away. 

In a bonus 'Free State', Joe and Dion look at the relationship between Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu and how Israel’s prime minister has allowed Hamas to prosper in order to destroy Palestinian moderates. In the darkest hour, there is always a way out but leaders of courage are needed.

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

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How much is enough? With the threat that things will worsen even more in Gaza, what will it take for those with influence to intervene. The US and President Biden are friends of Israel, as they should be, but now they need to be friends of Palestine too. What is stopping them?

On this episode of Free State, Joe and Dion look at what might be needed for peace and how it was lost a generation ago with catastrophic consequences. There is also a moment of light relief when they consider the sliding doors moment which may have resulted in Sir Joseph Brolly.

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

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The world is watching as terror and suffering come to the people of Gaza once more. In this terrible war, there is also a propaganda war. This war is waged to distract and deflect from slaughter and genocide. After the savagery of Hamas on Oct 7th, there is an understandable need among Israelis for a response but indiscriminate attacks on Palestinians will not destroy Hamas. 

On Free State this week, Dion and Joe discuss how Israel is breaching international law, anti semitism and why Joe Biden needs to speak truth to Benjamin Netanyahu.

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

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As Israel commits war crimes in Gaza, can anyone persuade the country’s government to stop the slaughter?

On part 2 of this week’s Free State, Joe and Dion recall their own trips to Israel and their experiences in the country. It is a land where fundamentalism, hatred and fear have twisted all hopes for a peaceful existence. Within the country there are voices, even after the horrors of October 7th, calling for restraint. The Hamas slaughter was their 9/11 but the lesson from history is that a need for revenge only leads to greater misery and massacre.

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

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The Israeli government - emboldened by politicians in the west - is committing war crimes. Gaza is a human catastrophe where the horrors will echo through history. There is a primal need within so many Israelis for action to avenge the horrific massacre of the innocents by Hamas. But how is the cycle of violence broken? In the bloodlust for revenge, sane voices in Israel and around the world are being drowned out.

On the first part of a two-part Free State this week, Joe and Dion look at how anger and fear create the conditions for violence and why the cycle can only be broken by acts of courage. After the Holocaust, Israel wanted to create a country where it would never feel terror again but instead it is a land where fear is the one emotion both sides share. History shows us there only two options: make peace and allow people to live in dignity and without oppression. Or repeat the circle of violence forever.

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

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In the second part of 'On Her Majesty’s Secret Service', Peter Taylor discusses the attempts of the British establishment to censor & intimidate him. He describes the central importance of the hunger strike and how it changed everything. 

He recalls a day spent locked in a cell in the dreaded H Blocks with a young Eamonn McDermott & marvelling at his book collection. “How can an IRA man read Tolstoy & Hardy?” he asked. “An IRA man is just a man like any other” said McDermott.

He takes us through the landmark events: how Mrs Thatcher had to have her hand firmly guided as she signed the Anglo Irish Agreement, the meeting of Martin McGuinness & Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth & how the peace was eventually won. This episode is dedicated to all the precious lives lost in the Troubles. And to the courage & integrity of Peter Taylor.

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

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Late in the night following Bloody Sunday, a young reporter arrived in Derry. ‘If you want to know what’s going on here,’ John Hume told him, ‘he’s the person you should be talking to you. He’s called Martin McGuinness’. It was the first time this young reporter called Peter Taylor had heard the name. 

For 50 years Taylor made establishing the truth in the north his goal. He talked to everyone.

Peter Taylor is this week’s guest on a two-part special on Free State. From IRA leaders suspecting their fruit was poisoned to the civil servant who wanted to end the hunger strikes with M&S shirts, Taylor always got the story. It was dark and dangerous work and only a man like Peter Taylor could have done it. Peter also talks about his book Operation Chiffon and the risks that were taken for peace from a chip shop in Derry.

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

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In the end, Pat Gilroy will remember the fun more than the winning. What is sport for except those moments shared among a team that will never be forgotten? 

In this episode of Free State, Joe and Dion talk to Pat about what is being lost in sport as backroom teams swell and clubs and counties are being drained of finances by professional management teams who have no bond with them. Pat recalls the words of Kevin Heffernan as he reminded him of what their club St Vincent’s was all about. And he delivers exclusive news about a new association he has founded which will give the most important people in the GAA long overdue recognition.

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

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When the news broke that Mickey Harte was the new manager of Derry, some accepted it as part of how the modern GAA operates. But for others it struck at the heart of the GAA. 

In a powerful and emotional episode of Free State, Pat Gilroy is back with Joe and Dion to talk about Mickey Harte and loyalty. 

What is the GAA about? What do we want? Is the association becoming a sham, where there are more barter accounts than at RTÉ?

Are the old ideals of loyalty, amateurism and doing good for its own sake disappearing?

As professionalism becomes more brazen we ask if the GAA can be saved.

Joe also explains the mystical bond he had with his Derry brothers and why that is shattered by the Mickey Harte appointment.

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

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Matthew Collins was dead inside. This is where hatred led - to a library with mothers cowering in fear, sheltering from an attack from his far right group. The sound of hatred was the sound of a pregnant woman crying and begging for mercy

His life changed that day when he realised that violence is always where hatred leads. Hatred of asylum seekers, Jews, people of colour, the trans community, Muslims, librarians…anyone will do. 

In Part Two he talks to Dion and Joe about the violence and why he changed. Today he works as a ‘fat James Bond’ taking on the far right. He explains what that means and how he protects his family from death threats.

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

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Once upon a time, Matthew Collins would have been standing with the mob outside Dáil Éireann erecting gallows and spitting hate. 

This unexceptional teenager fell under the spell of older Neo Nazis and became, in his own words, a vile violent hater, who wanted nothing more than to smash someone, anyone, in the face with a hammer.

Matthew joins Joe and Dion on Free State this week for a two-part interview. He explains why he once had those feelings, the hold the far right have over their supporters and the moment he had to change.

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

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For the families of those murdered by security forces collusion, the truth was all they had left.

In Part II of Unquiet Graves, Joe and Dion look at the fight for truth from the families affected by the Legacy Bill. The truth would not set them free but it would provide some peace. It would honour the memory of the dead. They hope to see them some day, walking in, smiling like they’ve never been gone.

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

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The past lives in everyone traumatised by the Troubles. The Legacy Bill has layered misery and anxiety on top of suffering and injustice. For the families who are haunted by the graves of their loved ones, the Act will bring only silence. The families want the truth about the past, the truth about state collusion and murder.

On Free State, Joe and Dion look at the stories of those families whose lifelong search for justice is in peril. They explain why the Legacy Bill was a death rattle of British colonialism. And why there are so many unquiet graves.

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

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Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

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With around 35% of people north and south supporting the Sinn Fein movement, Dion & Joe wonder why there isn’t a single person from a Republican background in the mainstream Irish media

On Part 2 of ‘Wrap The Green Flag Round Me Boys’, we discuss how change is coming in Ireland and why politicians will be followers not leaders. Also can Joe Brolly be persuaded to agree with himself?

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

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Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

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Is ‘Ooh Ah, Up the Ra’ the best the Irish establishment can do in the face of the existential threat posed by Sinn Fein? In the week that Michéal Martin said Sinn Fein were “infecting” the people of Ireland, Dion and Joe discuss the FG/FF Culture wars against Sinn Fein. They reflect on the family dynasties that replaced the British in Ireland: WT Cosgrave in his top hat, Charlie Haughey on his stallion. And there is a special bonus for our Fine Gael listeners…

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

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Is the Rose of Tralee a national embarrassment or does it represent something precious? On this week’s Free State, Joe and Dion look at Irish culture and what makes it different. There’s also Pele’s (and Joe’s) lack of concern about erectile dysfunction as well as a cost busting alternative to Viagra.

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

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Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

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In Part Two of Roddy Collins is a W****r, Roddy Collins talks to Joe and Dion about his failed attempt at an IRA hold up as a teenager, his days going AWOL with Vinnie Jones and the love story that has shaped his life.

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

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Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

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Don’t mess with the Cabra boys. In the first of a two-part interview, Roddy Collins joins Dion and Joe on Free State. He talks about the confidence trick they played on Chris Eubank, the deeply superstitious middleweight champion of the world. He remembers growing up in Cabra, his uncle Terry, Reggie Kray, banjoeing ‘The General’ Martin Cahill and much more.

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

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Stalin said one death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic. On Free State this week, Dion and Joe discuss the tragedy of tens of thousands drowning in the Mediterranean. They wonder how we lost touch with our own humanity and why people fall for the same tricks of hate peddled for centuries. They also ask why did four of our own MEPs vote against a resolution that would have ramped up search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean?

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

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Fresh from Dublin’s triumph in the All Ireland final, Joe and Dion welcome an old friend back to Free State. Pat Gilroy returns to talk about why the most vulnerable have always been a target throughout history and why inequality is at the root of society’s problems. Pat also explains what a GAA World Series would look like and outlines his radical solution to the Dublin housing crisis…

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

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Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

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Donald Trump continues to demonstrate how reality can be hijacked by lies. This week Dion and Joe look at how America and Britain have been lost to populism while wondering why the Falkland Islands are more loved in Britain than Northern Ireland. Joe also undertakes not to sue his own podcast…

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

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Can you sustain an orgasm for 15 minutes? Joe and Dion help you unleash the superhero within and they disagree about the power of the mind. Joe also remembers a fiery encounter with Enda McNulty

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

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What makes a champion? Philly McMahon and Ger Brennan talk to Joe and Dion about what they were prepared to do as they helped to shape that great Dublin team. Philly tells the extraordinary story of his father’s life on the run while Ger explains why he was drawn to the priesthood before taking another path. They speak about hate and glory and the power in finding a thing - whatever it is - that is bigger than you.

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

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You’ve got to pick a pocket or two...

You can say what you like about Ryan Tubridy but do not question his soul, his love for the decent people of Ireland and, in particular, the decent people of Louth. In Act II of RTÉ The Musical, Joe and Dion look at the evidence the Toy Man, his agent Noel Kelly and the RTÉ executives provided to the Oireachtas committees. They also extend an invitation to Ryan Tubridy…

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show me the (taxpayers) money...

What does the RTÉ scandal tell us about Ireland? Joe and Dion explain why this was always about more than Ryan Tubridy’s salary. The Late Late Show’s decline from the glory days of Gay Byrne shows how RTÉ has been captured and why it can’t be a public service broadcaster and an advertising agency at the same time.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you know the words to The Sash? Is it culture or hate that sees effigies of politicians including Leo Varadkar burned on bonfires? This week Joe and Dion discuss the Twelfth of July, the role it plays in the siege mentality of the DUP and how to change it. Also is it better for RTE to have Gregory Campbell on the airwaves or Noel Kelly’s clients? And Dion finally persuades Joe to talk about cricket.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, joins Joe and Dion on this week’s Free State.

Before he became a novelist, Richard was a sportswriter. He talks to Dion and Joe about why he will defend America when people attack it, his views on President Biden and an extraordinary and hilarious encounter with Muhammad Ali in 1969.

We also find out what happened to Joe’s own unfinished Great Irish Novel, a novel inspired by the works of Richard Ford.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans have always been drawn towards violence but is there a limit to the licence to thrill? Violence has always been a part of sport but now with events like Power Slap, sport is a tiny part of violence. Where will it end? Dion and Joe welcome back an old friend and ask, as Saudi Arabia takes over sport, could public executions one day become a pay per view event?

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens if you speak out against the tribe in Unionism? Is there only free speech for Catholics in Northern Ireland? Joe and Dion argue about commemorations and discuss the Irish language and the secret meeting Joe attended with concerned Protestants. Also do people in the south need to do more to make unionists welcome?

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dion and Joe debate and disagree about friendships and links between the north and south. They recall some fascinating incidents from the Troubles, including the forgotten heroism of Major Mike Guerin of the Light Air Defence regiment of the Royal Artillery, a real life Bruce Willis. And if a young man gets an excruciating tattoo after losing a bet in Vegas, you might think he would do it for a greater cause than Joe Brolly. Dion also reveals that some of his best friends are Protestants.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you achieve the perfect orgasm without a sexual partner? What precisely is the reverse cowgirl? Where can you buy an orgasmatron? Dion & Joe explore these crucial questions. They also look at how a tiny group of Eton posh boys hijacked the U.K., handed out billions to their pals and used an entire kingdom as their reverse cowgirl. As a bonus, Joe gives an apology masterclass. Enjoy.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to confront addiction? Do we still have a stereotype when it comes to imagining what somebody with a drink problem looks like? This week Dion and Joe talk about drink and what is left when you drain the pool. Dion takes Joe through his own story of recovery and explains why war stories are for amateurs.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Birds do it, bees do it, but nobody does it like northern catholics, even the educated ones. Once again the demographic changes in the north have been framed in terms of a trope that Catholics are out breeding Protestants. In this week’s Free State, Joe and Dion look at the history of the Unionist view of Catholics in the north, how it fed into the south and why it persists. Also, why would anyone want to randomly hit Joe Brolly?

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before Dublin became the greatest Gaelic football team ever seen, they were the best known failures in Irish sport. Pat Gilroy was the manager who turned Dublin around. He joins Joe and Dion to talk about his years at Trinity with Joe, the players he wanted to dump who went on to become multiple All-Ireland winners and why he disagrees with Joe on the importance of psychology in sport. He also explains why they had to hand out pictures of Seán Cavanagh in the Dublin dressing room.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What unites the US Republican Party, Brexiteers and the DUP? This week, Joe and Dion look at the magical thinking that has replaced reason among those who once believed they were born to rule in Washington and London - and how the DUP showed them the way. Behind the three-word slogans, the bluster and the demonisation of minorities, what insecurities are driving the supremacists? And what would your reaction be if, as Joe once did, you answered the door to the Reverend Ian Paisley?

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you were offered a lift on Air Force One would you take it? Joe talks to Dion about his time with Joe Biden in Ireland and the extraordinary empathy shown by the president when visiting end of life patients at the Mayo Roscommon Hospice. He also gives some fascinating insights into what happened behind the scenes during the president’s visit. Finally, brace yourself for a cringeworthy & hilarious encounter between Brolly and a priest in Dublin City centre. No wonder Dion calls him Larry David…

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second part of Ooh Aah, Up Which Ra, Dion and Joe wonder what being honest about history really means and if Ireland wants to be Austria or Germany. Joe talks about Martin McGuinness and how many people were angered by what he wrote after McGuinness’s death and he also recounts an eye-opening experience at an Old Firm game.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Irish women’s football team qualified for the World Cup, their achievement was overshadowed by a video of them singing ‘Ooh Aah, Up the Ra’. In this week’s episode Dion and Joe talk about why the song triggered such debate and if there are double standards involved, not just when certain groups are criticised and others aren’t, but in talking about the IRA itself. What does the issue tell us about Irish identity and how we understand our history? And Joe and Dion find they can agree on one thing at least.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charles Anyaegbunam had a privileged upbringing in Nigeria as a Nigerian prince. His first meeting with Joe Brolly took place either during an escapade around Ireland or an escapade around Florida. He talks to Dion and Joe about his son, the rapper Rejjie Snow, his own view on racism in Ireland and the time himself and Joe tried and failed to buy the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you know where to find your optimism muscle? In this week’s episode Joe and Dion look at how the 21st century has become a factory and why a banal uniformity has invaded so many areas of life, including sport. 

With stories of John Morrison, Eamonn Coleman, Stan Bowles, Phil Lynott & Thin Lizzy, Dion and Joe wonder if all that was missing from their lives was an attitude of gratitude? Joe also explains his quest to find that optimism muscle...

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everybody wants to be happy but what if simply wanting to be happy is as crazy as simply wanting to live on Mars? In the first episode Dion and Joe examine how vulnerable people have been exploited by wellness gurus and in a time of uncertainty why those who offer easy and misleading answers have thrived. There's also an exiting executive position in the sporting world to discuss...

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreestatepodcast/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free State is a podcast for the curious that stimulates, provokes, challenges and entertains, while never taking itself too seriously. Free State covers topics from sport to politics, love to loss, the human condition and how to fix the world, with guests from across the planet including Nigerian princes, former Prime Ministers, ex convicts, footballers, boxers and extraordinary people from every walk of life. 

Free State is presented by Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning. Brolly is a barrister, an original thinker with a fascinating backstory, who donated a kidney to a stranger and then led a crusade to transform organ donation on the island of Ireland, and Fanning is an award-winning interviewer and author. 

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

Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.