Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

In one of the most personal episodes of Free State, Joe talks to Dion about his childhood growing up surrounded by violence and trauma. He talks about how it shaped who he was as a TV personality and a barrister who wanted acclaim and recognition. But too much was never enough so he reached a point where he knew it would have to change. He speaks honestly about the decision to seek help and how even then he wanted to manipulate the situation. Instead he found a new way of looking at life and viewing what he had endured.Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG Productions.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s Free State is the podcast you didn’t know you needed. Joe provides tips on nappy changing, getting babies to sleep and dealing with the unreasonable demands of a newborn baby. Joe was in Belfast last week. He saw the families protesting over the Legacy Act lay out the shoes of their loved ones. It was an act of memory and honour. It was a reminder of the trauma endured by so many. Dion and Joe also reflect on last week’s episode and an extraordinary message from the son of William Strathearn, who was murdered by members of the Glenanne Gang in 1977.Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG Productions.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

On Free State today we celebrate life. Joe spent the weekend on the maternity ward and he speaks with joy and wonder about the experience of being present as a new life come into the world. He is equally in awe of those who work in hospitals and provide guidance and inspiration during the darkest hours before the dawn. One of those who contacted Joe this week was John Finucane. John Finucane watched loyalist terrorists murder his father when he was eight years old in 1989. Joe reflects on his friendship with this remarkable man and the grace that comes from being around those who provide hope.This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump was undermined by his own narcissism in his presidential debate. Kamala Harris took him apart with a lawyer’s precision. On Free State, Joe considers how he would deal with Trump in a debate but also how the genocide in Gaza is being normalised. Dion and Joe look at the story of the Two Nice Jewish Boys podcast and how they joked about ‘erasing’ Gaza. What does it tell us about the human condition when two ordinary Israelis can speak like this? What does it tell us about suffering when it can be dismissed in this way?This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tánaiste Micheál Martin condemned the booing of God Save The King by Irish fans before Ireland played England on Saturday. The Daily Mail called for England manager Lee Carsley to be sacked before the game because he said he wouldn’t sing the anthem.On Free State today, Joe and Dion wonder why this plastic patriotism is indulged and why real patriotism can transform a country. Dion was at the Aviva on Saturday. Joe can’t understand why he was there - or why he doesn’t get better seats. Dion has frustrations other than the pantomime booing.In the world where actions can make a difference, Joe talks about the visit by the DUP’s Gordon Lyons to Creggan GAA club. Joe also recalls the darker period in the club’s history. He tells the powerful story of Peadar Heffron, who became one of the first GAA members to join the PSNI, and how he was failed by his own community. A failure which should makes us ask questions of ourselves and dismiss those who peddle cheap nationalism.This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is more rewarding? Winning or glory? If you are Donald Trump or the modern GAA coach then nothing matters except winning. But can we as Trump said, get tired of winning? Is the story of the coalman’s son, Tommy Loughran, the moment when people had enough? On Free State today, Joe and Dion talk about the decision to give a marking job on Tommy Loughran to two players in an U-14 match. Why has Gaelic football gone this way? Joe doesn’t believe the suggested rule changes will save it and makes some proposals of his own. Dion has a more radical solution and announces also that he has entered the c-suite.This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enoch Burke is in jail again. He is unwavering in his beliefs but is he a pawn in other people’s games? On Free State, Dion and Joe look at foot soldiers like Enoch Burke and what they are doing for their beliefs. Brazil has banned X as they attempt to protect their country. Elon Musk insists free speech is the cornerstone of democracy but is free speech on social media, the instrument that will destroy democracy while promoting fascism? Joe is not an Oasis fan. He recalls the night he tried to get a Gallagher brother’s autograph and the unpleasantness that followed.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 State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On August 31, 1994, the Provisional IRA announced that “there will be a complete cessation of military operations. All our units have been instructed accordingly”. It was a statement that brought joy, tears and relief to so many in Northern Ireland who had endured violence. So much that would follow came from the ceasefire and the delicate negotiations that brought it about. As the 30th anniversary of the ceasefire approaches, Joe and Dion consider the people who made that possible, the role of the US and the refusal of unionism to move forward. They also ask why the lessons of the north are being ignored in Gaza. And can Dion, a Protestant in his heart, pass the Orange Lodge test?This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than 30 years ago, Bill Clinton said he still believed in a town called Hope. At the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama said hope is making a comeback. Is this just a tagline for a bad movie or if Kamala Harris was elected would she make a difference in Gaza and in fixing structural inequality in the US? On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the choice in the US presidential election and ask if it is a choice at all. They also ask if there is a chance of real change in Ireland or have the same forces taken hold here?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 State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.