The Irish Passport

With the threat of a cliff edge Brexit posing extremely serious consequences for the island of Ireland and the border, we bring you the voices of people with the most at stake. Featuring a doctor in Derry who is worried about his patients getting their essential medicines, young people in Belfast facing changes to their rights, and people who rely on a peaceful open border in their daily lives. We hear from Irish News security correspondent Allison Morris on why the Brexit uncertainty and talk of a hardened border has emboldened dissident republicans, with an increasing pace of shootings and bombings over recent months. Tim sums up the chaos and shenanigans in Westminster so far, and the government’s predictions of riots and shortages in the case of a No Deal. Naomi describes the view from Belfast’s loyalist Shankill Road, where she went to interview former paramilitaries about their dissatisfaction with the peace, why they hate the so-called “Backstop”, and the real risks of a return to violence they see now. This is the first in a two-part episode focused on the voices of those for whom the Brexit stakes are highest. Featuring editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ . For the full interview with Allison Morris and more bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

Irish law in an international outlier in its restrictions on where its its citizens can vote. The franchise is limited to those resident inside the boundaries of the 26 counties of the republic, with almost no provision for early, postal or overseas voting. Ahead of a planned referendum to extend the right to vote for president to all Irish citizens, including in Northern Ireland and overseas, Naomi and Tim explore the political implications of the current voting system and weigh the arguments for and against change. We hear the case for reform from Irish people from the north, and from people who travelled back to Ireland in the famous ‘Home to Vote’ movements. This episode features a report from the campaign launch of Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad by contributor Michael Lanigan, as well as the voices of ordinary people in Dublin on their hopes and concerns about the proposal. Editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

Fishermen kings, Spanish galleons, and fearsome pirate marauders – these are just some of the things that make the history of Galway City on the west coast of Ireland so intriguing. Take a tour around the medieval old town with historian Adrian Martyn, and find out all about the infamous ‘Tribes of Galway’ who presided over this western frontier-city for over five centuries. Who were they? Where on earth did they come from? And what’s left of them today? For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. If you want to check out more from historian Adrian Martyn and order his book ‘The Tribes of Galway’, you can find his work here: https://adrianmartyn.ie/ Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

A Newry woman visits her big brother in Paris. The two share a drink and talk all night. The next morning, he leaves instructions for taking the metro, and disappears. His family never see him again. The story of Anne Morgan’s 32-year search for her missing brother Seamus is just one told in this episode, the second in a two-part series on the theme of dealing with the past. We speak to Damien McNally of Belfast’s Wave Trauma Centre about how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next, and the implications of providing front-line care while political deadlock prevents wider societal change. Historian Roy Foster of Oxford University discusses Ireland’s culture of dealing with the past and how it differs from the mood in Britain as Brexit looms. From historical inquiries to ‘Derry Girls’, we explore different routes to closure: through justice, truth-seeking, or creativity. This episode concludes with an exclusive reading by poet Gail McConnell of her poem about the Long Kesh breakout and the death of her father, ‘Start Out’. This is the first of a two-part series on the issue of dealing with the past, dedicated to the memory of murdered journalist Lyra McKee. You can read ‘Suicide of the Ceasefire Babies’, the essay which inspired these episodes, here. ’Start Out’ is published in Fourteen by Gail McConnell (Green Bottle Press, 2018): https://greenbottlepress.com/order-form/our-books/ Featuring editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ . Special thanks to Emma Rainey of Fem-Vibes podcast for reading an excerpt of Lyra McKee’s writing for us. For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

A brutal mass shooting shocks the world. In its wake, leaders vow to find those responsible and bring them to justice. But instead, the investigation goes nowhere. Evidence mysteriously goes missing or is destroyed. Suspects are tipped off before they are questioned. Leads are allowed to go cold. This episode delves into the murky history of collusion in Northern Ireland. We speak to investigative journalist Barry McCaffrey about the damning information he discovered linking the the infamous Loughinisland massacre to the British state’s so-called “Dirty War”. Naomi traces how Brexit has re-politicised Northern Ireland for the British right, and how modest progress in digging up the truth about the path has led to a backlash at the top of Westminster politics. This is the first of a two-part series on the issue of dealing with the past, dedicated to the memory of murdered journalist Lyra McKee. Editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

Who are Irish Travellers? The answer is Ireland’s most hidden history: mistaught or not taught in schools, often invisible or misrepresented in the media, and abused by some for political gain. In this episode, three Irish Travellers explain who they are and what it means to be a Traveller. We hear from John Connors, the actor, screenwriter, and activist, who welcomes us into his home to tell us about his childhood, family history, and what his research has discovered about the origins of his community. Campaigner Eileen Flynn explains her journey in becoming a feminist, and her battles with health, housing and discrimination. Finally, Julia O’Reilly tells us how she overcame challenges in education, and how her conviction that things must be better for the next generation has led her to seek change by running for political office. For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

In this first episode of Season 3, we explore the fascinating story of Irish women in politics from 1916 to the present day. We ask why women – integral to the foundation of the state – almost disappeared from the country’s political landscape until relatively recently, and why 2019 could represent a new era of revolutionary change. Historians Mary McAuliffe and Emma O’Toole explain why radical feminist politics was so central to the Irish Revolution, while journalist Martina Fitzgerald outlines the challenges faced by female politicians during the 20th century. Naomi speaks to Hazel Chu, who is vying to become the country’s first Irish-Chinese political representative, and Union of Student of Ireland representative Aisling Cusack tells us why things are changing, and changing fast … For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport. Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

It’s the Season 2 finale of The Irish Passport podcast, and this one is a blockbuster. Naomi interviews Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald about her concept of progressive Irish nationalism, and she believes its anti-colonial roots makes it fundamentally different to the nationalisms of continental Europe. Tim speaks to leading historians Richard English and Aidan Beatty to trace how Irish nationalism developed in the wake of the French revolution, and its complex relationship with questions of race and gender. Featuring a report on one of the island of Ireland’s newer identities: Northern Irish, as reporter Michael Lanigan captures the tensions of history hanging over a Republic of Ireland versus Northern Ireland soccer match. This episode is sponsored by Tigh Neachtain pub in Galway. This sponsorship allowed us to hire an audio editor for this episode: thank you very much to Alan Meaney.

Strange things are happening in Co. Roscommon, where a controversial eviction has set the internet on fire. Who were the unidentified men who ejected an elderly family from their farm house last week? Why do ex-British soldiers appear to be involved? And where do the rumours stop and facts begin? Naomi and Tim uncover the dramatic story of this eviction and its deep historical resonances in the Irish cultural consciousness. They trace out the facts of what exactly happened in the townland of Falsk, how it inspired a vicious vigilante counter-attack that has gripped national headlines – and why you should pay very close attention to what happens next. This episode includes exclusive unreported revelations about security guards from Northern Ireland who carried out the eviction. Trust us, you’re going to want to listen to this one.

Brexit chaos has turned British politics upside down for the last few weeks. What’s actually going on and should you care? Naomi and Tim lay out what are the UK’s realistic options, what the various factions actually want, and how it all relates to the biggest Brexit roadblock of all: the Irish border. As the clock ticks down to Brexit day on the 29th of March, this is the summary you need to understand Brexit and its consequences for the island of Ireland. This is a free edition of Halfpints, the extra series we make to thank our Patreon supporters. You can support the making of The Irish Passport podcast on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport, and get full access to our full archive of extra Halfpints episodes there.

Ireland’s main political parties are not split on a traditional left-right model, but instead represent different sides of a bloody civil war in the 1920s. But why is this war spoken about so little today? Could it be that its memory is too painful? Or is it because it still so strangely dominant in modern Irish politics? In this episode, Tim traces the history of Ireland’s Civil War from 1922-23, and how it shaped the country’s political landscape. Meanwhile, Naomi pays a visits the Irish Senate in Dublin, where she meets two politicians who have been deeply influenced by Civil War politics, albeit in very different ways. One is Senator Mark Daly, a descendant from anti-treaty rebels still questing for a 32-county Ireland, and the other is Senator Ian Marshall, the first northern unionist ever to be elected to the Irish Seanad.

hundred years since the end of the First World War, the remembrance poppy remains a controversial symbol in Ireland. Why? Writer Kylie Noble explains what the poppy meant to her as a child growing up in Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, and how she reconciles it with her British and Irish identity today. Naomi traces the roots of Ireland's complex relationship with the poppy and how it intersects with her own family history, and interrogates what the fundraising appeal is for according to the accounts of the Royal British Legion. Should Taoiseach Leo Varadkar be wearing a shamrock poppy? You decide. Featuring Cello Duet No. 1 by Chief Boima

Ireland votes for president on Friday October 26. Naomi and Tim break down the drama of the campaign. Featuring dragons, horses, and car-crash interviews (literally). We hit the campaign trail on the streets of Dublin, ask Sinn Féin candidate Liadh Ní Riada why she's running when she probably won't win, and tell the backstory to why Ireland has this peculiar position at all. This is a free sample of a new Halfpint, the bonus content we make for our Patreon supporters. To hear the whole episode, head over to The Irish Passport Patreon page to become a patron.

Ireland's housing crisis is at boiling point, with homelessness at record levels and even well-paid people struggling to afford soaring rents and house prices. It's the political issue everyone is talking about -- but it's one with a long and dramatic history. Tim traces the backstory to how an agrarian revolt turned Ireland into a kind of property-based welfare state. We visit an 'occupation training' session by Take Back the City, the activists who are grabbing headlines by seizing empty buildings in Dublin and demanding they be turned into social housing. How did Ireland go from the excesses of the Celtic Tiger property boom, to bust and back again? Hear the whole story in this episode.

Tim and Naomi travel to Belfast for the peak of Northern Ireland's marching season: the 11th and 12th of July, when unionists and British-identifying communities light enormous bonfires and parade through the streets to commemorate Protestant military victories of the 17th century. We speak to experts who explain the meaning of the tradition, and visit loyalist and republican communities in Belfast to understand what this time of year is like for them. We find many sides to the Glorious Twelfth: it can be a beloved community event, but it's intimidating enough that it drives most Catholics off the streets of Belfast. Naomi and Tim come face to face with the darker side, as they find themselves caught up in the thick of open sectarian celebrations.

Pope Francis visits Ireland in the wake of the abortion referendum, as Church infighting over the legacy of abuse in Catholic institutions threatens to derail the trip. We hear from people who protested the papal visit, and feature a special guest who decided he wanted to hear what the pope had to say for himself. Naomi and Tim discuss what the low turnout tells us about how the country has changed, and whether the visit closes a chapter in modern Irish history. This is a Halfpint episode, the extra content created to thank our Patreon supporters. Due to strong demand for an episode about the pope's visit, we've released this Halfpint to all listeners. You can listen to our full archive of Halfpints by signing up as a supporter on our Patreon page.

Derry: ground zero for the outbreak of conflict in Northern Ireland. Is it once again being threatened with instability as Brexit causes deep uncertainty over the border? Naomi and Tim travel north just as unrest breaks out in the ancient city as Protestants and unionists prepare to mark the 12th of July: a yearly celebration of their culture. We chat to a man who lost his father in Bloody Sunday, speak to children building a bonfire about why they burn the Irish flag, and sketch out why this city of so much promise has been held back by decades of discrimination.

The British government has locked itself in a country mansion to debate Brexit, like a demented Agatha Christie novel. In Brussels, Irish and European leaders grimly start planning for a cliff-edge, no-deal outcome. What’s going on and what does it all mean? Naomi and Tim untangle the latest developments and discuss the implications for Ireland and the border. We speak to UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn about his Brexit border stance and his plans for Northern Ireland if he became prime minister. Meanwhile, Irishmen at the heart of Brussels Dara Murphy and Commissioner Phil Hogan explain the challenges of the negotiation and why Europe is preparing itself for the worst.

Why are there two Scottish football clubs, one whose supporters wave the Irish tricolour, the other the Union Jack? The rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is just one aspect of a fascinating cultural interchange between Ireland and Scotland that goes back thousands of years. Naomi explores these ancient links and how they are still playing out in modern politics in this discussion with Professor Graham Walker, an expert on politics, sectarianism, culture and identity in Scotland and Northern Ireland at Queen’s University Belfast. We talk about how the bombshell of Brexit is alienating Scottish voters, and whether the quest for Scottish independence is making waves across the Irish sea. This is a ‘Halfpint’ episode, a special series we create in addition to the main podcast to thank our wonderful Patreon supporters. You can get access to many more Halfpint episodes if you sign up to support us at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

he most popular sports in Ireland are the Gaelic games: uniquely Irish sports with an ancient history and a dramatic political backstory that are finding increasing international success. Tim visits the Paris Gaels to hear why players who have never set foot in Ireland have taken to Gaelic football, while Naomi explores the importance of the intensely local amateur sports to communities in Ireland. We hear from sports historian Paul Rouse of University College Dublin on how the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884 was deeply linked to the nationalist politics of the time. From Bronze Age myths about hurling matches between ancient tribes, to a devastating massacre in Croke Park stadium in 1920, we hear why modern Ireland can't be understood without getting GAA.

Ireland has voted by a landslide to end its near-total abortion ban. We hear the voices of victorious campaigners in Dublin Castle in the moments when the result was announced. Naomi and Tim discuss the historic moment in a Dublin pub. We ask what this means for Ireland, what it means for the world, and whether Northern Ireland is next.

Northern Ireland is watching the abortion referendum in the Republic of Ireland carefully. It's already forcing political parties in the north to debate their abortion policies, and the vote's outcome will have immediate repercussions in Belfast. Naomi speaks to David McCann, deputy editor of political commentary site Slugger O'Toole about why social issues are in sync north and south. We hear how young abortion rights activists are organising coaches to cross the border and campaign in the republic's referendum. Naomi traces how the two jurisdictions ended up with similarly strict abortion bans, for very different reasons.

The rebellion of a raggedy band of teachers, nurses and poets sent shock waves around the world and changed Ireland forever. But why does the Easter Rising of 1916 still cause controversy? Naomi and Tim introduce the countess, the grocer’s daughter, the carpenter and the ex-cobbler who all picked up guns on the morning of April 24 1916 and marched out to declare an independent Irish republic. Leading historians give their analysis of how the concept of Ireland was forged, and how the centenary celebrations in 2016 changed how the Easter Rising is remembered. This episode analyses how 1916 remains an intoxicating idea in Irish politics, and explores the cultural movement that created an ‘idea’ of Ireland so powerful, it was to die for.

A bonus special episode in honour of our national day! We discuss the annual pilgrimage of Irish politicians to the White House that inevitably results in scandal. Tim tells us the surprising origins of the St. Patrick's Day festival and the murky history of the leprechaun mascot. Naomi investigates the global empire behind the viral spread of Irish Pubs from Hong Kong to Panama, but discovers how a friendly Irish bar can be a real asset for immigrants far from home.

A United Ireland: the idea has been a political force in Irish and British politics for centuries, and it has been given fresh momentum by Brexit. Tim explains how the concept long pre-dates the partition of the island and was once championed by Protestant elites. Naomi visits a public meeting about unification in central Dublin, and asks why it matters to people -- and when they expect it to happen. We hear from expert Katy Hayward on the potential options for Northern Ireland after Brexit, and why she believes talk of a United Ireland should be avoided altogether.

It's the grand finale to the first season! Tim and Naomi examine how a standoff over the Irish border in the Brexit negotiations brought ignorance about Ireland among politicians and media to the surface. We review the biggest embarrassing moments on air from the past few weeks, quiz ordinary English people about what they know about Ireland, and give a quick and dirty roundup of the history you need to know to understand today's news. Tim hears from a group of Northern Irish podcasters about what it's like to be from the forgotten province, and Naomi meets the Irishman who worked in Downing Street in the thick of the Brexit campaign and tried in vain to warn his colleagues of the border problems that were coming. We speak to finance professor Brian Lucey about the myths about Ireland that Brexit has brought to the surface, and hear an audio essay by Gordon Guthrie about Britain's 'great forgetting'.

Just below the surface of modern Ireland, a parallel world exists with its roots in pre-Christian belief. Irish fairies aren't like Tinkerbell - they're more like a supernatural mafia. So be careful what you say, because as the story goes, they're probably listening. Tim talks to one of Ireland's last seanchaí or story-teller historians, who once managed to get a highway diverted to prevent the felling of a fairy bush. We also hear about modern traditions from the streets of Galway as the Celtic New Year Samhain festival is underway. Meanwhile, Naomi discovers that fairies can even make an appearance in modern politics, thanks to Ireland's unique clan of rural populists, the Healy Rae political dynasty of County Kerry.

Ireland has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. Banned unless the woman's life is in serious danger, it carries a 14-year prison sentence. Rumblings of change are beginning, but some a campaign could open up ugly political fault lines. Why is Ireland like this? Tim and Naomi explore the strange and surprising backstory to Ireland's constitutional abortion ban. Tim hears from a journalist who snuck contraband condoms into 1970s Dublin. We hear from Ireland's 31-year-old health minister on what change he wants to see, while Naomi meets a 17 year-old student who has swapped her textbooks for a megaphone in the pro-choice campaign. Just don't let her Catholic school find out...

Have you heard that the Irish were slaves? If so, you may have been targeted with political propaganda from the American far right. Naomi speaks to actress and writer Azie Dungey about how Irish history is being abused for a political agenda in the United States, while Tim asks two experts in the topic about the truth behind the internet myth. We hear from American journalist Traci White who set out to investigate why the meme was appearing on her Facebook page, while Irish Senator Aodháin Ó Ríordáin tells us what the Trump administration needs to know about Irish-American history. Featuring: ‘When the Wick is Gone’ by the Pangolins

Ireland's great famine was the worst peacetime disaster in 19th century Europe. It shaped both Ireland and the world. And it remains such a political bombshell that people still can't agree on what to call it. We explore the hidden history of the mass starvation, from its little-known role in the origins of modern journalism to its surprising link to a Native American tribe. Tim discovers a piece of 1840s Ireland in the middle of Manhattan, while Naomi asks what lessons should be applied to current events today.

Applications for Irish passports surged in the last year, largely from people in Britain and Northern Ireland. Who are the new 'Brexit Irish'? We meet them in this new episode and hear their motivations for claiming their Irish identity. We also speak to the Irish ambassador who found himself in the eye of the storm as applications soared. Tim hits the streets of Galway to investigate what ordinary Irish citizens think of the newcomers -- and is taken aback by what he hears. Discover why Ireland has such a large diaspora in the first place, and the key role they played in the foundation of the state.

Ireland and Europe: what is Ireland's future in the EU now that its neighbour the United Kingdom is leaving? Is the so-called Irexit at all realistic? We explore Ireland's relationship with the continent now and in the future and unpick why Ireland differs so much from Britain in its history as part of Europe. We speak to Ireland's most, and perhaps only, well-known eurosceptic Ray Bassett, as well as Ireland's Minister for European Affairs and the ordinary people of Dublin to understand Ireland and Europe at this crucial moment in history.

Who are Ireland's elites? That question was once easily answered, but not since independence upended the entire social order! In this episode, Naomi visits a castle in Dublin that has been the home of one family for 35 generations -- and finds the current heir still feels he's not accepted as one of Ireland's own. Tim investigates how his own ancestors went from being aristocrats' servants to rebels in one generation. Or perhaps they were rebels all along? We speak to an expert who says Ireland today is in denial about having elites, when they are hiding in plain sight. Find out who they are in our chat with elitism expert Dr. Ciaran O’Neill.

For decades, Ireland was synonymous with Catholic state control - but the last 30 years have seen a new cultural climate take hold in the country, and a furious backlash has broken out against the legacies of the Church's institutional stranglehold. We'll be looking at how the Church became so powerful in the Irish Republic in the first place, and the reasons behind its dramatic fall from grace in recent times. We'll be talking to the formidable local historian Catherine Corless, who exposed institutional abuse and cover-ups on a massive scale in 2014, and we'll also interview journalists and doctors at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, which inspired public outrage when the state almost gave it over to an order of nuns with a very questionable past.

Why is there a knowledge gap about Ireland in the UK? As journalists scrambled to put together basic facts about Northern Ireland in the wake of the 2017 UK election, the country's blind spot about one of its own constituent nations became painfully evident. The Brexit debate further highlighted that many were unaware of the sovereign independence of the UK's closest neighbour, the Irish Republic. We talk to journalists and authors about the phenomenon, while Naomi digs up some rather worrying evidence from a contemporary UK school history book.

Irish: a rare and ancient language that is spoken from the streets of Canada to the corridors of power in the European Union. This episode delves into why the language is such a powerful national symbol for Ireland, its fraught history, and how it's still a point of political strife today.

The dramatic UK election result has suddenly made Northern Irish politics more pressing than ever. Are you trying to figure out what the DUP is anyway and what all this means for Brexit? We answer all these questions and more in this special UK election edition of The Irish Passport. It includes a report from a loyalist pipe band event where we asked marchers what they thought of Brexit, and got some surprising answers....

What will happen to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit? We discuss how Britain has ignored this problem, and speak to ordinary people on the border about their lives and their fears about any hardening of the border. Naomi reports from the border on how Brexit could affect a family of farmers and a man who has to cross the border four times in 10 minutes to get to his nearest town. We hear how talk of a united Ireland is on the rise, and a Sinn Fein councillor who is missing a few fingers from his struggles against a hard border in the past tells us a return to violence "depends on what conditions are created". Tim lays out how the border came to be in the first place, from the plantations, through religious wars, rebellions, and the war of independence that led to the emergence of the modern Irish state. What is Ireland anyway? This episode gets the facts straight.