The Irish Passport

This St Patrick’s Day weekend we’re bringing you a bonus live show! Tim Mc Inerney comes to you from the Museum London, where he speaks to journalist Séamas O’Reilly and historian Danielle Thom about the London-Irish Diaspora, past and present. We’ll also hear about how London’s historic Irish community was formed, with a few words … Continue reading "Bonus Live Show: The London-Irish...

The Irish Passport’s first live show takes on the issues of race, politics and history between Ireland and the United States. We hear the backstage gossip from St. Patrick’s Day at the White house from RTÉ broadcaster Caitríona Perry, author of In America: Tales from Trump Country. We find out how strong the Irish-American lobby really is in Washington, and … Continu...

A sneak preview of a bonus episode published to thank our Patreon supporters. Hear the full episode at patreon.com/theirishpassport. How has Brexit transformed the debate on Irish unification? Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney hear from locals in Northern Ireland on why a referendum on unity some thought they’d never see in their lifetime suddenly … Continue reading "Halfpints pre...

It’s the Season 2 finale of the Irish Passport Podcast, and we’re taking on Irish Nationalism. Naomi O’Leary interviews Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald about her concept of progressive Irish nationalism, and why she believes its anti-colonial roots distinguishes it from counterparts in continental Europe. Tim Mc Inerney speaks to historians Richard English and … Conti...

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 O’Leary and Tim Mc … Continue reading "The Mysterious Eviction"

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 … Continue reading "Irish Politics and the Civil War"

A 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 O’Leary … Continue reading "Halfpints: Why the poppy divides Ireland"

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 Mc Inerney and Naomi O’Leary trace the backstory to how an agrarian … Continue reading "The Housing...

Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O’Leary 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 including Donald MacRaild and Dominic Bryan … Continue readi...

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. … Continue reading "Halfpints: Pope Francis in Ireland"

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 O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney travel north just as unrest breaks out in the ancient city as Protestants and unionists prepare to mark the 12th of July: … Continue reading "Derry: “Ireland’s Jerusalem&#8...

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 O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney untangle the latest developments and discuss the … Continue reading "Brexit Update 2018"

The 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 Mc Inerney visits the Paris Gaels to hear why players who have never set foot in Ireland have taken to Gaelic football, while Naomi O’Leary explores … Continue reading "The Gaelic Games"

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 O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney discuss the historic moment in a Dublin pub. We ask what this means for Ireland, what it means for … Continue reading "After the Eighth. Ireland repeals abortion ban"

Ireland is fighting it out on whether or not to remove its constitutional abortion ban in a referendum on May 25. We investigate how tactics seen in the Trump and Brexit campaigns have come to Ireland, turning it into a battleground for progressive and conservative forces in a global culture war. Naomi O’Leary’s deep dive … Continue reading "Ireland’s Abortion Referendum: I...

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 O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney introduce the countess, the grocer’s daughter, the carpenter and the ex-cobbler who all picked up guns on … Continue reading "1916 and the Invention of Ireland"

A tale of powerful matriarchs, fearsome warriors, and supernaturally potent bullocks from Ireland’s ancient past. What’s not to love? Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney take on the Táin Bó Cúailnge, a tale of cattle-raiding derring-do from before Christianity made it to Ireland. The first episode of our Halfpints mini-series, available to our Patreon subscribers … Continue re...

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 Mc Inerney tells us the surprising origins of the St. Patrick’s Day festival and the murky history of the leprechaun mascot. Naomi O’Leary investigates the global empire … Continue reading "St. Patrick’s Day...

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 Mc Inerney explains how the concept long pre-dates the partition of the island and was once championed by Protestant elites. Naomi O’Leary visits a public meeting about unification … Continue reading "A United Ireland"

It’s the grand finale to the first season! Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O’Leary 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 … Continue reading "The Invisible War"

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 Mc Inerney talks to one of Ireland’s last seanchaí or story-teller … Continue reading "Away...

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 Mc Inerney and Naomi O’Leary explore the strange … Continue reading "Abortion"

Have you ever heard that the Irish were slaves? If so, you may have been targeted with political propaganda. Naomi O’Leary speaks to actress and writer Azie Dungey about how Irish history is being abused for a political agenda in the United States, while Tim Mc Inerney asks two experts in the topic about the … Continue reading "The Irish Slaves Myth"

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. Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney explore the hidden history of the mass starvation, from its little-known role in … Continue reading "The Great Hunger"

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 … Continue reading "The Brexit Irish"