The Irish Passport

Ireland shares a fascinating history with the Australian continent – by the 19th century, in fact, about 25% of settlers in Australia were Irish-born. In this episode, we speak to Victoria University’s Diane Hall about the history of the Irish in Australia, Tim Mc Inerney meets two generations of Irish Australians who explain what their … Continue reading "Ireland and Australia"

As the Coronavirus hits the Native Americans hard, Irish people have taken the chance to repay a 173-year-old debt.  A fundraiser to help the Navajo and Hopi Nations fight one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the United States has taken off in Ireland. Donations have been flooding in, in tribute to an act of … Continue reading "Halfpints: Irish and Native American solidarity"

In our first episode of Season 4, we take on the Irish Accent: where did it come from? What secrets might it hide? And why is it so often an issue of contention? Tim Mc Inerney speaks to accent expert Shane Walshe of Zurich University about how Irish accents are seen by the wider world, … Continue reading "The Irish Accent"

In Northern Ireland, questions of national identity often come with some surprising answers. Our reporter Jennifer Smith catches up with two Belfast residents born around the time of the Good Friday Agreement. They explain their understanding of identity in Northern Ireland and how nationality there constitutes a complex and ever-changing web of politics, family history, … Continue reading "...

In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney take a look at some of the good news coming out in the times of Coronavirus. We’ll be talking about drive-through testing centres in Dublin, mass volunteering efforts to help neighbours and the health service, EU officials embracing … Continue reading "Halfpints: The good news!"

A seismic result has emerged in the Irish election: the left-wing nationalist Sinn Fe’in are the most popular party, sweeping away the traditional dominance of Fine Gael and Fianna Fa’il for the first time in the history of the republic. What caused the political earthquake? And what happens now? Naomi O’Leary joins Tim Mc Inerney from … Continue reading "The election...

The global rise of radical right nativist parties seemed to skip Ireland. But the last 18 months have seen efforts to introduce anti-immigration politics to Ireland in a way not seen before, amid a backlash against the legalisation of abortion. We hear how a conspiracy theory elevated by US pundit Alex Jones has ended up … Continue reading "Halfpints: Rise of the right – what Ireland c...

Tech workers abandoning Dublin due to housing costs, an Airbnb maintenance worker who is himself homeless, and the woman battling to transform Ireland’s swathe of vacant properties into homes. This episode takes an inside look at the housing crisis from the point of view of people facing the hard edge of the issue in different … Continue reading "Halfpints: Inside the Housing Crisis &#...

Ireland goes to the polls on February 8th. Naomi O’Leary breaks down six points that explain the election. Who are the players? Why was the election called? What are the main issues? How will the election work? What are the likely results? And what do the Black and Tans have to do with it? This … Continue reading "Halfpints: Six points that sum up Ireland’s 2020 election"

Contains an interview about anti-LGBT+ and anti-immigration violence. In this season finale, The Irish Passport takes on one of Ireland’s most controversial issues: Direct Provision. The system for housing people who apply for refugee status in Ireland turns 20 this year. Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O’Leary speak to Bulelani Mfaco, who fled persecution of … Continue reading "Direct...

Every year, thousands of returning emigrants make their way through the sliding doors of Dublin airport arrivals to come home to Ireland for Christmas. Tim Mc Inerney and Naomi O’Leary record from the scene to bring you the stories of those who have travelled from far and wide and come back home to celebrate the … Continue reading "Home for Christmas"

The UK has voted for a Boris Brexit, and the future of the union has never seemed so fragile. What does the biggest Conservative majority in a generation mean for Ireland north and south? Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney dissect the election results, discuss how a number of upsets from the Democratic Unionist Party … Continue reading "What the UK election means for Ireland, Brexit and...

During the 20th century, a significant proportion of the Irish population was incarcerated in a network of institutions. These ranged from Magdalene laundries where ‘troublesome’ women were put into servitude, to industrial schools for children that were famed for their cruelty. Journalist Caelainn Hogan is the author of Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland’s Institutions &#82...

Live from Dublin, the Irish Passport brings you the hidden history of the Irish capital with Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney. Comedian and author Tara Flynn discusses her favourite Dublin secrets. Tonie Walsh describes gay life in the city before the decriminalisation of homosexuality, and the furious anger at violence against gay people that … Continue reading "Secret Dublin with com...

Islands on opposite sides of the world with deep differences, and surprising similarities! Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney explore the thriving traditional Irish music scene in Tokyo, reporting from a session in a downtown pub where dozens of Japanese musicians meet to play jigs and reels, many of them speaking in Irish accents. Ireland’s … Continue reading "Ireland and Japan"

A century since a revolutionary Irish government declared the birth of a new nation, we ask how Ireland could be re-invented for the future. We are living in a moment of rapid change. Great geopolitical shifts are destroying old certainties. Climate change is poised to transform our way of life. In Ireland, landmark referendums have … Continue reading "Re-inventing Ireland: live show with au...

The Irish Passport is opening up the floor to listeners in this episode, and taking questions on everything from recent Irish political history, to life as a returned member of the diaspora. Several people got in touch with practical questions about a United Ireland. Is the republic prepared for the possibility of loyalist violence? And … Continue reading "Returning diaspora, repeat referend...

The second installment in two episodes bringing you the voices of those with the most at stake as a disastrous No Deal Brexit threatens the island of Ireland. Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney speak to Orla Smyth, a businesswoman who has invested everything she had in building Belfast’s thriving Kaffe O coffee chain, only … Continue reading "Where the Brexit Stakes are Highest Par...

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 … Continue reading "Where the Brexit Stakes are Highest Part 1"

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 … Continue reading "Why can’t all Irish citizens vote?"

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 Tim Mc Inerney and historian Adrian Martyn, and find out all about the infamous ‘Tribes … Continue reading "Galway, City of the Tribes"

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, … Continue reading "Poetry and Pain"

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 … Continue reading "Collusion"

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. Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney … Continue reading "Travellers"

In this first episode of Season 3, Naomi O’Leary and Tim Mc Inerney 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 … Continue reading "Women in Politics"