The Irish Passport

Self-described "Irish Catholic" Joe Biden has elected president of the United States after a momentous election that has the potential to transform international relations and potentially Ireland's fortunes as the post-Brexit talks reach their final moment. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney discuss the president-elect's Irish roots, what his Catholic identity means in this historical context, why B...

In this episode Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney hear the voices of women who lived through a profound social transformation in Ireland: the coming of electricity. The ability to turn on a light or boil a kettle with just a switch came relatively late to large parts of Ireland, part of an ambitious project by the young state to economically transform Ireland and help it take its place among the na...

It’s return of the clowns as Naomi and Tim dissect the latest Brexit drama and speak to Congressman Brendan Boyle, whose cutting criticism of the British government went viral after the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared it would break international law. Where are we, how did we get here, and what lies ahead? We sum it up ahead of a crunch week in the talks between the European Un...

A golf society dinner for 81 people has thrown the Irish government into chaos. Attended by a host of senior political figures, many at the forefront Ireland’s COVID health strategy, the event appeared to flout the very social distancing regulations some of its guests had devised. This is just the latest in a series of disasters for the recently installed coalition government, which has been strug...

Celtic identity is politically powerful but historically nebulous, a subject of debate among historians and archaeologists, while being a source of inspiration to some and irritation to others. In this episode, Naomi and Tim visit a Celtic music festival in the Netherlands to explore why the concept has such international appeal. Tim explores the political use and abuse of the idea of the Celts in...

After almost half a year of negotiations and political maneuvering, Ireland finally has a government. It’s unlike any that has come before it, and it doesn’t include the party that got the post votes in the last election, Sinn Féin. In this livestreamed podcast, Naomi and Tim answer listener questions with special guests Aoife-Grace Moore, political correspondent with The Irish Examiner, and Darac...

Young Black people in Ireland have taken to the streets to demand an end to racism and discrimination in the midst of a global uprising inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Documentary maker Amanda Adé explores the conversations and momentum for change that is happening in Ireland in the wake of the protests. We hear from Boni Odoemene, the co-founder of the Black and Irish Instagram page,...

Protests against Ireland’s controversial system for housing asylum seekers Direct Provision have been re-ignited as demonstrations against racism sweep the United States. We interviewed Bulelani Mfaco where he lives in Knockalisheen Direct Provision centre on the border of Limerick and Clare for our episode on the system published in January. In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patre...

In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi and Tim catch up on how Europe finds itself at a make-or-break moment. Fundamental questions of democracy and economics are in question, and Ireland will have its role to play in figuring them out as the European Union decides what exactly it wants to be. Plus: why are people still talking about Brexit, and what are the st...

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 meets two generations of Irish Australians who explain what their unique identity means to them, and Naomi explores some of the major issu...

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 kindness during the Great Hunger in Ireland that has never been forgotten. In the worst y...

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 speaks to accent expert Shane Walshe of Zurich University about how Irish accents are seen by the wider world, Naomi talks with Senator Lynn Ruane about why some Irish accents can lead to discrimination and marginalisation, and most i...

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, and social class. This bon...

In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, we 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 poetry, and some very promising statistics and real concrete help coming out of China. You can...

How is Ireland dealing with the Coronavirus outbreak? In this freely available Halfpint episode, Naomi and Tim look into the way different countries in Europe have dealt with the unprecedented pandemic sweeping the world right now. We look at how the outbreak is affecting politics at home and abroad, and offer some advice for those who might be self-isolating right now. We make Halfpint episodes e...

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 joins Tim from the main voting count centre in Dublin to break down the results. The housing cri...

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 on the streets of Cork, as protesters ambush an event by ruling party Fine Ga...

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 ways. As polls ahead of the election on February 8th indicate Taoiseach...

Ireland goes to the polls on February 8th. We break 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 is an episode of Halfpints, the bonus episodes of The Irish Passport podcast we make specially to thank our supporte...

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. We speak to Bulelani Mfaco, who fled persecution of gay and LGBT+ people in South Africa to Ireland in 2017, and now campaigns for the rights of those seeking asylum. We visit the Direct Provision...

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 and Naomi 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 holiday with their loved ones. We share funny stories, sad stories, moving stories, and discuss family qu...

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 and Tim dissect the election results, discuss how a number of upsets from the Democratic Unionist Party indicate the party seriously miscalculated on Brexit, and bring you fresh analysis from the election f...

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 for ‘Fallen Women’. In...

Live from Dublin, the Irish Passport brings you the hidden history of the Irish capital. 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 fuelled the earliest Pride marches. Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project rec...

Islands on opposite sides of the world with deep differences, and surprising similarities! Naomi and Tim 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 ambassador in Tokyo Paul Kavanagh tells us why Japan is the biggest investor...