Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

Thousands gathered on Garvaghy Road determined that there would be no going back. A new generation, confident and assured, are determined that the north chooses a different road.
But what is it about a parade of elderly orange men that causes these emotions?
On Free State today Joe explains why Garvaghy Road represents a new and confident community.
Joe and Dion discuss what it means for a United Ireland. What that Ireland would look like might be even more important than a border poll.
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Louise Kennedy's first novel Trespasses was a beautiful and heartbreaking story of the Troubles. In her new novel Stations she deals with the loss and sacrifice of emigration. Louise talks to Dion about moving from the north to Naas when she was 12 and the truth about emigration and why Ireland has yet to acknowledge it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November 2023, Peter O’Mahony sat down for a meeting with his coach at Munster Graham Rowntree where the reality of a professional sportsman’s life became brutally clear.
On that same day, Peter and Dion met for the first time to begin work on his autobiography. Peter is the guest on today’s Free State where he talks about why having an obsession with winning was essential to his career and his brief time as a Gaelic footballer.
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In Drumcree and in Debrecen, we were forced to consider different Irelands last weekend.
The determination of the Orange Order to parade down Garvaghy Road brought back memories for so many of the dark days in the north.
But does it really show how much has changed?
On Free State today, Dion and Joe discuss what happened at Drumcree and in Hungary where Gavin Bazunu told his team mates he didn’t want to play against Israel. Should his team mates have stood with him? What does beating Israel mean for Ireland? Is there any merit in it or are Ireland just participating in the sports washing of war crimes?
Email us at info@freestatepodcast.com
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Jon Ronson joins Dion on today's Free State to talk about the manosphere, his time with Ian Paisley and his new book, The Castle. Learn more about Jon's new book here - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/455289/the-castle-by-ronson-jon/9780241754771 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.