The Killing Fields: How the GAA survived the British murder machine... and flourished
"Each of the entries included in the book has the same ending.” Peadar Thompson wrote those haunting words in his introduction to Lost Gaels, the story of GAA members killed in Ireland during the Troubles. On Free State today Peadar Thompson is the guest and talks about his extraordinary book. It details, not just the horrific nature of how these GAA people lost their lives, but also their lives within the community and, most profoundly, within the GAA.“To be a GAA member in the north back then was to put your head above the parapet,” Peadar says. He provides the profiles in courage of those who wanted nothing more than to lead ordinary lives but who became targets often because of nothing more than a love of the GAA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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55:00
No Pope of Rome, no bilingual signs, no border poll. Pope Francis’s death and Micheál Martin’s impossible demand.
When Pope Francis’s death was announced by the Vatican this week, the world found the words to pay tribute.From Kings to Prime Ministers to Presidents, everyone reached for the most appropriate tribute. Even Donald Trump was looking forward to the funeral.But what does the reaction from unionist parties in the north tell us about the loyalist mindset?On Free State, Dion and Joe look at what the pope, the Irish language, Casement Park and a border poll tell us about the supremacist mindset.They argue about Micheál Martin’s talk about reconciliation before a united Ireland and wonder what does it actually mean? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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48:00
High Noon: How one man retreated from the world and found his way back again
Eamonn Sweeney’s life changed on a June day in the year 2000.He was a sportswriter enjoying the traditional rhythm of the GAA summer as he arrived at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.Suddenly he was hit by a bomb and couldn’t put one foot in front of the other.It was the beginning of a descent into isolation and fear.On Free State today, Eamonn Sweeney talks about the terror of those days when travelling became a nightmare and he retreated into a cocoon.He speaks about his new book and how writing it helped to restore him as he found purpose again. It is a story about the community and the power of the GAA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:05:24
This Machine Kills Fascists - Historian Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc on the return of the far right
The history of the far right in Ireland is long and dark. From the Blueshirts and Eoin O’Duffy to the Nazi collaborator Sean Russell and the return in modern times. On today’s Free State, historian Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc talks about his new book on the far right and how he entered into the world of conspiracy to learn more about the movement.He talks about the Blueshirts and how close Ireland came to a coup and why even when the far right seem absurd they can’t be underestimated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:21:28
Arise Sir Rory and Joe Brolly says sorry
Are you still talking about Rory McIlroy? Joe has reflected on his comments on Tuesday’s episode and Dion believes his views have changed. Have they? Joe also looks at the uniformity of the celebration and what it tells us about society. Dion sees similarities with Italia 90 but Joe thinks there are echoes of Princess Diana’s death. They look at why all sport requires a suspension of rational thought. There is also more anonymous correspondence about Joe’s remarks.Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Free State is a podcast for the curious that stimulates, provokes, challenges and entertains, while never taking itself too seriously. Free State covers topics from sport to politics, love to loss, the human condition and how to fix the world, with guests from across the planet including Nigerian princes, former Prime Ministers, ex convicts, footballers, boxers and extraordinary people from every walk of life. Free State is presented by Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning. Brolly is a barrister, an original thinker with a fascinating backstory, who donated a kidney to a stranger and then led a crusade to transform organ donation on the island of Ireland, and Fanning is an award-winning interviewer and author. They are not motivational gurus or life coaches. They will never try to sell you a penis scented candle. They are two people from very different worlds, with one core belief uniting them - this is not a high performance podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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