The Irish Passport

Latest Episodes:

Returning diaspora, repeat referendums and loyalists in a United Ireland: it’s a listener questions episode! Oct 09, 2019

Show notes

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 would people born in Northern Ireland still be able to claim British citizenship in a unification scenario? Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney delve into the history of countries that broke off from the British empire to ask what we can learn from precedent.

Is it true that the Irish people were told to vote again after rejecting the European Union Nice and Lisbon Treaties? We speak to the Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration John O'Brennan and discover the complex truth of an argument often used in the Brexit debate.

A listener in the United States who is Irish by descent got in touch to say he was considering a move to Ireland, and would like to hear from people who had already done the same. We hear from people who moved to Ireland as adults and discover the country through fresh eyes: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful.

Special thanks to everyone who responded, including: Tadgh Jenkins, Shana Slow, Kevin from New York, Kath O'Meara, Stevie Nolan, and Guy Le Jeune.

To hear a full interview with Professor O'Brennan and additional responses from people who moved to Ireland, support us on: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Featuring editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ .

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

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Where the Brexit Stakes are Highest Part 2 Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

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 to see the prospect of tariffs, the plummeting pound and delays at the border threatening all she has worked for. A man whose house is a mile from the border tells us what it was like growing up in militarized South Armagh and how the prospect of a return to the past drove him into activism. And border integration expert Caitríona Mullan talks us through life in a cross-border household, the work that has gone into building networks across the dividing line, and how she sees people reverting to old coping mechanisms from the time of conflict to deal with the atmosphere of uncertainty.

Part one of two episodes bringing you the voices of those for whom the Brexit stakes are highest. You can listen to part one here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-7-where-the-brexit-stakes-are-highest-part-1/.

Featuring editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ .

For the full interview with Caitriona Mullan and more bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

Featuring 'Voyeur' by Jingle Punks.

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Where the Brexit Stakes are Highest Part 1 Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

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 rights, and people who rely on a peaceful open border in their daily lives. We hear from Irish News security correspondent Allison Morris on why the Brexit uncertainty and talk of a hardened border has emboldened dissident republicans, with an increasing pace of shootings and bombings over recent months. Tim Mc Inerney sums up the chaos and shenanigans in Westminster so far, and the government's predictions of riots and shortages in the case of a No Deal. Naomi O'Leary describes the view from Belfast's loyalist Shankill Road, where she went to interview former paramilitaries about their dissatisfaction with the peace, why they hate the so-called "Backstop", and the real risks of a return to violence they see now.

This is the first in a two-part episode focused on the voices of those for whom the Brexit stakes are highest. You can listen to part two here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-8-where-the-brexit-stakes-are-highest-part-2/

Featuring editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ .

For the full interview with Allison Morris and more bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

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Why can’t all Irish citizens vote? Aug 05, 2019

Show notes

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 president to all Irish citizens, including in Northern Ireland and overseas, Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney explore the political implications of the current voting system and weigh the arguments for and against change. We hear the case for reform from Irish people from the north, and from people who travelled back to Ireland in the famous 'Home to Vote' movements. This episode features a report from the campaign launch of Votes for Irish Citizens Abroad by contributor Michael Lanigan, as well as the voices of ordinary people in Dublin on their hopes and concerns about the proposal.

Editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann.

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Galway, City of the Tribes Jul 15, 2019

Show notes

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 of Galway' who presided over this western frontier-city for over five centuries. Who were they? Where on earth did they come from? And what's left of them today? See Tim's photographs of the landmarks discussed here.

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

If you want to check out more from historian Adrian Martyn and order his book 'The Tribes of Galway', you can find his work here: https://adrianmartyn.ie/

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Poetry and Pain Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

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, the second in a two-part series on the theme of dealing with the past. We speak to Damien McNally of Belfast's Wave Trauma Centre about how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next, and the implications of providing front-line care while political deadlock prevents wider societal change. Historian Roy Foster of Oxford University discusses Ireland's culture of dealing with the past and how it differs from the mood in Britain as Brexit looms. From historical inquiries to 'Derry Girls', Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney explore different routes to closure: through justice, truth-seeking, or creativity. This episode concludes with an exclusive reading by poet Gail McConnell of her poem about the Long Kesh breakout and the death of her father, 'Start Out'.

This is the second of a two-part series on the issue of dealing with the past, dedicated to the memory of murdered journalist Lyra McKee. You can listen to part one here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-3-collusion/

You can read 'Suicide of the Ceasefire Babies', the essay which inspired these episodes, here.

’Start Out’ is published in Fourteen by Gail McConnell (Green Bottle Press, 2018): https://greenbottlepress.com/order-form/our-books/

Featuring editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/ . Special thanks to Emma Rainey of Fem-Vibes podcast for reading an excerpt of Lyra McKee's writing for us.

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann.

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Collusion May 28, 2019

Show notes

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 of collusion in Northern Ireland. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney speak to investigative journalist Barry McCaffrey about the damning information he discovered linking the the infamous Loughinisland massacre to the British state's so-called "Dirty War". Naomi traces how Brexit has re-politicised Northern Ireland for the British right, and how modest progress in digging up the truth about the path has led to a backlash at the top of Westminster politics.

This is the first of a two-part series on the issue of dealing with the past, dedicated to the memory of murdered journalist Lyra McKee. You can listen to part two here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-4-poetry-and-pain/

Editing by Alan Meaney http://alanmeaney.ie/

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

The music you heard in this episode is Night II, by Swelling, and Serial Killer, by John Bartmann.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://theirishpassport.com/transcript-collusion/

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Travellers Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

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 hear from John Connors, the actor, screenwriter, and activist, who welcomes us into his home to tell us about his childhood, family history, and what his research has discovered about the origins of his community. Campaigner Eileen Flynn explains her journey in becoming a feminist, and her battles with health, housing and discrimination. Finally, Julia O'Reilly tells us how she overcame challenges in education, and how her conviction that things must be better for the next generation has led her to seek change by running for political office.

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://theirishpassport.com/transcripts/transcript-travellers/

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Women in Politics Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

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 represent a new era of revolutionary change. Historians Mary McAuliffe and Emma O'Toole explain why radical feminist politics was so central to the Irish Revolution, while journalist Martina Fitzgerald outlines the challenges faced by female politicians during the 20th century. Naomi speaks to Hazel Chu, who is vying to become the country's first Irish-Chinese political representative, and Union of Student of Ireland representative Aisling Cusack tells us why things are changing, and changing fast ...

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Season 3 of The Irish Passport podcast is made with the kind support of Biddy Murphy, online sellers of genuine Irish goods. Check them out on www.biddymurphy.com.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/transcripts/transcript-women-in-politics/

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Bonus Live Show: The London-Irish Diaspora Mar 17, 2019

Show notes

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 from the Museum of London’s Director of Content, Finbarr Whooley. Special thanks to the organisers of this Young Ambassadors event, William McQuillan, and the staff and crew of the Museum of London.

For bonus episodes, support us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Support this podcast

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