The Irish Passport

Harps, shamrocks, hands, crowns, swords, mythical female embodiments of Éire: all Irish symbols and all up for discussion in this episode, in which Tim and Naomi are joined by Darach Ó Séaghdha of the Motherfoclóir podcast to discuss Irish flags past, present, and future.

We consider the merits and perils of the different symbols as debate begins to stir on whether a new flag might be required if Northern Ireland were to ever unify with the Republic.

Tim runs through the history of flags and their association with the nation state, Darach explains why the colours of the Irish flag have special names in the Irish language, and Naomi talks through some international examples of countries that have debated changing their flag.

To see images of the flags we are discussing, follow this link: https://www.theirishpassport.com/2021/04/07/flags-discussed-in-our-latest-episode/

This is a bonus Halfpint episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters. All our bonus episodes are available at Patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

Harps, shamrocks, hands, crowns, swords, mythical female embodiments of Éire: all Irish symbols and all up for discussion in this episode, in which Tim and Naomi are joined by Darach Ó Séaghdha of the Motherfoclóir podcast to discuss Irish flags past, present, and future.

We consider the merits and perils of the different symbols as debate begins to stir on whether a new flag might be required if Northern Ireland were to ever unify with the Republic.

Tim runs through the history of flags and their association with the nation state, Darach explains why the colours of the Irish flag have special names in the Irish language, and Naomi talks through some international examples of countries that have debated changing their flag.

To see images of the flags we are discussing, follow this link: https://www.theirishpassport.com/2021/04/07/flags-discussed-in-our-latest-episode/

This is a bonus Halfpint episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters. All our bonus episodes are available at Patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

The real history of the Irish pub, the backstory to the leprechaun, and what St Patrick’s Day has meant throughout the generations: Naomi and Tim sum it up in this St. Patrick’s Day special in honour of the national day.

If you are celebrating the holiday around the world, we have a special message for you this year. Take a look: https://youtu.be/qnLcat_eJBw

This episode was first published in 2018.

Check out our bonus Q&A on the US election and its impact on Ireland exclusively for Patreons over at https://www.patreon.com/posts/43683072

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

Surprise! While we continue to prepare Season 5, we’ve decided to make last month’s Halfpint episode freely available to all our listeners. In this edition, Tim builds on our recent Season 4 finale by delving deeper into the colonial Irish Parliament around the time of the Act of Union of 1801. If you haven’t heard that Season 4 finale yet, you can go back and listen to it here:

Part 1: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-1-the-history/

Part 2: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-2-the-current-day/

We make Halfpint extra content as a thank you to our Patreon supporters, who keep the podcast running. If you would like to support us too, and gain access to our full back catalogue of extra content along the way, you can become a supporter of the Irish Passport Podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

This episode features music from Peter Rudenko: Stay 17; Sublime Melody; and Iced Spring Theme, from the album Inner Mechanics.

The real history of the Irish pub, the backstory to the leprechaun, and what St Patrick's Day has meant throughout the generations: Naomi and Tim sum it up in this St. Patrick's Day special in honour of the national day.

If you are celebrating the holiday around the world, we have a special message for you this year. Take a look: https://youtu.be/qnLcat_eJBw

This episode was first published in 2018.

Check out our bonus Q&A on the US election and its impact on Ireland exclusively for Patreons over at https://www.patreon.com/posts/43683072

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

Surprise! While we continue to prepare Season 5, we've decided to make last month's Halfpint episode freely available to all our listeners. In this edition, Tim builds on our recent Season 4 finale by delving deeper into the colonial Irish Parliament around the time of the Act of Union of 1801. If you haven't heard that Season 4 finale yet, you can go back and listen to it here:

Part 1: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-1-the-history/

Part 2: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-2-the-current-day/

We make Halfpint extra content as a thank you to our Patreon supporters, who keep the podcast running. If you would like to support us too, and gain access to our full back catalogue of extra content along the way, you can become a supporter of the Irish Passport Podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

This episode features music from Peter Rudenko: Stay 17; Sublime Melody; and Iced Spring Theme, from the album Inner Mechanics.

New survey data suggests majorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland want referendums on whether to break with the union, and a majority across the United Kingdom expect Scotland to be independent within 10 years. With the bonds of the union under strain, Naomi and Tim sum up how the Brexit negotiations concluded, and explore the ways in which the deal pursued by the British government made people’s lives worse. Angry fishermen, queuing truck drivers, and the Irish government stepping in to pay for health insurance and Erasmus exchanges for people in the North: a snapshot of a period of Destructive Unionism.

You can listen to Part 1 here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-1-the-history/

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

With the fallout of Brexit straining the bonds of the United Kingdom, Naomi and Tim look back on a period of history with huge resonance for the current moment. The union that still perseveres today was forged in crisis, as an emergency response by the British government to a Protestant-led Irish rebellion that deeply shook the Westminster government. What followed was a century of betrayal, struggle, and strife, culminating in a desperate attempt by successive British governments to love-bomb the rebellious Irish populace into supporting the union. This was a strategy known as Constructive Unionism: are we seeing its destructive mirror image today?

You can listen to Part 2 here: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/destructive-unionism-part-2-the-current-day/

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

Past guests including comedian Tara Flynn, Brendan Boyle, Caitríona Perry, Emma de Souza, Sarah Maria Griffin, Caelainn Hogan, Sarah Creighton, Ronan McCrea and Matthew O’Toole join us again for a Christmas reunion! It’s a bizarre one for many of us this year but we hear from people all around the world who are making it special where they are. Naomi and Tim tell some stories of hope as we approach the winter solstice: the darkest day of the year before the days get brighter, that has been celebrated as a turning point for millennia. Featuring some original (and very on point!) music by Michael Fry.

Music: Lockdown Christmas by Michael Fry, Christmas lights by TRG Banks, Let’s Just Get Through Christmas by Doctor Turtle. Huge thanks to all our contributors.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @PassportIrish.

If you enjoyed this episode, do give us a good review in your podcast app and share it with your friends.

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 British Conservatives are unhappy with his victory, and how the result is being received in the ancestral villages that claim Biden as their own.