The Irish Passport

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 O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney 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 debates about identity and nationalism in Scotland and Ireland. Historian Adrian Martyn tells us why he finds the idea of Celticness insulting, while National Museum of Scotland curator Fraser Hunter breaks down the complex reality of early civilisations on the Atlantic islands and what we know about our ancient ancestors.

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Adrian Martyn's website is  https://adrianmartyn.ie/

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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 O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney answer listener questions with special guests Aoife-Grace Moore, political correspondent with The Irish Examiner, and Darach Ó Séaghdha of the Motherfoclóir podcast.

Is the new government's policy programme really the greenest ever? Why are people calling this the end of the Civil War politics? Are the Green party falling into a trap, and will Sinn Féin ultimately benefit?

The new coalition is made up of old rivals Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with the support of the Green party. The new Taoiseach is Micheál Martin, who is supposed to be in office until the end of 2022 when he will step aside to let outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar assume the role.

Watch the video version of this live podcast here: https://youtu.be/E8dnapYnmig

To access our full archive of bonus content head on over to our Patreon page and sign up to support the podcast www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

If you liked this podcast, do share it with your friends, give us a nice rating in your podcast app, or connect with us on social media. We're @PassportIrish on Twitter and Facebook.

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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, which is unearthing a hidden part of Irish history. The curator of Ireland's first Black Studies module Dr. Ebun Joseph discusses her research on the nature of racial stratification in Ireland. And Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney dig into the complex and interesting crossovers of Black and Irish history, from the dark legacy of empire, to how the US civil rights movement inspired Catholics in 1960s Northern Ireland, to the tearing down of statues.

You can check out Black and Irish here: https://www.instagram.com/black_andirish/

Featuring the track BLM (I Can't Breathe) by Jihfa http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Jihfa/61807

Check out our archive of bonus content over on Patreon: www.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.

You might be interested in our other episodes:

The Irish Slaves Myth: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/episode-10-the-irish-slaves-myth/

Direct Provision: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/direct-provision/

Ireland and America: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/live-show-ireland-and-america-the-long-romance/

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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 Patreon supporters, we publish the full interview with Naomi O'Leary. He tells us about his experience living within the system and why he sees Direct Provision as deliberate marginalisation of migrants and akin to racial segregation.

This bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.

For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

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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 stakes for the island of Ireland? We break it down.

This bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.

For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

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 Mc Inerney meets two generations of Irish Australians who explain what their unique identity means to them, and Naomi O'Leary explores some of the major issues facing the Irish in Australia today.

If you liked this episode, why not give us a rating on whatever podcast app you use - It makes all the difference to us!

If you want more bonus content from the Irish Passport Podcast, you can become a Patreon supporter today and gain instant access to our archive of Halfpint episodes. Just head over to www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

The music featured in this episode is "Remember Love" by Lobo Loco.

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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 year of the famine, 1847, the Choctaw people raised what they could and sent it to Ireland as aid.

It's not the only example of solidarity between Irish and Native American people throughout history. In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi O'Leary traces the history of links between Ireland and Native Americans. Did you know that during the struggle for independence, the Chippewa-Ojibwe people made future Irish President Éamon de Valera an honorary chief?

You can donate to the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/NHFC19Relief

This bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.

For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

You can listen to our episode The Great Hunger about the Irish famine and the Choctaw donation here: https://link.chtbl.com/GreatHunger

Featuring Cello Duet No. 1 by Chief Boima

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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 Mc Inerney speaks to accent expert Shane Walshe of Zurich University about how Irish accents are seen by the wider world, Naomi O'Leary talks with Senator Lynn Ruane about why some Irish accents can lead to discrimination and marginalisation, and most importantly we hear from our own listeners about the complications, the poetry, and the personal histories contained in every individual accent.

In this episode we asked our listeners to take the "accent challenge". Below is the list of words they were asked to pronounce:

Wash, Oil, Theater, Data, Crayon, Ruin, Spitting Image, Toilet, Syrup, Aunt, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Again, Both, Probably, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, New Orleans.

We've published a bonus episode featuring a full interview with Senator Lynn Ruane on class and inequality in Ireland over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

Special thanks to The Mary Wallopers, for the use of their fantastic track "Cod Liver oil and Orange Juice".

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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 bonus content was made possible by the continued support of our patrons! Sign up to support the podcast today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and gain access to our whole archive of Halfpint extra content.

For access to our full archive of bonus content, head on over on our Patreon page www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

The music featured in this episode is "You get the Blues" by Lobo Loco.

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In this bonus episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney 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 sign up to join the Irish health service the HSE: hse.ie/oncall

If you need help or can offer help, like delivering groceries or subscriptions to your neighbours, the website to sign up is: https://localsupport.ie/ . Anyone who isn't online can ask for help by text on 087 365 8233.

We make Halfpint episodes especially to thank our Patreon supporters. If you want to access our full archive of Halfpint episodes, you can become a Patron today at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PassportIrish.

Support this podcast