In the latest installment of our Oscar Wilde series, Naomi and Tim discuss Oscar Wilde's move to Oxford, ascent as a star student, and launch in London to become one of the most famous figures of his day -- a kind of Victorian-era influencer. This is a period in which Wilde begins to emerge is a writer: of beautiful fables to be read to children, and of his book Dorian Gray, which would cause a scandal in London.

Patreon subscribers enjoy early access to this episode. A bonus Halfpint episode all about Dorian Gray and its hidden meanings is available on Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport/posts/halfpint-dorian-166685376

Before the world knew Oscar Wilde, Ireland knew Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde: the son of a famous nationalist poet mother and a pioneering surgeon who grew up at the heart of Ireland's cultural renaissance of the 19th century, between Dublin and famine-ravaged County Mayo.

We discuss how Ireland shaped the budding writer and how Irish politics and the context of the time are key to understanding who he was.

This is the first episode in a series dedicated to Wilde, a fascinating and pivotal figure for Ireland and the wider world, made available early for Patreon supporters.

A bonus episode is available over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport/posts/halfpint-irish-163604289

Last week footage of a shocking stabbing in Belfast went viral. After it emerged that the perpetrator was an asylum seeker originally from Sudan, protests were called that soon devolved into a racist pogrom. Gangs of young men created checkpoints, burnt out cars, and set fire to the homes of people suspected to be migrants.

An old friend of the podcast, Matthew O'Toole, got a frontline view to the impact. The constitutency office he now runs as an elected official for the SDLP was converted into a temporary shelter for families fleeing their burning homes. He drove a family in the back of his car to safety in a convoy through Belfast as the violence still raged.

Thanks to longtime listener James and to supporter Kathy for suggesting the topic. This is a bonus episode made specially to thank Patreon supporters - due to the urgency of the topic, we've decided to make this one public. You can find our full collection of bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Granuaile or Grace O'Malley: a woman chieftain in 16th century Ireland who ruled the seas with a fleet of ships and was both respected and deeply feared.

Daughter of the seafaring Ó Máille Gaelic clan, Gráinne carved out a position of power for herself at a time when there was little recent precedent for doing so.

She found herself contending with the encroachment of English invaders, and ended up sailing to London to plead her case directly to Queen Elizabeth I - and she won.

Naomi and Tim delve into the remarkable life of Granuaile - the myths, the legends, but also first-hand historical accounts she and her contemporaries left behind - to chart a career that encapsulates the final days of Gaelic Ireland.

A Halfpint bonus debrief is available on Patreon discussing how while written history forgot Granuaile, she was kept alive by oral and cultural traditions that made her an enduring symbol of Irish defiance. https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-158088547

Recommended reading: Grace O'Malley : The Biography of Ireland's Pirate Queen 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers, to whom we are much indebted for research that allowed for the making of this episode.

This month marks the official start of spring in Ireland and to mark it Naomi and Tim discuss the figure of Bridget, Brigid or Bríd. A goddess in Gaelic times who became Christianised into Saint Bridget, the stories about this figure reveal fascinating details about the society that produced them.

A bonus Halfpint debrief episode is available here for Patreon supporters: www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-151451289

Here are links to some podcasts we mentioned in the episode that have delived into Bridget and her legacy in Ireland:

The Irish History Podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/7frXuuvc…bERYSyD5yP-crldw

Talking History: open.spotify.com/episode/7LY4tBxJ…l0SuqBjCppl0miww

In this listener questions episode, Naomi and Tim take questions from listeners on everything from Gaelic Ulster, to nomadic patterns of land use, and the quirks of Ireland's postal system.

We discuss the long tail of an old law that forced women to quit their jobs as soon as they married. Tim tells the story of the supermarket workers who refused to handle goods from apartheid South Africa, and how they are still remembered today.

Listener questions episodes are made to answer the queries and suggestions of Patreon supporters who back us at the €5 level or above. We will release this one publicly in the coming days to let non-subscribers know about what they're missing.

Patreon has introduced gift memberships for the first time this year. So if you know someone who would love access to 100+ bonus episodes of the Irish Passport, you know what to do! A guide to how to get a gift membership is here: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/31344987943949-How-to-gift-memberships-to-other-fans

Thanks so much to all of you and a big shout out to those listeners who sent in their questions. We'll do another listener questions episode soon!

The famous 'pint of plain' has become one of the most recognisable commercial brands in the world, and is inextricably linked to the Irish pub. In light of a new Netflix series on the Guinness family, this episode dives into the real history of the 'Black stuff', and explores how the brand founded at St. James' Gate in 1759 has reinvented itself time and time again through the miracle of marketing.

Naomi and Tim take a look at the candidates who have put themselves forward for the highest office in the land and consider what the Irish presidency means in the 21st century. We look at the odd nature of presidential office in Ireland, how the role has changed significantly over recent mandates, and why that could potentially lead to a constitutional crisis in the future.

Bonus episodes are available for supporters over on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

An Irish language rap group has, improbably enough, become the focus of global media attention and political debate. Why? For describing Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide and accusing the United States of complicity before an approving crowd at the music festival Coachella. In this episode, Naomi and Tim explain the origins of Kneecap in the movement for Irish language rights, the controversies about the band as its fame grew to ever greater heights, and why it now appears to be becoming a test case for the freedom of cultural figures to speak out about Palestine.

A new bonus episode in which Naomi and Tim take questions from listeners about the Irish language and generational trauma is available on patreon.com/theirishpassport.

You can also listen to our 2020 Halfpint about Kneecap and the politicisation of the Irish language here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/34241066

In the grand finale of our Conquest series, Naomi and Tim dig into one of the most notorious episodes of Irish history, starring none other than Oliver Cromwell. We explore his rise to power as a major player in the puritan faction of England's civil war, and how he came to view the task of "pacifying" Ireland both as a way to solidify his support, and as a kind of holy war. Cromwell's actions in Ireland were genocidal. Nevertheless, we discuss how his actions in Ireland continue to be played down among historians in Britain to this day.

Naomi and Tim discuss more, including the uncomfortable resonances to current day news, in a bonus debrief episode over on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-130363450

Micheál Ó Siochrú's authorative work on Cromwell, 'God's Executioner', is available here: https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571218462-gods-executioner/?srsltid=AfmBOoqKEZw77QejfJJh-6OoFsKDvgeO55jZSaEZMvc665fFaNgx2SPE