The Irish Passport

The Irish Passport brings you an interview with Jer O'Leary: actor, activist, artist, orator of Jim Larkin speeches and Dublin legend who recorded these tapes before he died in 2018. Jer discusses growing up in the Irish capital and how it changed over his life, and how he ended up in the national art college despite leaving school at 14, and his work creating banners for Ireland's union movement, a body of work that led writer Fintan O'Toole to once describe Irish protest marches as moving exhibitions of Jer O'Leary's art. O'Leary describes his route into theatre and film through political activism, and we hear from childhood friend Richard Collins about how Jer ended up behind bars for his role in an IRA holdup in the political turmoil of the 1970s - and how it changed his life. If you haven't heard it, listen to our episode to the 1913 Dublin Lockout, a prequel to this interview: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/the-irish-left-legacies-of-the-lockout/ Some images of Jer's life and work can be seen here: https://comeheretome.com/2018/12/26/goodbye-to-jer-oleary-actor-and-larkinite/ Jer O'Leary can be seen in My Left Foot here: https://youtu.be/CNFrixpsOAg And in Game of Thrones here: https://youtu.be/MXGPgNp719k 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. Bonus episodes are published for our supporters over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

A profound industrial dispute rocked Dublin in 1913, playing into a rising tide of nationalism and shaping the unique political landscape of Ireland of the following century. In this episode, Naomi and Tim tell the story of the 1913 Dublin Lockout led by firebrand trade unionist James Larkin. We hear from Jer O'Leary, an artist and actor who portrayed Larkin throughout his life, on what 'Big Jim' meant to ordinary Dubliners and his enduring legacy today. We reflect on the fate of the left following independence, when it struggled for significance against the dominant forces of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Historian Dr Niamh Puirséil talks us through the difficult aftermath of the 1913 Lockout and why it contributed to Ireland's unique political divisions in the 20th century. Finally, Naomi and Tim reflect on the political dynamics of the present day and why a combination of nationalism and left-wing politics is shaking up the status quo once again. We'll be posting extra content including the full interview with Dr Niamh Puirséil over at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport Some images discussed in this episode: The statue of Jim Larkin at the GPO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_Larkin_and_GPO_Easter_2016.jpg Photograph of Jim Larkin giving a speech: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:James_Larkin_O%27Connell_Street.jpg 'Murphy must go': https://img2.thejournal.ie/inline/1043721/original/?width=630&version=1043721 Baton charge against union rally in 1913: https://dublintenementexperience.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/the-baton-charge-batons-from-the-national-museum/ 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.

Does the recent unrest in Northern Ireland betray a growing disconnect between the DUP, loyalist paramilitaries, and the communities they claim to represent? How have the protests been influenced by the international scrutiny of police oppression in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement? And why are class politics more central than ever to factional division in the north? In this excerpt from our latest Halfpint episode, our special reporter Jennifer Smith returns to the Village in Belfast to speak to residents Conor and Hannah, who explain how international media has tended to privilege digestible narratives about Brexit over the more complex issues that have plagued communities in the territory for generations. If you want to hear the full episode, and gain access to our archive of Halfpint bonus episodes, you can head over to www.patreon.com/theirishpassport and become a supporter of the podcast today!

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.

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. Support this podcast

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. Support this podcast

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. Support this podcast

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. 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. Support this podcast

In this episode Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney hear the voices of women who lived through a profound social transformation in Ireland: the coming of electricity. The ability to turn on a light or boil a kettle with just a switch came relatively late to large parts of Ireland, part of an ambitious project by the young state to economically transform Ireland and help it take its place among the nations of the earth. We explore the ways in which this changed people's lives, from the design of their houses to the food they ate, and how this transformation continues to inform social ideas about domestic work to this day. Featuring insights from design historian Sorcha O'Brien of Kingston University, the voices of ordinary women from around the Irish countryside who describe how electricity changed their lives, and material from the ESB archives. Check our our full interview with Dr O'Brien over at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/43027994 We are grateful to the Electric Irish Homes project and to the ESB for their help. Archive clips are copyright ESB and can be found at https://esbarchives.ie/. Special thanks to Molly May O'Leary for suggesting the idea for the episode. 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. Support this podcast

It's return of the clowns as Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney dissect the latest Brexit drama and speak to Congressman Brendan Boyle, whose cutting criticism of the British government went viral after the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared it would break international law. Where are we, how did we get here, and what lies ahead? We sum it up ahead of a crunch week in the talks between the European Union and Britain that have extremely high stakes for Ireland. Featuring original music by Michael Fry, who is @BigDirtyFry on Twitter. Support us on Patreon to gain access to our full library of bonus episodes and othe rextra content overat 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. Support this podcast

A golf society dinner for 81 people has thrown the Irish government into chaos. Attended by a host of senior political figures, many at the forefront Ireland's COVID health strategy, the event appeared to flout the very social distancing regulations some of its guests had devised. This is just the latest in a series of disasters for the recently installed coalition government, which has been struggling to retain public confidence since its inception mere weeks ago. Naomi O'Leary and Tim Mc Inerney investigate why a scandal like this holds such high stakes in the current moment. We hear from listeners about how the restrictions have affected them, and speak to Dr Marc Scully of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, about how the lives of hundreds and thousands of Irish emigrants have suddenly and dramatically changed in a way that has largely been ignored in Ireland's public debate about travel restrictions and health policy.  You can find our full interview with Marc Scully over on Patreon, where you can become a supporter of the podcast today. You can gain access to our full library of extra content at 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. Dr Scully may soon be recruiting people for a research study into the pandemic and its effect on emigrants. To keep up to date, follow him on Twitter at @marcdonnchadh. Support this podcast

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

Strange things are happening in Co. Roscommon, where a controversial eviction has set the internet on fire. Who were the unidentified men who ejected an elderly family from their farm house last week? Why do ex-British soldiers appear to be involved?  And where do the rumours stop and facts begin? Naomi and Tim uncover the dramatic story of this eviction and its deep historical resonances in the Irish cultural consciousness. They trace out the facts of what exactly happened in the townland of Falsk, how it inspired a vicious vigilante counter-attack that has gripped national headlines – and why you should pay very close attention to what happens next. This episode includes exclusive unreported revelations about security guards from Northern Ireland who carried out the eviction. Trust us, you’re going to want to listen to this one.