106 episodes

Free State is a podcast for the curious that stimulates, provokes, challenges and entertains, while never taking itself too seriously. Free State covers topics from sport to politics, love to loss, the human condition and how to fix the world, with guests from across the planet including Nigerian princes, former Prime Ministers, ex convicts, footballers, boxers and extraordinary people from every walk of life. 
Free State is presented by Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning. Brolly is a barrister, an original thinker with a fascinating backstory, who donated a kidney to a stranger and then led a crusade to transform organ donation on the island of Ireland, and Fanning is an award-winning interviewer and author. 
They are not motivational gurus or life coaches. They will never try to sell you a penis scented candle. They are two people from very different worlds, with one core belief uniting them - this is not a high performance podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning Gold Hat Productions

    • News
    • 4.6 • 153 Ratings

Free State is a podcast for the curious that stimulates, provokes, challenges and entertains, while never taking itself too seriously. Free State covers topics from sport to politics, love to loss, the human condition and how to fix the world, with guests from across the planet including Nigerian princes, former Prime Ministers, ex convicts, footballers, boxers and extraordinary people from every walk of life. 
Free State is presented by Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning. Brolly is a barrister, an original thinker with a fascinating backstory, who donated a kidney to a stranger and then led a crusade to transform organ donation on the island of Ireland, and Fanning is an award-winning interviewer and author. 
They are not motivational gurus or life coaches. They will never try to sell you a penis scented candle. They are two people from very different worlds, with one core belief uniting them - this is not a high performance podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The unbearable agony of Palestine. Part 2. With Gideon Levy

    The unbearable agony of Palestine. Part 2. With Gideon Levy

    Gideon Levy says he is an Israeli patriot. But he is a patriot in a land where truth is seen as treason. In Part 2 of his Free State interview, Gideon Levy provides a frightening insight into Israel today. As Israeli government censorship looks to silence the truth about Gaza, he tells Joe and Dion what happens to those who write honestly about the plight of the Palestinians.  He talks about how in Tel Aviv recently, a woman on the street called him a traitor. And he explains why the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu from office is not going to deliver the change many liberals believe.
    Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
    For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
    To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 34 min
    The unbearable agony of Palestine. Part 1. With Gideon Levy

    The unbearable agony of Palestine. Part 1. With Gideon Levy

    When Gideon Levy was a teenager growing up in Israel he was devoted to the ‘nationalistic religious orgy’ in the country. Today, as a journalist working for Haaretz, he has been described as the ‘most hated man in Israel’. His fearless determination to record the suffering of the Palestinians has seen him banned from reporting in Gaza by the Israeli government since 2006.
    On a two part special, Gideon Levy joins Dion and Joe on Free State. He talks about how, even as the atrocities mount in Rafah, Israeli society doesn’t want to know. He explains why many in the country care more about the fate of animals than those suffering in Gaza. He also tells Joe and Dion about his own journey from one who believed all he was told in Israel about the Palestinians to a man who courageously tells the truth in a country that doesn’t want to hear it.
    Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
    For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
    To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 35 min
    Big Bad Bill. The greatest captain of them all. Captain Class Part 4.

    Big Bad Bill. The greatest captain of them all. Captain Class Part 4.

    As a young man, he fled the racism of Louisiana. His father could take no more: violence or exile was the next step. He began what at first was an unpromising basketball career before becoming the most inspirational leader in the history of the NBA.
    On the final part of The Captain Class, Joe and Dion look at the extraordinary life of Bill Russell. Russell was the man who shaped the Boston Celtics even as he was being racially abused by his own fans. He had no interest in fame or the trappings of celebrity but as a captain he found a higher purpose for himself and his team.
    Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
    For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
    To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 37 min
    Are Leinster cursed or just losers? What causes great teams to become serial failures? Captain Class Part 3

    Are Leinster cursed or just losers? What causes great teams to become serial failures? Captain Class Part 3

    When Leinster missed a drop goal in the final seconds of the European final were they just unlucky? Or were they, like Mayo, missing chances or losing three finals in a row because something fundamental was missing? On Free State today, Joe and Dion continue their exploration of the great teams and captains in sport.
    Is team spirit just an illusion glimpsed in victory or is there another reason why these team succeed and others experience relative failure? 
    They look at what the great teams had in common, the factor that drove them towards relentless success and why luck had nothing to do with it.
    Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
    For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
    To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 48 min
    The Roy Keane Conundrum - The Captain Class Part 2

    The Roy Keane Conundrum - The Captain Class Part 2

    Roy Keane drove Manchester United and Ireland on through the force of his personality. He was the most important player in Alex Ferguson’s side but was he a man apart or the invisible essence of the team? On Free State today, Joe and Dion debate Roy Keane and where he belongs in the captain class. They look at those who led a different way, who didn’t let heart attacks or jibes about being a water-carrier stop them leading.
    Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
    For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
    To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 36 min
    The Captain Class Part 1

    The Captain Class Part 1

    What is it that unites the greatest teams in sport?
    What is the factor that ensures a team remains successful over a prolonged period?
    When the American journalist Sam Walker began to study the greatest teams in sport, he found a common denominator that shocked him.
    On Free State today, Joe and Dion discuss Walker’s book The Captain Class and the individuals who drove the greatest teams, even if, in one case, it resulted in his testicle being ripped out.
    Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.
    For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
    To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 34 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
153 Ratings

153 Ratings

anniehs1 ,

A.Sh

Refreshing, honest, lively - bring it on

Dec Belfast ,

Can’t get enough of this podcast

Very interesting intelligent discussions around topical and historical Irish and worldwide issues.

Patsy V ,

The (getting boring now) Joe Show…

Couldn’t get enough of this podcast at the beginning but now Brolly the wolly is starting to repeat his meandering and highly exaggerated tales! Big up the quiet man Dion who actually talks more sense in his 6 words per show quota. Still a good listen though especially when they have a guest on. Tyrone for Sam ⚪️🔴

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