The Irish Passport

The Irish Passport

A podcast about the culture, history and politics of Ireland. Taking on the knowledge gap since 2017.

  1. Give me Greenland

    JAN 22

    Give me Greenland

    A strategically-located island in the Atlantic circled by Russian ships and with few of its own defences... Greenland has caught the avaricious eye of the president of the United States and the result is destroying the assumptions that defined the post-WW2 era. As world leaders meet in Davos amid a crumbling world order, Naomi and Tim consider the tumultuous events of recent weeks and what it means for Ireland. Plus: Mercusor. Is the trade deal with Latin American countries a much-needed overture to strengthen alternative alliances, or is the ecological price too high? A bonus Halfpint debrief episode will be available on Patreon in which we discuss the surprising facts and figures behind gun ownership in Ireland.

    1 hr
  2. The checkout workers who boycotted apartheid South Africa and other stories

    12/12/2025

    The checkout workers who boycotted apartheid South Africa and other stories

    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 effect of an old law that forced women to quit their jobs once 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 have released this one as a taster of what you'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 buy 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!

    1h 15m
  3. The Economic War

    11/27/2025

    The Economic War

    Naomi and Tim dig into the history of Ireland's Economic War, a challenging period for the early Irish state which ended up transforming the country as it shaped its new independence. We hear from someone who lived through that difficult period of the 1930s, when Britain slapped high tariffs on Ireland and the Irish state retaliated in turn. "The English were starving the Irish people that time," were his stark words. Naomi unpicks how her own family story intersects with Ireland's revolutionary history of land ownership, through the tale of the O'Leary family on the Kerry townland of Readrinagh. Naomi and Tim discuss more of the research behind this episode and reveal more secrets from the archives in a bonus debrief now available for supporters over on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-144460322

    1h 12m
  4. The Real History of Guinness

    10/20/2025

    The Real History of Guinness

    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 has reinvented itself time and time again through the miracle of marketing. An extra-content debrief on this episode is available exclusively to Patreon supporters, who also enjoyed early access to this episode. If you want to access our 100+ extra content episodes, you can sign up to support the podcast at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

    1h 35m
  5. Who will be Ireland's Next President?

    09/19/2025

    Who will be Ireland's Next President?

    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

    1h 12m
  6. Rebel Music - Kneecap and Gaza

    07/05/2025

    Rebel Music - Kneecap and Gaza

    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

    59 min
  7. Conquest Pt 7: The Curse of Cromwell

    06/01/2025

    Conquest Pt 7: The Curse of Cromwell

    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

    1h 15m
  8. Investigating a ruthless rental empire

    05/04/2025

    Investigating a ruthless rental empire

    Naomi spent months investigating a rogue landlord who built up an empire of rental properties in Ireland backed by family wealth in Luxembourg. In this episode, we tell the story of Marc Godart: his back story, the controversial evictions that brought him to prominence, and the unusual ways he runs his businesses. This is based on reporting by Naomi and her colleagues at the Irish Times that was recently awarded the Mary Raftery Prize for social affairs journalism. The winning story is here: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/01/13/under-the-eye-of-landlord-marc-godart-how-a-tenant-who-objected-to-cctv-surveillance-was-evicted/ You can read more of Naomi's reporting here: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/housing-planning/2024/02/17/working-for-marc-godart-paper-directors-shadow-airbnb-accounts-ruthless-staff-practices/ https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/04/15/the-luxembourg-family-behind-an-irish-property-empire/ Bonus episodes are available for supporters over on www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

    1h 22m
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4.9
out of 5
325 Ratings

About

A podcast about the culture, history and politics of Ireland. Taking on the knowledge gap since 2017.

Information

  • Creator
    The Irish Passport
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    135
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Irish Passport

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