Ireland and the Israel-Palestine conflict

The Irish Passport
The Irish Passport
Ireland and the Israel-Palestine conflict
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As the world reels from the horrific Hamas attack on Israel and its deadly retribution on the Gaza Strip, Ireland has emerged as a prominent player in the European response to the worsening conflict.

In this episode, Naomi and Tim sum up the current situation and explain some of the historical context that explains why Ireland has traditionally been one of the most sympathetic western countries towards the Palestinian cause.

The two sides of this conflict have long been adopted by rival communities in Northern Ireland, with Irish republicans flying the Palestinian flag and British loyalists identifying with Israel. The episode reviews some of the lesser-known historical links between Ireland and the foundation of Israel, exploring the complexities of a time when the relationship between Zionism and Irish Republicanism was not the same as it is now.

Finally, Naomi describes her reporting on the confused European response and why Ireland has emerged as a prominent voice.

Tragically, after the recording of this episode we learned that the missing Irish citizen Kim Damti was confirmed dead. Our deepest condolences to her family.

Thank you so much to all our Patreon supporters for helping us make this podcast. You can support us on: www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

What does the “Troubles Legacy Bill” mean for Northern Ireland?

The Irish Passport
The Irish Passport
What does the "Troubles Legacy Bill" mean for Northern Ireland?
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We’re back and diving straight into breaking politics, as Naomi explains the chilling implications of the UK government’s new “Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy Bill”. This controversial new law has provoked outrage from across the communities of Northern Ireland, uniting unionist and nationalist political parties against it. But what does this law entail, how will it affect the people of Northern Ireland, and why does it represent a tense new chapter in British-Irish relations? We explain all.

Listeners to this episode might be interested in these previous instalments of the Irish Passport Podcast:
Collusion: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-3-collusion/
Poetry and Pain: https://www.theirishpassport.com/podcast/s3-episode-4-poetry-and-pain/

Thanks as always to our Patreon supporters for keeping the podcast running. If you would like to access extra content from the Irish Passport, you can support the show at www.patreon.com/theirishpassport.

Farewell Sinéad, we didn’t deserve you

The Irish Passport
The Irish Passport
Farewell Sinéad, we didn't deserve you
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Hi everyone, Naomi here. Like many people I’ve been reeling since the news of the death of Sinéad O’Connor. I took a moment to share some of my thoughts and a little about Sinéad and who she was – the girl with towering musical gifts who broke out of a Magdalene Laundry to busk on the streets of Dublin and achieved worldwide fame while never losing her soul. Unfortunately, her life was cruel, and she paid the price.

Here are some of the links I mentioned:

Radio Sinéad, a Spotify playlist of 467 songs that she loved and put together to share publicly: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tJNA0rDI3sdlO5fF2f4jW?si=goXEjQDBQiWD8lLpUopDbg

A tribute to Sinéad O’Connor by President Micheal D Higgins https://president.ie/en/media-library/news-releases/statement-by-president-higgins-on-the-death-of-sinead-oconnor

Black Boys on Mopeds (1990), by Sinéad O’Connor https://youtu.be/n14lwdpYkAA

Sinéad O’Connor explains why she ripped up the picture of the pope on Saturday Night Live https://youtu.be/b3CuF7B3tIY

Sinéad O’Connor faces down a booing crowd at Madison Square Garden, and stands by her remarks about child abuse in the days after her controversial Saturday Night Live Appearance https://youtu.be/GzxTDHMQza8

The Prayer of St Francis, 1993 https://twitter.com/KillianM2/status/1684302806067322883?s=20

You Made Me the Thief of your Heart (1994) https://youtu.be/X2SVsV7Wuh4

In her own words, Sinéad O’Connor recounts her experience in a Magdalene Laundry as a teenager http://web.archive.org/web/20230329225310/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/sinead-o-connor-on-her-teenage-years-i-steal-everything-i-m-not-a-nice-person-i-m-trouble-1.4560611

A comeback performance in 2019 on RTÉ’s Late Late Show in which Sinéad O’Connor proudly appeared in dress and headscarf reflecting the spiritual refuge she found in her conversion to Islam in 2018. https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2023/0727/1074429-sinead-oconnor-melts-hearts-on-late-late-show/

How the wealthy and powerful muzzle reporting in Ireland

The Irish Passport
The Irish Passport
How the wealthy and powerful muzzle reporting in Ireland
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Ireland’s strict libel laws and onerously expensive legal system is stacked against journalists and in favour of wealthy people who abuse the situation to censor reporting about them. That’s when Naomi discovered in her research for a recent report for press freedom organisation the International Press Institute. She discusses what she found out, why property developers are particularly litiguous in Ireland, and what the impact is on ordinary journalists and media organisations from the largest broadcasters to the smallest magazines and podcasts.

As it happens, Tim was recording this episode in Paris, just as France was about to face another night of large-scale rioting following the shooting of a teenager by police. He explains what led to the situation.

To access more than 100 bonus episodes like this one, support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

Naomi’s report can be read here: https://ipi.media/ireland-how-the-wealthy-and-powerful-abuse-legal-system-to-silence-reporting/

Mapping Ireland’s DNA

The Irish Passport
The Irish Passport
Mapping Ireland's DNA
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What’s in a gene? We wade into the world of genetics, to find out all about an extensive DNA mapping project called the Irish DNA Atlas and to see what it can tell us about the history of Ireland. We also take a look at the phenomenon that is at-home DNA ancestry tests, which have exploded in popularity in the past few years, as well as exploring the ethical or legal concerns they might bring up. Finally, we take a deep dive into our own genetic legacy, revealing the potential secrets hidden in our DNA…

Supporters of Patreon hear our episodes early and ad-free. You can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport

A bonus episode discussing the making of this podcast and additional insights is available here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/after-show-dna-83901131