In the period from 1534 to 1653 Ireland was profoundly transformed. At the start, it was almost entirely Gaelic, ruled by Gaelic clans with an ancient way of life, and unique legal and political system. A hundred years later, Ireland was unrecognisable. In this first part of our new mini series, Conquest, Tim and Naomi set the scene for the profound transformation of the island of Ireland by colonial invasion.
A bonus episode in which Naomi and Tim discuss the making of this episode and what stood out to them is now available for Patreon supporters here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/after-show-97840308
Every year the Irish government and national media lend their full attention to the arrival of Santa Claus on the island of Ireland, and discuss the various logistics of his visit to every child in the country. In this mini bonus episode, we bring you this most important news story of the year, and explain how, for a few days every December, Santa dominates the parliamentary agenda of Dáil Éireann.
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
