Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
Gold Hat Productions
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.
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Top 10 Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Rebel without a clue. The curious schizophrenia of Michéal Martin
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
12/10/24 • 51 min
Micheál Martin will be Ireland’s next Taoiseach. He returns to the most important position in Ireland at a critical time in Irish life.
But during the election campaign he spoke about how the IRA waged a war ‘on its own people’. What does this tell us about his worldview and how he views the north?
On Free State, Joe and Dion disagree about Micheal Martin’s comments and what they reveal about the man. Joe looks at why the origins of the Troubles dispute Martin’s statement. Dion reveals a family connection to Liam Mellows which only leaves Joe more disappointed in him but still extends an invitation to the Kevin Lynch’s GAA club. Joe also reveals why he never considered joining the IRA
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Perilous Life of the Penis (and associated scandals)
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
10/31/24 • 43 min
What drives people to behave recklessly? What is it that motivates men to send dick pics without a thought to the consequences? On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the anatomy of scandals and how they unfold. They move on to disagree about the developments in the Brian Stanley affair. They also consider the new drama Say Nothing and argue about the damage it may or not do to Sinn Fein.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG Productions.
For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Storm Eowyn and the silencing of Joe Brolly
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
01/25/25 • 49 min
Storm Eowyn swept across Ireland on Friday morning as winds of biblical force shook the nation. 32 counties were joined in a red alert and in towns, villages and cities people sheltered from the storm. But perhaps Storm Eowyn’s greatest show of force was to silence Joe Brolly, as he was among hundreds of thousands who lost electricity and internet. On Free State today, Dion looks back on episode three, the remarkable interview with Charles Anyaegbunam about his life of privilege in Nigeria and his son the rapper Rejjie Snow.
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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High Noon: How one man retreated from the world and found his way back again
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
04/22/25 • 65 min
Eamonn Sweeney’s life changed on a June day in the year 2000.
He was a sportswriter enjoying the traditional rhythm of the GAA summer as he arrived at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.
Suddenly he was hit by a bomb and couldn’t put one foot in front of the other.
It was the beginning of a descent into isolation and fear.
On Free State today, Eamonn Sweeney talks about the terror of those days when travelling became a nightmare and he retreated into a cocoon.
He speaks about his new book and how writing it helped to restore him as he found purpose again. It is a story about the community and the power of the GAA
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Roddy Collins Is A Wanker - Part 2
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
08/31/23 • 34 min
In Part Two of Roddy Collins is a W****r, Roddy Collins talks to Joe and Dion about his failed attempt at an IRA hold up as a teenager, his days going AWOL with Vinnie Jones and the love story that has shaped his life.
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: [email protected]
Twitter: @dionfanning @JoeBrolly1993 @freestateirl
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Life and Death in the Ring. With legendary boxing writer Donald McRae
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
03/15/25 • 57 min
When Donald McRae was a young sportswriter, Hugh McIlvanney told him one night at a bar in Las Vegas that as he made a life covering boxing, “ambivalence will be your constant companion”. McRae found the romantic in boxing and particularly in boxers. He was drawn to fighters and trainers rather than promoters and advisers. His gifts as an interviewer meant that men like Tyson Fury revealed their vulnerabilities to him. But, as he writes in his new book, The Last Bell, even “the zealots grow weary”. On Free State today, Don McRae joins Dion and Joe to talk about his obsession with boxing, how he fell out of love with it and why his new book is a journey into the darkness of the ring. He speaks to about the great Belfast trainer Gerry Storey, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. He recalls his own father’s incredible life, defying the apartheid laws in South Africa to meet the ANC in Soweto while Nelson Mandela was in jail to bring electricity to the townships. At a time of personal grief, McRae lost himself in boxing again, but in a sport that has grown increasingly ugly, is it possible to be anything but ambivalent? And what does the decline of boxing tell us about the fate of all professional sport?
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/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
God save Ireland, said the heroes - Dublin Riots
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
11/28/23 • 38 min
Last Thursday, Joe Brolly was returning to the Stardust Inquest when he witnessed the events unfolding on Parnell Square.
On Free State today he talks about what he saw and how humanity and courage revealed themselves at this most frightening moment.
Dion and Joe reflect on the riots that followed, how the hate movement needs to be dealt with and why Conor McGregor has nothing to offer Ireland.
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: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mickey Harte, football manager. Oh Lord it’s so Harte to be humble, Part 2
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
06/13/24 • 29 min
As Derry fall apart under Mickey Harte, what are those closest to the squad saying? Who else - if anyone- is responsible for the fall in recent months? On Free State, it’s Mickey Harte week with a forensic analysis of where it went wrong at Derry and if anything can be done to save their summer.
Dion also triggers Joe by mentioning a name that may upset him even more than Mickey Harte. A beautiful partnership hangs by a thread...
This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20
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: [email protected]
This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Unbearable Lightness Of Living. Michael Lewis talks life, love & the death of his beloved daughter Dixie Lee.
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
11/02/23 • 41 min
During the rise of Sam Bankman-Fried, Michael Lewis got closer to him than anybody else. But the fall of the crypto baby gave the Moneyball author a different story. When people turned on Bankman-Fried, Michael Lewis knew they would turn on him too.
In the second part of his interview on Free State, Michael Lewis talks about why he took on the story and what kept him going.
In May 2021, Michael Lewis’s daughter Dixie was killed in a car accident in California. Dixie was nineteen years old. He talks to Dion and Joe about how he struggled through the jungle of grief, why Dixie’s spirit has sustained him as his book is published and what he told Bankman-Fried’s mother about loss as they prepare for their son’s incarceration.
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: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Trading My Soul: The Man Who Blew Up the Financial System
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning
04/02/24 • 34 min
Gary Stevenson was once the most profitable trader in the world for one of the planet’s biggest banks. He was a working class boy from east London who grew up in the shadow of Canary Wharf. He then went to work in the skyscrapers that had loomed over him and promised him escape.
Gary made a fortune. But as he made that fortune, he realised that the game was rigged. On Free State today, Gary Stevenson joins Joe and Dion to talk about his stunning book The Trading Game, his journey to the top of Canary Wharf and the price he paid for success in a banking system that rules our world.
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: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning have?
Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning currently has 228 episodes available.
What topics does Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning cover?
The podcast is about News, International News, Podcasts, Sports, Politics and Sports News.
What is the most popular episode on Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning?
The episode title 'The Perilous Life of the Penis (and associated scandals)' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning?
The average episode length on Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is 45 minutes.
How often are episodes of Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning released?
Episodes of Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning are typically released every 2 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning?
The first episode of Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning was released on Mar 16, 2023.
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