In this political update, Naomi and Tim sum up the background of the incoming new Taoiseach Simon Harris and discuss the sudden resignation of Leo Varadkar and the different factors behind it. One of them was Ireland's two recent referendums aimed at changing some of the more Catholic-influenced conservative language in the 1937 constitution, which ended in a resounding defeat for the government. What were the proposed changes and why were they rejected by the public? Finally, we look ahead to the bonanza of elections that are due in the coming year, and how the different parties sit in the po ..read more

Part two of our Conquest mini-series explores the violent occupation of Gaelic Ireland by Elizabethan adventurers between 1560 and 1590, heralding an age of terror and genocide that would ultimately lead to a full-scale war between the Gaelic clans of Ireland and the English crown. From the demise of the Old English Lordships to the tentative plantations of Ulster, this episode lays out the very foundations for the colonisation of Ireland. A bonus debrief episode is available for Patreon supporters over on https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport You'll find a link to the book we mentioned in ..read more

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-sho ..read more

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 ..read more

We break down the political consequences of the recent far-right riots in Dublin, explaining how the violence began, who has been instigating movements like this, and how this could transform the country's political landscape. We see how members of the far right have failed in electoral gains, but have succeeded in disrupting the traditional political process, which until now has been remarkably accessible to Irish voters. With a host of national and European elections and referendums on the horizon, is the real disruption still to come? You can find the Go Fund Me pages for the victims and he ..read more

Tim published a book! How does nobility work as a power strategy, why does it bear so many curious similarities to the construct of race, and what does all of this have to do with Ireland? We delve into Tim's book, "Nobility and the Making of Race in Eighteenth-Century Britain", published by Bloomsbury Academic this autumn, and uncover the intricate power dynamics of Irish nobility in the eighteenth century. We find out how during this age of colonial expansion European naturalists began to classify global populations according to ancient traditions of blood hierarchy, reimagining white Europe ..read more

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 id ..read more

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 Pod ..read more

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/4tJNA0rDI ..read more

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 i ..read more