The Irish Passport

Granuaile or Grace O’Malley: a woman chieftain in 16th century Ireland who ruled the seas with a fleet of ships and was both respected and deeply feared.

Daughter of the seafaring Ó Máille Gaelic clan, Gráinne carved out a position of power for herself at a time when there was little recent precedent for doing so.

She found herself contending with the encroachment of English invaders, and ended up sailing to London to plead her case directly to Queen Elizabeth I – and she won.

Naomi and Tim delve into the remarkable life of Granuaile – the myths, the legends, but also first-hand historical accounts she and her contemporaries left behind – to chart a career that encapsulates the final days of Gaelic Ireland.

Coming soon exclusively for Patreon supporters: a Halfpint bonus debrief discussing how while written history forgot Granuaile, she was kept alive by oral and cultural traditions that made her an enduring symbol of Irish defiance.

Recommended reading: Grace O’Malley : The Biography of Ireland’s Pirate Queen 1530-1603 by Anne Chambers, to whom we are much indebted for research that allowed for the making of this episode.

For the past week Ireland has been blockaded by protests that have been described as among the largest seen since independence. It’s one ripple effect from the US-Israeli attack on Iran, which sent the price of fuel used by farmers, truckers and fishermen soaring. In response protesters blocked motorways, ports, Ireland’s only oil refinery, and much of the capital Dublin, demanding the government intervene to lower prices. In this episode, Naomi and Tim dig into the politics behind the protests and the international context.

You can find some of previous reporting on the Healy Raes here https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/chaos-a-new-government-and-the-healy-raes/id1246162545?i=1000686550316

In this debrief episode made specially to thank our Patreon supporters, Naomi and Tim digest what happened in the White House when Taoiseach Micheál Martin met US President Donald Trump. It’s not the only place where the green was being worn this week: we also look across to New York, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced questions about a united Ireland and responded with an impressive rundown of the history Irish anti-colonial resistance.

Thanks so much for your support of the podcast!