Tensions threaten to flare again between Ireland, Britain and the EU with a new UK prime minister who has promised to take a hard line on the Northern Ireland Protocol. The death of Queen Elizabeth however put a pause on developments for the period of mourning, and produced some fascinating moments too as her successor King Charles met with Sinn Féin and acknowledged them as the biggest party in Northern Ireland. Naomi and Tim catch up on current events, discuss the Dublin drama turning heads in Brussels, and why the Irish government resembles a rotisserie chicken…
Patreon supporters can listen to a bonus debrief episode dissecting the complex Irish reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth over on patreon.com/theirishpassport
The third installment in Naomi and Tim’s series on the War of Independence discusses a landmark of 20th century Irish history: the partition of the island.
Tim digs into the backstory to reveal how once again, an unhappy chapter of Irish history is linked to Winston Churchill. This episode lays out the thinking at the time and how the so-called ‘Irish question’ was shaped through parliamentary debates in Westminster, as a team of officials in London drew out the boundaries of the two new jurisdictions while Ireland was at war. We discuss how unionist movements evolved in relation to the question of Home Rule and partition, and the sense of betrayal particularly of southern unionists that led Dublin-born unionist leader Edward Carson to declare: “What a fool I was! I was only a puppet, and so was Ulster, and so was Ireland, in the political game that was to get the Conservative Party into power”. University College Dublin historian Dr Conor Mulvagh joins us again to lay out how the pro-independence forces in the south contended with the new entity that was created on the north east of the island, and the violence unleashed as whipped-up unionist crowds drove Catholics out of their homes and jobs in the north.
A bonus episode is available for Patreon supporters in which Naomi and Tim debrief from this episode and discuss what stood out to them – including the striking parallels with present day politics in a reckless Conservative Party wreaking havoc towards the island of Ireland. You can hear it at https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
The second installment of Naomi and Tim’s series on Ireland’s War of Independence focuses on the Black and Tans: the brutal reinforcements sent by Winston Churchill to put down the forces of the revolutionary Irish republic in 1920. Historian Dr Conor Mulvagh of University College Dublin lays out the key role of the women’s movement, Cumann na mBan; dissects the tactics of the old Irish Republican Army forces that came together to defend independence; and explains how the guerilla tactics and reprisals by the Black and Tans fit in to the history of modern warfare. Meanwhile, Cork historian Michael Lenihan breaks down one of the most notorious incidents of the era that was to shape the fabric of Ireland in the decades to come: the Burning of Cork by British forces.
Two bonus episodes are available for Patreon supporters delving further into this topic and era of Irish history. Naomi and Tim have a debrief following the episode and discuss what stood out to them, including the stories and scars left by the Black and Tans they encountered growing up. In a separate bonus episode, Dr Conor Mulvagh talks in full about his own research and the historical significance of Ireland’s War of Independence. To hear them you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
The War of Independence was the moment in which Ireland threw off British rule and emerged as a state. The dramatic events that took place and the beliefs that informed them would shape the emerging nation, and play a role up until the present day. Tim and Naomi break down the events of 1919-1921 in this series of episodes, starting with the establishment of Ireland’s revolutionary parliament: the First Dáil.
A bonus extra episode about this topic is available for Patreon supporters in which Naomi and Tim debrief, discuss what stood out to them in the making of the episode, and share their insights into this fascinating era of history. To hear it you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
You can follow us on Twitter at @PassportIrish
Video footage from 1917 of the crowds in Dublin turning out to welcome back Countess Markievicz, after she was released from prison where she was serving time for her role in the Easter Rising: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MiAxD12XMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXXLDIxmGQ
A seismic election in Northern Ireland returned the pro-Irish unity Sinn Féin as the largest party for the first time ever. The Alliance Party, identifying neither as nationalist nor unionist, surged to become the third force in northern politics in another historic first. Desite this, the power-sharing executive has yet to be formed due to the opposition of the unionist Democratic Unionist Party. They are demanding changes to the so-called Protocol as their price of going into power, though many suspect that behind it lies an inherent opposition to allowing nationalists to take the symbolic top post of First Minister. It’s propelled Northern Irish politics onto the international stage once again, with the British government threatening to break international law to get what it wants from the European Union. Naomi and Tim sum it all up, and discuss what comes next. Featuring guests Stephen Farry, a member of parliament and Alliance’s deputy leader, and Freya McClements, the Northern editor of the Irish Times.
To hear our bonus episodes answering questions put by our Patreon supporters, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
