Last week footage of a shocking stabbing in Belfast went viral. After it emerged that the perpetrator was an asylum seeker originally from Sudan, protests were called that soon devolved into a racist pogrom. Gangs of young men created checkpoints, burnt out cars, and set fire to the homes of people suspected to be migrants.
An old friend of the podcast, Matthew O’Toole, got a frontline view to the impact. The constitutency office he now runs as an elected official for the SDLP was converted into a temporary shelter for families fleeing their burning homes. He drove a family in the back of his car to safety in a convoy through Belfast as the violence still raged.
Thanks to longtime listener James and to supporter Kathy for suggesting the topic. This is a bonus episode made specially to thank Patreon supporters – due to the urgency of the topic, we’ve decided to make this one public. You can find our full collection of bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/theirishpassport
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.
A Halfpint bonus debrief is available on Patreon 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. https://www.patreon.com/posts/halfpint-debrief-158088547
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.
Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh! On this most turbulent of St Patrick’s Day, we cover some of the major events that are dominating news headlines: Gerry Adams in court in London, Mícheál Martin on the Taoiseach’s annual pilgrimage to the White House, and how Ireland and Europe are reacting to the fallout of the US war with Iran.
We’ll be releasing a halfpint with further discussion exclusively for Patreon supporters later in the week. To gain access to more than 100 bonus content episodes, you can sign up today on www.Patreon.com/theirishpassport.
This month marks the official start of spring in Ireland and to mark it Naomi and Tim discuss the figure of Bridget, Brigid or Bríd. A goddess in Gaelic times who became Christianised into Saint Bridget, the stories about this figure reveal fascinating details about the society that produced them.
The checkout workers who boycotted apartheid South Africa and other stories
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In this listener questions episode, Naomi and Tim take questions from listeners on everything from Gaelic Ulster, to nomadic patterns of land use, and the quirks of Ireland’s postal system.
We discuss the long tail of an old law that forced women to quit their jobs as soon as they married. Tim tells the story of the supermarket workers who refused to handle goods from apartheid South Africa, and how they are still remembered today.
Listener questions episodes are made to answer the queries and suggestions of Patreon supporters who back us at the €5 level or above. We will release this one publicly in the coming days to let non-subscribers know about what they’re missing.
