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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 9, 2026 • 44min
Trump’s Derangement Syndrome
How close did the world come to annihilation this week? What will happen the next time Trump parades his negotiating skills and can the world always be sure that Trump Always Chickens Out?On Free State, Dion and Joe reflect on a ceasefire which was a defeat for Trump and ignored by Benjamin Netanyahu.Does this mean peace or does it mean we should enjoy the little things that make life worth living? Since the death of his friend Michael Lyster, Joe has been reflecting on what made Lyster the man he was and he shares a story which captures his magic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 7, 2026 • 37min
Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy bastards: Who will stand up to Donald Trump?
Stalin was reported to have asked ‘How many divisions does the pope have?’ when told of the Vatican’s view on world affairs.On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo addressed the crowds at St Peter’s Square and said, "Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace."Shortly afterwards, Donald Trump gave his view on world affairs. “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”On Free State today we ask who will stand up to Donald Trump? Are the church leaders who are supposed to provide leadership in terms of morality being forceful or are they dealing simply in wooly abstractions that are of no use?When Trump is becoming increasingly deranged and there is a need for firm and moral leadership, will someone stand against him or will they continue to use language that is vague and uninspiring? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 4, 2026 • 48min
The country that defied an empire
Olivier Norek, a former Paris policeman turned crime writer and humanitarian, recounts the Winter War and the legend of Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä. He describes living a winter in Lapland, Mannerheim’s village-based defence, Finland standing alone against the Red Army, Soviet attempts to hunt the White Death, and how that 105-day struggle shaped wider twentieth-century geopolitics.
Apr 2, 2026 • 45min
Victims in the Age of Perfection: The Social Media Pandemic
When a California court ruled that Meta and YouTube had deliberately designed addictive products, many declared that this might be the Big Tobacco moment for the tech companies.The plaintiff was awarded $6 million damages. Meta’s revenue in three months last year was 60 billion dollars. Their share price was unaffected.On Free State today we ask what will it take to make a difference? If the social media companies are relaxed about the finding, is it because they know that there is no appetite to make real change?We look at the power of the addiction and the power Big Tech utilises to enforce its position.These powers rule the world now and one ruling may not make much difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 31, 2026 • 39min
Why Ireland Lost - Living in the Age of Anxiety
Trust the process has become one of world’s worst cliches. But what if the alternative was worse? What if ‘trusting the emotions all around’ was the other option?On Free State today Joe and Dion wonder why Ireland lose. The country will not be at the World Cup this summer. How much was this down to the Irish players’ inability to keep their heads and be led by the emotion that was all around them?Are teams more susceptible to this in an age when information and anxiety are all around them? What is the cure for the headlong rush to emotion and will Ireland ever experience it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 30, 2026 • 54min
Prince Andrew and Bandit Country
Toby Harnden was sent to Northern Ireland for the first time in 1995. A reporter for the Daily Telegraph, it was an assignment that was not expected to produce much at a time when the peace process was the dominant story. But Harnden became fascinated with the republican movement and in particular how South Armagh had become a place that, not only could not be touched by the British government, but was controlling much of the IRA’s military campaign in England and Ireland. On Free State, Toby Harnden talks to us about his classic book Bandit Country, getting to know the people of South Armagh and the remarkable time he spent in the Royal Navy alongside Prince Andrew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
9 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 40min
The Wolves of Wall Street - How Trump & Co are making billions from the Iran war
They investigate suspicious oil market trades timed to Trump’s sudden peace claims and ask who profited. They unpack Iran’s low-cost drone tactics versus expensive US defenses and how oil revenue and China reshape the balance. They explore the risks of escalating conflict, regional vulnerabilities, and how political and regulatory failures may let insiders benefit.
Mar 24, 2026 • 36min
Michael Lyster: When We Were Kings
They remember a broadcaster who shaped summers and relaxed studios with calm, effortless poise. Conversations explore the freewheeling behind-the-scenes culture of sports TV and the quiet authority that kept big personalities in check. Stories range from rally driving adventures to the power of familiar pundits and a critique of modern, corporate sports coverage.
Mar 21, 2026 • 34min
How To Make the World A Better Place
Adam Doyle, the artist known as Spicebag, achieved some notoriety when his art depicting evictions became a talking point in the national media.He is an artist of significance and he is also doing significant work.On Free State today he tells us about the project he is involved where his merchandise has funded a centre for children in Gaza The Ionad Hind Rajab is an Irish–Palestinian solidarity initiative based in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis, Gaza.Adam tells us the story of Hind Rajab and why art is always political. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 19, 2026 • 40min
World For Sale. The Real Truth about Oil Prices
Micheal Martin emerged from his meeting with Donald Trump on St Patrick’s Day with the commentariat purring.He had stood up for Europe, for Keir Starmer and, in part, for Winston Churchill but that didn’t matter. He had survived.On Free State today we ask does any of it matter. As oil and gas fields in Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are attacked, oil prices rise and governments insist they will protect their people. But what can they do?On Free State, we look at how commodity traders control the movement of the world’s resources. We examine the astonishing claims in the book The World for Sale. We ask in this world, what good can politicians do? Let us know what you think - info@freestatepodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
