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
9 snips
Jan 27, 2026 • 48min
ICE Cold in America: The Execution of Alex Pretti
They unpack ICE’s rapid militarization and politicized recruitment under Trump. They draw parallels between US tactics and historical paramilitary repression. The hosts examine video evidence and conflicting official accounts of two killings. They outline how private prisons and corporate profit fuel enforcement and warn about propaganda, escalation and threats to democratic norms.
Jan 24, 2026 • 42min
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
What would it mean to be free of financial insecurity? Why does money scare us so much?On Free State today money expert Eoin McGee talks about how we can achieve financial freedom and faces one of his greatest challenges: Dion’s attitude to money.In doing so, he talks about things far more profound than money. What do we really want from life and Dion explains why your wedding day is not the best day of your life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 22, 2026 • 46min
Trump backs down on Greenland and is Tony Blair the world’s worst person?
Donald Trump's retreat from the Greenland proposal raises questions about global power dynamics. At Davos, Canada's Prime Minister highlighted the reality that the powerful often dictate terms while the weak suffer. The discussion also delves into Tony Blair's controversial role on the Gaza Peace Board, scrutinizing his historical ties to Israel and accusations of prioritizing power over humanitarian concerns. The contrasting views on Blair's motives—ideological versus opportunistic—add depth to the critique of modern political leadership.
Jan 20, 2026 • 49min
Trump renounces pacifism and invites Putin to Gaza Board of Peace
When the Senegal team walked off the pitch in the last seconds of the AFCON final, were we witnessing a moment of brave resistance or gamesmanship?Was this a stand against the technology which is destroying sport or a stroke?On Free State today we ask if injustice has to be part of sport? Joe makes his case for video evidence in Gaelic football.Joe and Dion also look at Trump’s determination to land the biggest real estate deal in American history as he pursues Greenland. Is this a negotiation or the actions of a narcissist? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 17, 2026 • 45min
'The two things DJ Carey looked for were attention and money’
What drove DJ Carey? What did he believe of the fraud and deception that ended up with him being sent to prison? And as he faces life as a social pariah, what does he think today of his crimes?On Free State today Eimear Ni Bhraonain, author of The Dodger, the bestselling book about DJ Carey looks at what drove one of Ireland’s greatest sportsmen.She considers the childhood of excellence and isolation and what removed DJ Carey from the world around him and sent him into the field of deception and fraud. She looks at how DJ might redeem himself and considers the question that even asking makes some people angry: Is it ok to feel sorry for DJ Carey? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 15, 2026 • 44min
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann - the musical wing of the IRA
In August Belfast will host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. More than half a million people will visit the city from around the world for the festival which is a global event. Last year nearly a million people attended the Fleadh in Wexford.But be warned. All this music and culture is not what it appears. A DUP councillor has warned that a spin off event in Bangor has potential to cause ‘ill feeling’ because it takes place on the same day as the Ulster Championships for Pipe Bands.On Free State today Joe and Dion look at how a strand of unionism sees everything as a zero sum game. But it’s a game they are losing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 13, 2026 • 49min
Nigel Farage’s Reform Prison Blues
The hosts dive into Nigel Farage's bold prison plans and the implications of populist politics. They debate the differences between punitive US and UK systems versus Norway's rehabilitative approach. With a look at humane practices in prisons, they discuss the success of education and arts programs. They also highlight Ireland's increasing incarceration rates, emphasizing the urgency of humane reforms. The conversation shifts to how media narratives shape public perception, often leading to tougher sentencing despite evidence against it.
Jan 10, 2026 • 1h 13min
A Few Good Men: The past pupils who took on Blackrock College
In this engaging discussion, guests John Coulter and Corry McMahon, former pupils of Blackrock College, recount their harrowing school experiences and the abuse they faced. John, a finance professional and advocate for victim-survivors, and Corry, an auctioneer turned psychotherapist, share their journeys toward restorative justice. They emphasize the importance of acknowledgment and support for victims, the impact of social media in revealing past traumas, and the empowering role of restorative meetings in healing and reclaiming agency.
Jan 8, 2026 • 37min
The Marinera Tanker and the Russian Invasion of Fivemiletown
As the US military pursued the Russian tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic, a village in South Tyrone might have been paying close attention.The world is not a safe place for many these days but in this time of danger, the residents of Fivemiletown are particularly at risk.On Free State today we look at why Fivemiletown appeared on a Russian strike list. What does it tell us about the drumbeats for war that the residents of the village are being told to prepare for nuclear annihilation?Meanwhile Dion prepares for a purity test as Joe decides to set a GAA quiz for him. Send your questions to info@freestatepodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 6, 2026 • 49min
Make Venezuela Great Again
When Nicolás Maduro, the deposed Venezuelan leader, appeared in a federal courtroom in lower Manhattan, he insisted ‘I am still president of my country.’Maduro was labouring under a misapprehension, not just about his own country but about how things now work.On Free State today, Joe and Dion look at the new age of empire as Donald Trump’s gangsterism spreads across the world.America now has Venezuela’s oil but it also has exercised muscle and for a bully like Trump that is its own reward.They explain why international law matters except when it doesn’t and they wonder what this means for the FIFA peace prize. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
