Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

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.

More
Recent Episodes
  • Highway to Hell. An Irish surgeon’s journey into Gaza’s heart of darkness. With Morgan McMonagle.
    Jun 3, 2025 – 49:29
  • Love, loss and destruction. Writer Oona Frawley on making sense of the past
    May 31, 2025 – 42:19
  • The Liverpool Parade and why white nationalism is on the prowl
    May 29, 2025 – 41:36
  • The Persecution of Kneecap: A legal perspective with Joe Brolly, barrister-at-law
    May 27, 2025 – 36:16
  • How the Northern Bank robbery changed Ireland with Glenn Patterson
    May 24, 2025 – 56:00
  • The Assassination of Gary Lineker by the coward BBC
    May 22, 2025 – 41:58
  • Gary Lineker, the Mayo footballers and the mechanics of change
    May 20, 2025 – 47:49
  • Go on home British soldier, go on home - The IRA & me, with Captain Jonathan Trigg of the Royal Anglian Regiment
    May 15, 2025 – 53:16
  • Cocaine Nights on the Kyiv Express (feat Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and the German guy)
    May 13, 2025 – 38:19
  • Where The Wildelings Are. Writer Lisa Harding on surviving Trinity College, anxiety and the Male Gaze
    May 10, 2025 – 45:25
  • Skorts, Skirts and Shorts. What will the new pope say?
    May 8, 2025 – 35:27
  • “I want nothing to do with this.” Gaza & the myth of western civilisation. With the brilliant Omar El Akkad.
    May 6, 2025 – 1:04:27
  • The Revolutionary Road. Women’s Liberation Movement Founder Rosita Sweetman on divorcing her family and why Kneecap were right
    May 3, 2025 – 44:55
  • Whatever You Say, Say Nothing - Kneecap and Britain's Periodical Fits of Morality
    May 1, 2025 – 35:42
  • Kneecap, Louis Theroux and how the truth became Anti-Semitic
    Apr 29, 2025 – 42:38
  • The Killing Fields: How the GAA survived the British murder machine... and flourished
    Apr 26, 2025 – 55:00
  • No Pope of Rome, no bilingual signs, no border poll. Pope Francis’s death and Micheál Martin’s impossible demand.
    Apr 24, 2025 – 48:00
  • High Noon: How one man retreated from the world and found his way back again
    Apr 22, 2025 – 1:05:24
  • This Machine Kills Fascists - Historian Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc on the return of the far right
    Apr 19, 2025 – 1:21:28
  • Arise Sir Rory and Joe Brolly says sorry
    Apr 17, 2025 – 41:14
  • Rory McIlroy. Glory is forever, winning is closure.
    Apr 15, 2025 – 45:10
  • Edna O’Brien: The woman who defied a nation
    Apr 12, 2025 – 42:07
  • iPhones, groceries & tinned cats. The truth about Trump’s tariffs.
    Apr 10, 2025 – 44:08
  • Long Orgasms and Golden Years. The Secrets and Myths of Mick O’Dwyer
    Apr 8, 2025 – 30:59
  • ‘I betrayed women all over the place’. Author John Banville on hating the Catholic Church and his terror of eternity
    Apr 5, 2025 – 1:02:03
  • Rebel With a Cause. How Martin Galvin galvanised Irish America
    Apr 3, 2025 – 1:07:05
  • Exile On Main Street: Rosie Schaap the New Yorker who found happiness in an Antrim village
    Mar 29, 2025 – 46:15
  • Two fingers: Michael Lowry and the humiliation of Ireland
    Mar 27, 2025 – 37:55
  • Remembering Giants: George Foreman and Muhammad Ali
    Mar 25, 2025 – 43:23
  • The Truth About Stakeknife: Legendary journalist Martin Dillon on the real stories of the Troubles
    Mar 22, 2025 – 1:08:00
  • The Battle for Adolescence: How Conor McGregor and Andrew Tate Are Shaping a Generation
    Mar 20, 2025 – 40:45
  • Conor McGregor and The Burkes: Coming To America (Be Very Afraid)
    Mar 18, 2025 – 46:06
  • Life and Death in the Ring. With legendary boxing writer Donald McRae
    Mar 15, 2025 – 57:10
  • When Trumpish Eyes are smiling. Micheal Martin goes to the White House.
    Mar 13, 2025 – 53:45
  • The trouble with Simon & Micheal. The end of Irish neutrality, the RTÉ/FF/FG pact and standing with Israel.
    Mar 11, 2025 – 45:58
  • Colum McCann on Trump, Gaza and the secrets at the bottom of the ocean
    Mar 8, 2025 – 54:27
  • I Fought The Law (and the law lost): Kneecap, Roy Keane, and Steve Coogan. With Trevor Birney.
    Mar 6, 2025 – 53:08
  • Trumpworld: Hell for Zelensky, paradise for bullies, rapists and woman haters
    Mar 4, 2025 – 53:52
  • Shooting Crows - Trevor Birney on Mass Murder, State Collusion and Press Freedom
    Mar 1, 2025 – 48:52
  • Trump & the Gaza Riviera. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
    Feb 27, 2025 – 38:45
  • From student priest to IRA commander. The momentous life of Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane.
    Feb 25, 2025 – 50:03
  • The art of the deal. Donald Trump and his Charlie’s Angels.
    Feb 22, 2025 – 48:28
  • The lonely death and burial of Joe Lynskey. From Cistercian monk to lover and hitman.
    Feb 20, 2025 – 34:30
  • The Disappeared. From 1920 to 1998. How the memory of the murdered has become a game of whataboutery.
    Feb 18, 2025 – 39:51
  • The Restless Dead: How the Irish establishment turned the good old IRA into a propaganda opportunity with historian Padraig Óg O’Ruairc
    Feb 15, 2025 – 1:07:34
  • The Shamrock My Father Wore - For God, Ulster & Elon. How the Irish far right embraced loyal Ulster.
    Feb 13, 2025 – 49:09
  • America’s War Game: How the Super Bowl Became a Weapon of Mass Destruction.
    Feb 11, 2025 – 39:26
  • Conquering Hill 16. Paddy Cullen & the Dublin revolution
    Feb 8, 2025 – 40:04
  • Assassinating Peter Robinson: How an IRA hired hitman almost took out the DUP hardliner. With Unionist historian Aaron Edwards.
    Feb 6, 2025 – 44:21
  • The Decline of the Loyal Family. How Ulster Protestants were sold out by their leaders. With Unionist historian Aaron Edwards.
    Feb 4, 2025 – 45:25
Recent Reviews
  • You talkin to me..
    End of Unionism
    Joe nobody is asking when is the English Government going to put Unionist out of their misery and tell them the game is up, that they can no longer suckle on the British Nipple.
  • Gero11:11
    Out of touch with reality
    The two lads are so far removed from what's going on in the real world it's a little frightening. Joe, a once prominent Irish sportsperson, demonstrates his athleticism as he preforms an impressive display of mental gymnastics with a synchronized ballet of back-flips and summersaults which enable him to dip, duck, dive and dodge around real life topics which exist to the minority of us still living in the real world. The two bais should at least google who Slade Sohmer, Jeffery Epstein and dare I say, the Catholic Church are before denouncing a global p ring... or maybe Biden's affiliation to the Obama/Clinton mob is a subject a little to close to home for umbrella.
  • Laggffy
    Good, bu-
    Love the podcast, both hosts have insightful and thought-provoking things to say. For that reason, wish Joe didn’t roll over Dion so often
  • Gruffindoooor
    It’s Bleak
    Just call it Joes Soapbox. Had to stop listening . Bleak . Everything bleak . Joe seems to be of opinion he is the deciding authority on all matters . Dion is there to be talked over. It’s a bit of a mess .
  • Eamo1236
    Free State
    This podcast about Norin Ireland, Southern Ireland USA breath of fresh air. Honest, no holds barred gets at the truth and the difficulties people of both communities have with dealing with there identity and the troubles past. Tá sé Ana nhairh a chairde. Listen and learn.
  • s37erasmus
    Joe, can you ever let Dion speak?
    And the few times he does speak, can you ever acknowledge when he’s made a good point? I don’t think he’s content to be there as just your straight man or window dressing.
  • Catalpa Dutch Courage
    Great Listen
    I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everywhere that Dion and Joe have taken me. Highly recommended!!!
  • fpscully
    Free State
    Good listen but really should be named the Dion Fanning tries to get a word in edgewise podcast!
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.