This is Free State Podcast

How much credit does Mickey Harte deserve for Derry’s win over Mayo? On Free State, Joe tells Dion how Derry pulled off what many felt was the shock of the season. Was it really a shock? Joe didn’t think so and neither did the local rat catcher in Mayo. Dion wonders if Mayo are like the Scottish football team but Joe explains why they’re more like England. And who are the snipers Mickey Harte is talking about?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the American Ambassador’s residence in Dublin last week, there was an extraordinary event. Many of the main architects of the peace process gathered to talk about how it was done and what the world can learn from it as the horrors of Gaza continue. Joe was among the invited audience and it reminded him of a time when politicians were serious. On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the recent election results. What do they mean for Sinn Féin and the country? As Nigel Farage hijacks the U.K. election, has the far right in Ireland done something similar? Is the country heading down the same road as Britain and the US?

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Joe be wearing a half and half scarf when Mayo play Derry? On Free State, Joe explains to Dion why he will be desperate for a Derry win when the two counties play. He remembers his many memorable encounters with the great Brian Mullins, one of which ended with Joe promising to seek professional help. He didn’t follow up on this promise.

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Derry fall apart under Mickey Harte, what are those closest to the squad saying? Who else - if anyone- is responsible for the fall in recent months? On Free State, it’s Mickey Harte week with a forensic analysis of where it went wrong at Derry and if anything can be done to save their summer.

Dion also triggers Joe by mentioning a name that may upset him even more than Mickey Harte. A beautiful partnership hangs by a thread…

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who will Mickey Harte blame next? Was it inevitable that it would fall apart at Derry? On Free State today, Joe and Dion talk about the fall and fall of Mickey Harte. Joe explains why Harte is an intruder in the county and how it went to pieces. They look at why the Derry County Board have betrayed the values of the GAA by bringing Harte in. But a county like Offaly with their rock ‘n’ roll U-20 hurlers have captured its essence.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

This episode of Free State is sponsored by Manscaped. Visit https://www.manscaped.com/ and get 20% off and free shipping by using code freestate20

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon Levy says he is an Israeli patriot. But he is a patriot in a land where truth is seen as treason. In Part 2 of his Free State interview, Gideon Levy provides a frightening insight into Israel today. As Israeli government censorship looks to silence the truth about Gaza, he tells Joe and Dion what happens to those who write honestly about the plight of the Palestinians.  He talks about how in Tel Aviv recently, a woman on the street called him a traitor. And he explains why the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu from office is not going to deliver the change many liberals believe.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Gideon Levy was a teenager growing up in Israel he was devoted to the ‘nationalistic religious orgy’ in the country. Today, as a journalist working for Haaretz, he has been described as the ‘most hated man in Israel’. His fearless determination to record the suffering of the Palestinians has seen him banned from reporting in Gaza by the Israeli government since 2006.

On a two part special, Gideon Levy joins Dion and Joe on Free State. He talks about how, even as the atrocities mount in Rafah, Israeli society doesn’t want to know. He explains why many in the country care more about the fate of animals than those suffering in Gaza. He also tells Joe and Dion about his own journey from one who believed all he was told in Israel about the Palestinians to a man who courageously tells the truth in a country that doesn’t want to hear it.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a young man, he fled the racism of Louisiana. His father could take no more: violence or exile was the next step. He began what at first was an unpromising basketball career before becoming the most inspirational leader in the history of the NBA.

On the final part of The Captain Class, Joe and Dion look at the extraordinary life of Bill Russell. Russell was the man who shaped the Boston Celtics even as he was being racially abused by his own fans. He had no interest in fame or the trappings of celebrity but as a captain he found a higher purpose for himself and his team.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Leinster missed a drop goal in the final seconds of the European final were they just unlucky? Or were they, like Mayo, missing chances or losing three finals in a row because something fundamental was missing? On Free State today, Joe and Dion continue their exploration of the great teams and captains in sport.

Is team spirit just an illusion glimpsed in victory or is there another reason why these team succeed and others experience relative failure? 

They look at what the great teams had in common, the factor that drove them towards relentless success and why luck had nothing to do with it.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roy Keane drove Manchester United and Ireland on through the force of his personality. He was the most important player in Alex Ferguson’s side but was he a man apart or the invisible essence of the team? On Free State today, Joe and Dion debate Roy Keane and where he belongs in the captain class. They look at those who led a different way, who didn’t let heart attacks or jibes about being a water-carrier stop them leading.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.

For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/

To get in touch with the podcast: info@freestatepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is great comfort in the familiar. It's one reason humans often flock to other people who share the same interests, laugh at the same jokes, hold the same political views. But familiar ground may not be the best place to cultivate creativity. Researchers have found that people with deep connections to those from other countries and cultures often see benefits in terms of their creative output. This week, we revisit a favorite 2018 episode about the powerful connection between the ideas we dream up and the people who surround us, and what it really takes to think outside the box.