Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

Luigi Mangione was eating a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania when an employee recognised him and called the police. Mangione was arrested and subsequently charged with the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson. Google had to take down bad reviews of the McDonald’s where he was turned which flooded the internet. Mangione has become a folk hero to many, a social bandit taking up the cause of the oppressed and exploited in a world where they are forgotten. In the US, half a million people a year go bankrupt because of medical bills, often after insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare have denied their claims. What does the response to the killing tell us about a society fractured like America’s? In a world where Benjamin Netanyahu is on the shortlist for Time’s Person of the Year, is it any wonder if people’s moral compass directs them to cheer a murder? Dion and Joe look at the staging posts on the way to the murder of a CEO. Have the last twenty years created the conditions where people feel that justice does not serve them, only the elites? There is also another update from the Dungiven GAA Whatsapp and their love-hate relationship with Dion.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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Micheál Martin will be Ireland’s next Taoiseach. He returns to the most important position in Ireland at a critical time in Irish life.But during the election campaign he spoke about how the IRA waged a war ‘on its own people’. What does this tell us about his worldview and how he views the north? On Free State, Joe and Dion disagree about Micheal Martin’s comments and what they reveal about the man. Joe looks at why the origins of the Troubles dispute Martin’s statement. Dion reveals a family connection to Liam Mellows which only leaves Joe more disappointed in him but still extends an invitation to the Kevin Lynch’s GAA club. Joe also reveals why he never considered joining the IRAFree State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production in association with SwanMcG.For more on Free State: https://freestatepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the court where he faced Nikita Hand, Conor McGregor had money but he didn’t have power. On the streets where some continue to idolise him, McGregor still has power. On a Free State Weekend Special, Joe and Dion look at the fight for those who are influenced by McGregor and the work being done by many to offer another way. The decision to award costs to Nikita Hand following the verdict in the high court case was another blow to McGregor. Joe considers the judge’s ruling and why there is little hope for McGregor in the courts. He is now being ostracised in Irish society. But does that matter when around the world he can be lauded by the same people who hail Donald Trump or Andrew Tate? Does it matter when he has supporters in Ireland among those invisible to the political classes? McGregor offers easy answers. Dion and Joe look at some of those offering other solutions. The race is on and the outcome has huge implications for Ireland.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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past 18 months Free State has wrestled with the big issues in Ireland and across the world. But today they confront the most intractable of them all: how to get a crying baby to sleep. Reluctantly Joe shares some of the old Brolly secrets about how to soothe an infant in distress. What does Joe Biden’s pardon of Hunter Biden tell us about the morality of world leaders? They also consider what’s next for Jim Gavin. A man who can persuade a GAA Congress to do exactly what he wants is capable of achieving anything. Joe wonders exactly what that might be and makes a fascinating proposal.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/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.