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Artwork for Free State

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

Gold Hat Productions
Ireland
Gaza
Donald Trump
Israel
Northern Ireland
GAA
Mental Health
Iran
United States
Addiction
Palestine
Gaelic Football
Hurling
David Clifford
Racism
IRA
Grief
DJ Carey
World Cup
Artificial Intelligence

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 ... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes414Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPoliticsSports News

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Artwork for Free State

Latest Episodes

Everybody wants to know how Mayo did it, but when something like this happens what is more important is why Mayo did it.

Why did these players play without fear? Why did the world weep along with Mayo people on Sunday when they won the All Ireland? more

Will the world have changed thanks to the World Cup? Or did the world change while the World Cup was taking place and people were too busy watching the World Cup to notice.

On Free State today, the great novelist Joseph O’Neill talks to Dion about w... more

Mayo have been denied in All Irelands in every way possible - balls bouncing over the bar, the referee blowing up early, own goals... they've also taken a few pastings along the way, but what will they do with the freedom they will have on Sunday?

S... more

Did the World Cup final hit different from the million dollar seats or was the best thing about them the helicopter that flew you back to New York City?

On Free State, today we ask who mourns the end of Gianni Infantino’s dance with Donald Trump and... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Martin Sixsmith
Author of Suing the Kremlin; journalist and historian
Author, journalist
Episode: Putin's Billions: The oligarchs and stolen riches
Richard Fitzpatrick
Author of Biography of Herrera
Author, Biography of Herrera
Episode: Original Sin: The man who shaped modern football
Fintan Drury
Author of Genocide, Sponsoring the Destruction of Palestine
Author
Episode: Why the west stayed silent over genocide
Peter McDonald
Actor, co-creator of many projects including Power Ballad
Actor
Episode: An Actor's Life: Power Ballad start Peter McDonald on working with Paul Rudd, dealing with fame and the Monday Club
Sinead Gibney
Member of the Social Democrats, talking about a government motion on sport and Israel
Social Democrats
Episode: Put ‘Em Under Pressure. How to Stop Ireland playing Israel with Sinead Gibney TD
John Kampfner
Author of Brave New World, discussing the book's themes
Episode: The Sleepwalkers-John Kampfner on how western democracy will fail
Maoz Inon
Israeli peace activist and co-founder of Interact International; author of The Future is Peace
Interact International
Episode: Radical Forgiveness: How a Palestinian and an Israeli want to bring peace to their lands
Aziz Abu Sarah
Palestinian peace activist and co-founder of Interact International; author
Interact International
Episode: Radical Forgiveness: How a Palestinian and an Israeli want to bring peace to their lands
Sally Hayden
Journalist and author of This Is Also a Love Story
Freelance journalist, author
Episode: Love in the Time of War

Hosts

Joe Brolly
Host of Free State Podcast
Dion Fanning
Host of Free State Podcast

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1.8k ratings
  • A perfect spicy cocktail of politics, sport, social commentary

    Brolly and Fanning serve up a smart and hard hitting combination of politics, sport, and social commentary that’s honest, humorous and hard-hitting. Joe’s not to everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t argue with his knowledge and experiences.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Daithios
    Irelanda month ago
  • While generally an interesting chat. The petty squabbling, bickering and overtalking, often an annoying feature, was overwhelming today. A pity, as there's a lot to be said about the degree to which the rugby schools of south Dublin draw their ethos from the British empire and defer to the UK as a result. It may explain why our civil service is so keen to transpose UK law onto our statute books

    Podcast Addict
    3
    Skrynesaver
    7 months ago
  • Give Eoin a job

    Just loved the recent show with Eoin O Broin, it is a travesty that someone with a vision, strategy and such a clear understanding how we got here and how to get out of the mess our housing policy is currently in. If FG and FF weren’t still mesmerised by Maggie Thatcher they would recognise housing for the nation emergency it is and go cross party and bring Eoin in. More chance of pigs taking flight or a full episode of your podcast with Dion being allowed to finish a sentence without Joe interr... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fred and Friend
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Go easy on us Joe

    Love the show and Joe is so straight talking that it makes me laugh out loud. But go easy on the doomsday stuff, we all need some hope. Joe try and look at what we need to do to get back to some sort of “rules based world “.

    Keep it up guys.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Knobheader
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Monday Club

    This is dire….first time I’ve listened ,via this episode…I follow many podcasts…but truly the plodding self regarding dull “dialogue” is without compare….stick to the day jobs lads…🙄…10 mins of my life I won’t get back…

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    pokey marley
    United Kingdom8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are well-chosen and bring depth, but pacing can vary.
Hosts' banter adds personality but can feel one-sided to some listeners.
Shows strong, provocative takes with sharp storytelling.
Audience engagement is high, with strong reactions to controversial opinions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#37
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#85
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#76
Australia/News/Politics
Spotify
#69
Ireland/Top Podcasts
Spotify
#194
Ireland/Trending
Apple Podcasts
#28
Ireland/Top Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Putin's Billions: The oligarchs and stolen riches
Q: What is the significance of the The Hague ruling for the Yukos case?
The Hague ruling established a historic precedent for international arbitration against a state for breaking international agreements, with Russia ultimately being ordered to pay billions to the Yukos successor, though enforcement remains contested and slow.
Putin's Billions: The oligarchs and stolen riches
Q: What happened to Yukos and its founders in the early 2000s?
Yukos was progressively crippled through inflated tax demands and asset seizures; its assets were transferred to Rosneft, and its founder Khodorkovsky was jailed, signaling a decisive move by the Kremlin against independent oligarchic power.
Putin's Billions: The oligarchs and stolen riches
Q: How did Putin respond to the oligarchs after taking office in 1999-2000?
Putin sought to curb the oligarchs' political influence by forcing them to stay out of government and by reining in their control over state assets, while some remained aligned with him if they accepted his terms.
Putin's Billions: The oligarchs and stolen riches
Q: What was the role of the oligarchs in Boris Yeltsin's 1996 re-election, and why did they back him?
The oligarchs backed Yeltsin to safeguard the windfall from privatizations and to ensure their wealth could be preserved from potential communist reversal, which they believed would be threatened by a returned political order.
Original Sin: The man who shaped modern football
Q: But you might tell people who Herrera was, if that's even possible to answer.
Richard Fitzpatrick explains that Herrera was a complex figure whose genius lay in tactical innovation and motivational power, but whose personal methods—psychological pressure, money-centric control, and the use of doping—revealed a darker, coercive side that influenced football culture for decades.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Free State

What is Free State about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, wide-ranging show that blends politics, sport, culture, and current affairs with provocative yet insightful commentary. Hosted by two distinct voices—one a barrister with a principled, data-driven approach and the other an accomplished interviewer and author—the conversations span political analysis, social issues, and human stories, often lampooning received wisdom while staying pointed and thoughtful. Guests tend to be journalists, authors, historians, and thought leaders who can illuminate complex topics with context and personal narrative, making the show engaging for curious listeners who crave principled debate with humor. A standout trait is the mix of rigorous analysis and candid, sometimes contrarian banter that keeps disc... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Free State?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Free State:

1. The GAA Social
2. Indo Sport
3. Indo GAA
4. The Football Pod
5. RTÉ GAA Podcast

How many episodes of Free State are there?

Free State launched 3 years ago and published 414 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Free State?

Recent guests on Free State include:

1. Martin Sixsmith
2. Richard Fitzpatrick
3. Fintan Drury
4. Peter McDonald
5. Sinead Gibney
6. John Kampfner
7. Maoz Inon
8. Aziz Abu Sarah

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