Rosita Sweetman wanted to change the world. Like many of her generation, she was inspired by the civil rights movement in the US. She became a founder of the women’s liberation movement in Ireland. She was fearless and it was fun.

But her life wasn’t. On Free State today Rosita Sweetman talks about her new memoir Girl With A Fork In A World of Soup. She tells us about having to divorce her family and the extraordinary scene when at a family meeting, her sisters were asked by a psychiatrist if any of them had slept with her ex husband.

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"We know no spectacle so ridiculous as the British public in one of its periodical fits of morality,” a man once said,

When it has come to the pursuit of Kneecap, the ridiculousness has extended far beyond the British public to its media and politicians too. It has reached the Irish political class and media as well.

Kneecap have apologised to the families of murdered MPs but still they are pursued by those lost in what Philip Roth called the “ecstasy of sanctimony”.

On Free State, Joe and Dion ask what does it tell us about the ability to comment freely in the modern world? At a time when n it seems critical to be able to speak out, it is under constant threat.

Dion also recalls a GAA road trip while Joe explains why he considers Jesus Christ a role model.

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Micheál Martin has called on Kneecap ‘to urgently clarify’ their views on Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as killing Tory MPs. Why? How is society served by the Taoiseach involving himself in this confected outrage?

On Free State today Joe and Dion look at the hysteria surrounding Kneecap since their Coachella appearance and their statements in support of Palestine.

While some might believe they are just experiencing the usual backlash from the establishment to any anarchic act, the attempt to silence them is in fact part of something more insidious. The response to the Louis Theroux documentary is part of the same motivation. But is the truth about Gaza, the West Bank and Israel no longer something that can be silenced?

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"Each of the entries included in the book has the same ending.” Peadar Thompson wrote those haunting words in his introduction to Lost Gaels, the story of GAA members killed in Ireland during the Troubles.

On Free State today Peadar Thompson is the guest and talks about his extraordinary book. It details, not just the horrific nature of how these GAA people lost their lives, but also their lives within the community and, most profoundly, within the GAA.

“To be a GAA member in the north back then was to put your head above the parapet,” Peadar says. He provides the profiles in courage of those who wanted nothing more than to lead ordinary lives but who became targets often because of nothing more than a love of the GAA.

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When Pope Francis’s death was announced by the Vatican this week, the world found the words to pay tribute.

From Kings to Prime Ministers to Presidents, everyone reached for the most appropriate tribute. Even Donald Trump was looking forward to the funeral.

But what does the reaction from unionist parties in the north tell us about the loyalist mindset?

On Free State, Dion and Joe look at what the pope, the Irish language, Casement Park and a border poll tell us about the supremacist mindset.

They argue about Micheál Martin’s talk about reconciliation before a united Ireland and wonder what does it actually mean?

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Eamonn Sweeney’s life changed on a June day in the year 2000.

He was a sportswriter enjoying the traditional rhythm of the GAA summer as he arrived at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.

Suddenly he was hit by a bomb and couldn’t put one foot in front of the other.

It was the beginning of a descent into isolation and fear.

On Free State today, Eamonn Sweeney talks about the terror of those days when travelling became a nightmare and he retreated into a cocoon.

He speaks about his new book and how writing it helped to restore him as he found purpose again. It is a story about the community and the power of the GAA

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The history of the far right in Ireland is long and dark. From the Blueshirts and Eoin O’Duffy to the Nazi collaborator Sean Russell and the return in modern times.

On today’s Free State, historian Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc talks about his new book on the far right and how he entered into the world of conspiracy to learn more about the movement.

He talks about the Blueshirts and how close Ireland came to a coup and why even when the far right seem absurd they can’t be underestimated.

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Are you still talking about Rory McIlroy? Joe has reflected on his comments on Tuesday’s episode and Dion believes his views have changed. Have they? Joe also looks at the uniformity of the celebration and what it tells us about society. Dion sees similarities with Italia 90 but Joe thinks there are echoes of Princess Diana’s death. They look at why all sport requires a suspension of rational thought. There is also more anonymous correspondence about Joe’s remarks.

Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning is a Gold Hat Production

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

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