I hear you’re a racist now, Bertie? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 19, 2026 · 36 MIN

I hear you’re a racist now, Bertie?

from Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning

Bertie Ahern says he rejects ‘racism in all its forms’. So what is it if not racism when a former Taoiseach says ‘we can’t be taking in people from Congo and all these places’?On Free State today we ask how do you talk about immigration and not get mistaken for a racist? Is it best not to say things that a racist might say to begin with?Ahern defended himself by saying ‘I don’t think there is anything wrong talking about what the people are talking about’.But what does this mean? What is the requirement of a leader, even a former leader, when people are troubled and anxious? Do you resort to the lowest common denominator or do you provide a vision? What did Bertie Ahern do? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 19, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

I hear you’re a racist now, Bertie?

0:00 36:45

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning?

This episode is 36 minutes long.

When was this Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning episode published?

This episode was published on May 19, 2026.

Can I download this Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!