Radio review: The birth of a nation and the politics of Irish football

Matters of nationalism and patriotism were to the fore on the airwaves last week

Andrea Gilligan on Newstalk: listeners discussed amalgamating the two Irish national football teams, North and South

Today, people all over the world celebrate Easter Sunday. In Ireland, the holiday has a particular significance, tied as it is to the birth of the independent nation. The 1916 rebels chose to stage their rebellion over the Easter period for its particular symbolism, and the execution of the rebels in the aftermath was dripping with Christian allegory.

What was the Ireland they were fighting for? We have asked ourselves that question again and again ...