Episode 990: Colm Tóibín – Why Catalonia Is Not Spain

We discuss what has happened in Catalonia with one of Ireland’s greatest novelists, Colm Tóibín, who spent several years living in Barcelona in the 1970s and 80s and has written extensively about Catalonia in fiction and non-fiction.

If Catalonia is not Spain, then what makes it different? How did it get to be this way? And what are the forces that have caused Spain, one of Europe’s freest and friendliest countries, to descend into bitter division and acrimony? Is there any good way out of the current mess?

Barcelona tonight : release of Catalan civical pro-independence leaders imprisoned by Spain #LlibertatJordis pic.twitter.com/mrP6gFUWwp

— Help Catalonia (@CataloniaHelp2) October 17, 2017

We also hear how the current crisis was predicted by Irish Times travel writer Eoin McDevitt way back in 2014.

Click the image at the top of the page to play the show. To listen to our programming throughout the week, join the Second Captains World Service. It’s independent, commercial-free and member-led with daily shows and lots of added extras.

Is the Champions League the new Champions League? Is Eoin ok after his horror crash? Is cheek scar > turkey neck????https://t.co/pJUPlne2WY pic.twitter.com/CkyuVuBCwQ

— Second Captains (@SecondCaptains) October 19, 2017