As momentum grows behind a debate on neutrality, we're joined by Diarmaid Ferriter, professor of Modern Irish History at UCD, to look at its opaque history in Ireland. He explains how the seeds of the policy can be traced back far beyond the Free State, right back to Wolfe Tone. We also examine the previous attempts to move away from our 'militarily non-aligned status', how the government could approach the current debate, and also asks if the value of remaining a truly neutral state has been lost in the debate.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/