The Women's Podcast

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, we’re exploring the wonderful, fraught and transformative experience of becoming a mother. When it comes to motherhood, often the expectations of what it will be like do not align with reality. Writer Geraldine Walsh describes being “knocked” by the experience. In her new book, Unraveling Motherhood, the mother of two shares her personal journey with postnatal depression and anxiety and offers a motivational toolkit for anyone struggling with overwhelm, feelings of inadequacy and burnout. In this episode she tells Aideen Finnegan how she began to imagine her struggles as knots to unravel, how she eventually untangled her new identity as a parent and how a break from social media can do wonders for any struggling mother. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a special episode of The Women’s Podcast, recorded live from The Oak Room of the Mansion House, as part of our celebrations for International Women’s Day. For this live recording, we teamed up with The National Women’s Council, who are turning 50 this year. To mark this milestone, our hosts for the evening Kathy Sheridan and Róisín Ingle were joined by guests Sonya Lennon, Tara Flynn, Dr Salome Mbugua, Suzy Byrne and Orla O’Connor, with music from Sharyn Ward. Together the panel reflected on the struggles and triumphs of Irish women over the last five decades, and the challenges and inequalities that still remain. Here are the highlights from the evening. Happy International Women’s Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Dry is a new comedy-drama which has just landed on RTE One. It tells the story of Shiv Sheridan, who returns to Dublin after years spent partying in London. Sober and full of good intentions, the 35 year-old struggles to stay on ‘the dry’, while living back home with her parents and brother. In this episode, the show’s creator Nancy Harris speaks to Róisín Ingle about the inspiration behind the story, why she used comedy to tackle the subject of addiction and her own experience giving up alcohol for a year.The Dry airs every Wednesday at 9:35pm on RTÉ One, or you can watch all eight episodes on the RTÉ player now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month on The Women’s Podcast book club, we’ve been reading The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama. It’s the second book from the former First Lady, which promises the reader ‘practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s uncertain world’. It seemed like the perfect book to start the new year with, but didl it live up to our book clubbers expectations? Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Róisín and Ann Ingle share their thoughts in the latest episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re familiar with the world of online dating apps, you’ve likely come across profiles with phrases such as ‘swipe right for kinky’, ‘just looking for fun’ or ‘NO DRAMA’ written in their bios. Scrolling through profile after profile, you’ll see the same stock phrases again and again, but what do they actually mean? According to Aileen Barratt, who runs the @TinderTranslators Instagram page, these go-to phrases show not just a lack of imagination on the writer’s behalf, but are very often laced in misogyny and offer a unique insight into the person writing them. In this episode, Aileen joins Róisín Ingle to talk about the highs and lows of modern dating, who to avoid when swiping and how the success of her Instagram page led to the release of her new book Tinder Translator: An A-Z of Modern Misogyny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The National Menopause Summit is taking place in the Mansion House in Dublin on March 23rd. This “masterclass” in menopause will feature a keynote address from television presenter Davina McCall and will host a wide array of experts who will be debunking myths and taboos and providing inclusive fact based information. In this episode, Kathy Sheridan is joined by the summit’s founder Sinead McNamara, who explains how her own experience with perimenopause inspired her to create the event. We also hear from Sallyanne Brady, founder of The Irish Menopause and Dr Caoimhe Hartley who runs the Menopause Health Clinic in Dublin. Both women will also be speaking at the summit next month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the coming weeks, the Government is expected to pass the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022. However, the proposed redress scheme has faced enormous scrutiny due to its narrow eligibility requirements, which exclude around 40% of survivors. In this episode, human rights lawyer Maeve O’Rourke speaks to Róisín Ingle about the flaws within the scheme, while Noelle Brown who was born into Bessborough mother and baby home, explains how it’s yet another slap in the face for survivors.For more information see http://clannproject.org/redress_scheme/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bad Bridget is the new book from historians Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick. It tells the unheard stories of Irish girls and women who emigrated to North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The book which follows the successful podcast series of the same name, is a culmination of over five years worth of research into the lives of these women who travelled across the Atlantic and didn’t quite find the American dream. The pair’s extensive research into police, court and prison records uncovers the types of criminal activity in which Irish women were involved, including drunkenness, sex work and murder. In this episode, Farrell and McCormick speak to Róisín Ingle about the Bad Bridget podcast series and the Irish women that history chose to forget. This episode was originally published in February 2021. The Bad Bridget book is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feminist author, Mona Eltahaway, joins host, Róisín Ingle, to discuss her fascinating journey through the menopause. The dynamic disruptor of the patriarchy is railing against the societal norms traditionally associated with this clandestine transition, and demanding more people are educated on its impacts (and the importance of moisturising your vulva)  before having to deal with them. The Egyptian-American writer also gives her reaction to the uprising led by women in Iran, as well as Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand prime minister. With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aimee Brown is the first known person in Ireland to be given a ministerial license for legal cannabis to treat the chronic pain she endures as a result of endometriosis. But her battle to get to this point is the most maddening and incredible story. Endometriosis is a whole-body disease but is often characterised in relation to the menstrual cycle. Typical symptoms include painful periods, painful sex, urination and bowel movements but can encompass a wide range of symptoms from chronic fatigue to nausea. 30 year-old Aimee was first hospitalised with symptoms at the age of eight, three years before she started her period. Medical gaslighting underscores her struggle to get treatment for the condition, which affects one in ten women and people assigned female at birth. In this episode, host Róisín Ingle is also joined by medical scientist and advocate Kathleen King, who explains the condition and the unnecessary suffering of women due to lack of awareness surrounding it. With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.