The Women's Podcast

Last month, Aimée Foley emerged from the Central Criminal Courts of Justice with a smile on her face. The 21 year-old had been fighting to get her father’s prison sentence increased, after he had received just five years for raping and sexually abusing her as a child. Following an appeal by the DPP, Michael O’Donoghue of Colmanstown, Ballinasloe, Co Galway had his jail term almost doubled, meaning he will be in prison for the next nine years. In this episode Aimée explains how the sexual abuse began when she was just 12 years-old and often took place during access visits to her father’s home. It lasted for five years. She tells Róisín Ingle about the reason she waived her right to anonymity and why Ireland’s sentencing laws need to be changed to avoid retraumatising victims all over again.  Please be warned that this episode does contain descriptions of serious sexual assault and might not be suitable for all listeners. For further support please see https://www.rapecrisishelp.ie/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month on The Women’s Podcast book club, we’ve been reading Lucy by the Sea by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Set in the early days of the pandemic, it tells the story of Lucy Barton who moves to Maine during lockdown, to live with her ex-husband William in a small house by the sea. Leaving her life in New York behind, Lucy must now spend the next several months in the company of the man she once loved and their complex past. So what did our book clubbers Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Ann and Róisín Ingle make of this pandemic love story and all that it brings? If you’ve read the book too, please share your thoughts with us at thewomenspodcast@irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marks ten years since the death of Savita Halappanavar, who died on the 28th October 2012. The young Indian woman was seventeen weeks pregnant when she presented to University Hospital Galway complaining of severe back pain. Although informed by doctors that she was actively miscarrying, she was denied access to an abortion, despite multiple requests. One week later, she was dead. What followed was a public outpouring of grief and calls for a change to Ireland’s strict abortion laws. People took to the streets calling for reproductive rights for all Irish women, which later culminated in the repealing of the 8th Amendment more than five years later. In this episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by Kitty Holland, the Irish Times journalist who broke the story of Savita’s death, Ailbhe Smyth Co-director of Together for Yes, Ireland’s campaign to repeal the 8th and Anna Cosgrave, the abortion rights activist who created the famous Repeal jumpers. Together, they reflect on Savita’s life, the legacy she left behind and why her name will never be forgotten. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, as part of their ‘Storyland’ initiative, RTE invited budding writers and creative talent to submit their ideas for original and new local drama.From the hundreds of submissions, three dramas were eventually chosen to go into production, all written by women. The first of which airs tonight on RTE2 at 9:30pm. It’s called Mustard and was created by actress and playwright Eva O’Connor. Originally a theatre show, Mustard tells the story of Eilis and her addiction to the spicy yellow condiment. The following week, we’ll see Every Five Miles by Sinéad Collopy make its debut on screen. It’s a harrowing story of human trafficking and modern day slavery, inspired by Collopy’s years spent working in child protection services. Finally, on November 3rd, Balor Hall written and directed by Rioghnach Ni Grioghair will be aired. This contemporary ‘whodunnit’ sees the greedy members of the Devereux family return to the patriarch’s vast agricultural estate for a brutal land grab. The three writers talk to Róisín Ingle about the inspiration and meaning behind their projects, the joy of bringing their ideas to life and what they will be working on next. All dramas will also be available to watch back on the RTE Player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Maryam Mohitmafi arrived in Ireland with her husband two years ago, she was seeking a better life. A life where she could be free to choose what to wear, where to work and what religion to practice. A life with “basic freedoms” that are not available to women in her home country of Iran. From her new home in Dublin, the 31 year-old watches on as the women of Iran fight for those freedoms. Over the past month, thousands have taken to the streets to protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died while in the custody of the country’s ‘morality police’. In this episode, the Persian-Iranian speaks to Róisín Ingle about her own personal run-ins with the morality police and why she made the tough decision to leave her homeland. We also hear from Iranian journalist Yeganeh Rezaian, who lives in Washington DC with her husband and son. She explains that the protests come as a result of pent up frustration and anger towards the strict regime which rules the Iranian people. Both women talk about their hopes for peace and equality and why they believe that change is finally on the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Total is the brand new book from author and filmmaker Rebecca Miller. It has just been released, but the wheels were set in motion for this collection of short stories, almost two decades ago. It was during the pandemic, when Miller, the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and acclaimed photographer Inge Morath, finally found the time and space needed to flesh out and expand her ideas. In Total, there are seven short stories, many exploring themes of motherhood, family and creativity, often with women at their core. In this episode, the pair discuss Miller’s connection to Ireland through her marriage to actor Daniel Day-Lewis, her own journey through motherhood and what she plans to do next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Ewart-Biggs was just eight years-old, when her father, Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the former British Ambassador to Ireland was assassinated by the IRA, just two weeks after the family arrived into the country. Looking back on that day in 1976, Ewart-Biggs says she spent “a lovely morning” with her father, before he left their home to attend an official meeting. Minutes later, the explosion from a bomb which detonated underneath her father’s car could be heard as she played in their front garden. Following the death of her mother to cancer more than a decade later, Kate left Britain and took off to Africa, where she lived and worked for many years. She also spent time in Brazil working with street children and disadvantaged groups. It was these experiences which ultimately reshaped her view of the world and paved the way for her current role as Deputy Chief Executive of the British Council. In this episode, she tells Kathy Sheridan about the work and global reach of the British Council, her life growing up in a diplomatic family and the brief time she spent in Ireland before her father was murdered.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Alice Ryan began writing her first novel There's Been A Little Incident, a debut about familial love and lifelong friendship, it was an "act of hope" in the face of terrible loss. 11 years ago, her mother, former literary editor of The Irish Times Caroline Walsh, died by suicide while suffering from a debilitating illness. Ryan, a grand-daughter of the late writer Mary Lavin, was initially rejected by publishers but persevered until her book "a novel about grief, that is hopeful" won her a book deal. It was written, she told Roisin Ingle, almost entirely on her phone in the early hours of the morning or while "the fish fingers were burning." The mother of one also spoke about suffering from post-natal anxiety, finding solace in her late mother's book collection and the support of family and friends at the worst times in her life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Edwina Dunn was a young girl, she dreamed of becoming a long distance truck driver and living a very glamorous life on the road. While she didn’t quite achieve that goal, she did go on to become a very successful business woman and the brains behind the Tesco Clubcard. In the early 1990s, she and her husband Clive brought their expertise in data science to the boardroom of Tesco and helped them become one of the most successful retailers in the world. After selling their stake in Tesco for a cool 93 million pounds and taking a bit of time out to enjoy the payout, the pair set up their next company Starcount. In that time, Edwina also created The Female Lead, a non-profit organisation dedicated to offering women alternative role models to those presented by popular culture. In this episode, she tells Róisín Ingle about her career journey and what it’s been like working alongside her husband through the years. They also discuss the great work being done by the Female Lead and why it’s time for women to shake the ‘unentitled mindset’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Girlcrush is the brand new novel from writer and illustrator Florence Given. It follows the journey of Eartha, a young woman fresh out of a relationship, coming to terms with her sexuality and dealing with her growing online fame. It’s the second book from the writer who brought us Women Don’t Owe You Pretty which explores all corners of the feminist conversation. Given speaks to Róisín Ingle about her move to fiction, how she deals with her own success, creating online boundaries for herself and what she’d like to do next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.