The Women's Podcast

In this episode presenters Kathy and Róisín are joined by producers Jennifer and Suzanne to look back at 2021. We share our favourite episodes, name our women of the year and talk about some of the highs and lows of the past 12 months.**This episode was recorded in mid-December 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, in the bleakness of lockdown three, Jan Brierton became a viral sensation with her pandemic poem What day is it? Who gives a f*ck. Sharing her thoughts on the monotony of lockdown life, her words resonated with many across the country and beyond. In today’s episode, the stylist turned poet tells Róisín Ingle how that poem changed the course of her life this year, leading to the release of her very first book. Brierton also speaks about embracing her creativity, getting out of her comfort zone and about her decision to give up alcohol. The pair share their Christmas plans, discuss the merit of the Brussels sprout and Jan performs a new festive poem called Dear Santa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feast your ears on this deliciously festive food episode with columnist, broadcaster and author Grace Dent. As restaurant critic for The Guardian and a regular face on Masterchef, Grace tells Róisín Ingle what tasty treats feature in her Christmas spread every year. The pair reminisce about Yuletide dinners through the decades, from the joy of the humble pud, to the homemade trifle lathered with Birds custard. This episode is a culinary walk down a very festive memory lane. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been another fantastic year for books: Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, Megan Nolan’s Acts of Desperation, Catherine Ryan Howard’s 56 Days, Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout, Louise Nealon’s Snowflake, Fíona Scarlett’s Boys Don’t Cry, the list goes on and on. In this episode Róisín is joined by our book clubbers Niamh Towey, Ann Ingle and Bernice Harrison to share their favourite reads of the year (some old, some new) and the books they’ll be gifting this Christmas. Books mentioned:56 Days - Catherine Ryan HowardActs of Desperation - Megan NolanApples Never Fall - Liane MoriartyAre You Somebody - Nuala O’FaolainBright Burning Things - Lisa HardingComrades - Rosita BolandDaisy Jones and the Six - Taylor Jenkins ReidDid Ye Hear Mammy Died? - Seamus O’ReillyEmpire of Pain - Patrick Radden KeefeHow to Kill Your Family - Bella Mackie Iron Annie - Luke CassidyMagpie - Elizabeth DayNell - Nell McCaffertyNora - Nuala O’ConnorOh William! - Elizabeth StroutOpenhearted - Ann IngleThe End of the World is a Culture de Sac - Louise KennedyThe Opposite of Butterfly Hunting - Evanna LynchReal Estate - Deborah LevySlug - Hollie McNishSmall Things Like These, Claire KeeganSnowflake - Louise NealonState of Terror - Hillary Clinton and Louise PennyWe Don’t Know Ourselves - Fintan O’Toole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For thousands of young people across Ireland, the impact of the pandemic has been catastrophic. This is especially true for children from disadvantaged communities, who may have grown up with gangland violence on their doorstep, or in a home with addiction, overcrowding or poverty. For many, the usual supports they relied on, like schooling and youth clubs were taken away overnight. In a new documentary series by The Irish Youth Foundation, musician and presenter Mary-Kate Geraghty (MayKay) travels to Limerick, Waterford and Dublin to speak to the young people in these communities, about how their lives were affected during the lockdowns. In today’s episode, MayKay shares what she learned from listening to their stories. We’re also joined by Suzi Cronin, the Youth Work Team Lead at Southhill Hub in Limerick and by Ellen Burke, a young member of the travelling community who speaks about her experience engaging with youth services in Waterford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The vast majority of violence against women and girls (and men and boys) is perpetrated by men. Why then is it viewed primarily as a women’s issue? On UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Róisín talks to two men who are activists in the area about why we urgently need to reframe the conversation and why more men need to speak out. Guests: Dr Jackson Katz, co-founder of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program and Ryan Hart, domestic abuse advocate.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Living alone during lockdown and cut off from her wide circle of friends, Irish Times journalist and author Rosita Boland, wrote a beautiful book of essays called Comrades: A Lifetime of Friendships. The book is an exploration of camaraderie, from the imaginary, the unrequited, to the ones lost along the way. In today’s episode, Boland joins Róisin Ingle to speak about the different friendships which have shaped her life and the pair reminisce about their own journey. But first, Irish Times columnist Brianna Parkins shares her experience of making new pals as an Australian in Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Lara Marlowe met Robert Fisk in 1983 in Damascus, he was already a famous war correspondent. She was a young American reporter who would become a renowned journalist in her own right. For the next twenty years, they were lovers, husband and wife and friends, occasionally angry and estranged from one another, but ultimately reconciled. In today’s podcast, Marlowe, who is The Irish Times Paris correspondent, talks to her colleague and friend Kathy Sheridan about the memoir she has written telling the story of their time together, Love in a Time of War: My years with Robert Fisk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The death of a 30-year-old woman in Poland, likened to the Savita Halappanavar case, has sparked protests and candlelit vigils in an outpouring of opposition to restrictive abortion laws which campaigners claim played a role in her death. Irish Times Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary has the details of this story and explains why the case will resonate in Ireland.Later, Róisín talks to prize-winning Irish author Sarah Gilmartin about her brilliant novel, Dinner Party: A tragedy, which tells the story of a family of dysfunctional siblings and their monstrous mother.Presenter: Róisín IngleProduced by: Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne BrennanSound: JJ Vernonwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch was just 11 when her eating disorder began to manifest. She struggled for several years with anorexia, with spells in and out of hospital including a three month stay in a facility in England. In her memoir, The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting, she explores with breathtaking clarity, her path to recovery and her struggle to deal with the complexities and contradictions within herself. Now 30 and living in London, she talked to Roisin Ingle about navigating all of this while also coming to terms with the international fame which came when she won the part of Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movie franchise. It's a story about the tragedy and glory of growing up, one Lynch hopes will help anyone touched by this devastating, often misunderstood illness.If you’re affected by any of the issues discussed in today’s episode, contact BodyWhys.ie or CAREDIreland@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.