The Women's Podcast

Little over 34 years ago, a 15-year-old girl died after giving birth at a grotto in the small town of Granard in Co. Longford on a freezing cold, wet day in 1984. That girl, Ann Lovett, would have turned 50 last Friday, April 6th. Irish Times journalist Rosita Boland has written about Ann Lovett in the past. Recently she wrote an in depth article about not only her death, but also her life, and what kind of person Ann Lovett was. On today's podcast, Rosita talks to Kathy Sheridan about writing that story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Repeal the 8th: the anthology, is a collection of stories, essays, poetry and photography around the movement for reproductive rights in Ireland, edited by Irish Times columnist Una Mullally. It features work by journalists Kitty Holland and Nell McCafferty, novelists Lisa McInerney, Anne Enright and Louise O’Neill, as well as a host of others like comedians Tara Flynn and Aisling Bea. On today's podcast, Mullally and Galway poet Elaine Feeney – who has contributed her piece History Lesson to the book – speak to Kathy Sheridan about the anthology and the Repeal campaign.Repeal The 8th, published by Unbound, is out now Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roisin Ingle is joined by Irish Times journalists Bernice Harrison and Niamh Towey for a meeting of the Women's Podcast book club to discuss Clover Stroud's memoir, The Wild Other. Some may have had to put their posh-ist prejudices to one side and “get over” themselves, but all agreed that Clover Stroud is a beautiful writer with an astonishing story to tell."Clover Stroud grew up in rural Wiltshire surrounded by animals and family. When she was just sixteen her adored mother had a horrific riding accident which left her permanently brain-damaged, and suddenly Clover was left to fend for herself. She embarked on an extraordinary journey to heal her broken heart, courting men and danger through two marriages and five children." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times reporter Conor Gallagher speaks to Kathy Sheridan about the Belfast rape trial that he has covered over the past nine weeks, which has dominated headlines for its duration. The trial concluded yesterday when the jury delivered unanimous not guilty verdicts in the cases of each of the four defendants.Also on the podcast, Noeline Blackwell chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on the differences between rape trials in Northern Ireland and the Republic, how the process can be improved to protect complainants and the impact that the Belfast trial could have on rape victims. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One in 10 women have endometriosis, making it one of the most commonly seen gynaecological diseases, yet it is poorly understood and not commonly talked about. Symptoms can begin even before a woman has her first period and they persist throughout their lives - leading to chronic and debilitating pain for some. The Endometriosis Association of Ireland is a voluntary organisation representing the many Irish women living with the condition. Board members Bébhinn Nic Liam and Julie Ronaghan both live with endometriosis and in today's episode they speak to Kathy Sheridan about their journeys with the disease to date, their hopes for the future and why they are passionate about sharing accurate information about it. Also on the podcast, consultant gynaecologist Dr Aoife O’Neill, who works with women who have endometriosis, speaks about how the disease is dealt with in Ireland and the work that needs to be done to improve treatment in this country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the referendum looming, the HeadStuff Podcast Network is launching a new series documenting the campaigning around the Eighth Amendment to the constitution of Ireland. The Eighth, hosted by Ciara O’Connor Walsh, gives a 360 degree view of this complex referendum in real time as it unfolds. Episode 1 will land tomorrow (23 March), where Ciara talks openly and frankly with people intending to vote against repeal. She talks to Kathy Sheridan all about it on today's episode of The Women's Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks ago, 27-year-old Méabh Ni Choileáin got in touch with us with the story of her autism diagnosis. After more than two decades of feeling like she just didn't fit in, being told three years ago that she was autistic completely changed her life.Growing up, Méabh felt different, but she had no reference point. Women and girls with Autism are invisible, she says. We only have to look at its stereotypical depiction in pop culture as a white male issue – Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, Rain Man, the boy from The Curious Incident.Next week is World Autism Awareness Week so we invited Méabh in to speak to us about her experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1968, the Quebecois playwright Michel Tremblay broke new ground with his play Les Belles-soeurs, putting 15 working-class Montreal women on the stage and having them speak naturally. Now Deirdre Kinahan adapts the play for 1970s Ballymun in a new Abbey production directed by Graham McLaren, The Unmanageable Sisters. We sent our unmanageable sister Róisín Ingle along for the Women's Podcast to find out what it's all about.The Unmanageable Sisters is running at The Abbey Theatre until 7th April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If women were more present in debates about economics and policy formulation, would the questions that we ask be different and informed by women's lived experience? As part of the Mountains to Sea book festival’s International Women’s Day event at the LexIcon in Dun Laoghaire, Kathy Sheridan spoke to journalist Dawn Foster, whose book Lean Out counters arguments made by Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg in Lean In, and to prize winning economist Frances Weetman about the impact of austerity on women, the lack of female voices in economic debate and why the whole system needs to be torn down and rebuilt in a more equal way.Mountains to Sea takes place from March 21st to 25th 2018 and you can find out all about it on www.mountainstosea.ie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate International Women's Day, we gathered a gang of formidable women making it in male-dominated careers to find out about their 'What's she doing here?' moments. Hosted by The Little Museum of Dublin, it comes ahead of a photographic exhibition of works by Beta Bjagart beginning there March 31st. On today's episode you'll hear from Bjargart, as well as lifeboat navigator Lisa Levins-Burgess, aircraft engineer Kate Melady and firefighter Teresa Hudson, in conversation with Kathy Sheridan about their inspirational jobs and why it is they do them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.