The Women's Podcast

In what was a momentous week for Northern Ireland, The Women’s Podcast travelled to Belfast for our first podcast recording in that beautiful city.It was the week abortion was decriminalised in the North after a long grassroots struggle by feminist activists. So what happens next?Panellists including Alliance for Choice activist Danielle Roberts, performer Kellie Turtle and Alliance party Assembly member Paula Bradshaw discussed the conversation that will happen in the North over the five month consultation period before abortion services are introduced next March.And we were joined in the Belfast Mac by our special guest Amanda Palmer, who told our audience about her own experiences of abortion and sang the song you didn’t hear on The Late Late Show – Voicemail for Jill. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Kathy Sheridan talks to women and organisations who have benefited from the Mná na hÉireann Women of Ireland fund which was set up to increase the economic mobility of women across the country. We also mark the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month by talking to one survivor of the illness who now volunteers educating women and girls in how to detect early signs of the illness. Ger Collins (46), tells Róisín Ingle how she was so grateful for the help she received, following a diagnosis of breast cancer, she is now sharing her experiences with teachers and transition-year students with Breast Cancer Ireland. We also have details of a competition to win a great hamper to celebrate the launch of Family Unplugged by Peter Cosgrove. Listen for more details. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Barefoot Pilgrimage is a new book by Andrea Corr, the musician, songwriter and actress who was the lead singer of pop group The Corrs with her three siblings Sharon, Caroline and Jim. The memoir is a love letter to her late parents Jean and Gerry and a meditation on life, grief and hope. Corr came in to The Women’s Podcast studio and talked to Roisin Ingle about the memoir, her career, religion, feminism, bodily autonomy, family, loss and the joy and release of expressing herself through words. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The BBC broadcaster Emma Barnett was the first person in the UK to announce she was menstruating on live TV news. Now she has written a call-to-arms manifesto on why we need to destroy the ludicrous stigma around periods. In the second part of our True Blood series, Emma talks to Kathy about the history of the taboo of periods, the stories women shared with her for the book and the new wave of activism dedicated to normalising menstruation. Emma also talks about being diagnosed with endometriosis just three years ago and why an inability to talk about periods contributes to so many people suffering from the debilitating disorder in silence. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first of a two-part series, we explore why we find periods so hard to talk about and what can be done to help break the stigma that still exists around them. For today’s show, Kathy is joined by Labour councillor Deirdre Kingston, Niamh Dunne, a youth ambassador for Plan International Ireland, and by Claire Hunt of Homeless Period Ireland, to discuss first periods, taboos, period poverty and lots more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's podcast, journalist and founder of the Positive Birth Movement, Milli Hill, talks to Jennifer Ryan about her book Give Birth Like a Feminist. She says pregnant people need to realise that they have choices when it comes to giving birth and the power imbalance between health professionals and those giving birth needs to be redressed. Also in this episode, Róisín Ingle chats to Susan Jane White about her new cook book, Clever Batch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's podcast, Kathy and Róisín revel in the joys of WAGatha Christie; Tanya Sweeney speaks candidly about postnatal depression; and Irish Times journalist Jack Power reviews 'Consent: Everything a Guy Needs to Know about Sex, Love and Consent', Inti Chavez Perez's sexual health and relationships guidebook aimed at boys and young men. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Flo Perry is a writer and illustrator, who has managed to make a career out of her passion for drawing breasts and penchant for quizzing people on their sex lives at parties. In her book 'How to Have Feminist Sex', she explores everything from faking it, to consent; from stress, to kink; and how losing your virginity isn't so different to eating your first chocolate croissant. In today’s podcast she talks to Róisín about the book and her mission to get more people talking openly about what they do and don't want from every romantic encounter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last night The Irish Times, in association with Green & Black’s Chocolate, brought Oh My God What A Complete Aisling authors Sarah Breen & Emer McLysaght to The Docklands in Cork for a live recording of the Women’s Podcast.Róisín sat down with Sarah and Emer to discuss their third novel 'Once, Twice, Three Times an Aisling', their plans for the fourth book, what it’s like to write with your best friend and the rip-roaring success of the Aisling series as a whole.In today’s podcast, we bring you the recording of the event.Thanks to our sponsor Green and Blacks, to everyone in Irish Times Sales for helping organise the event and to the Docklands in Cork for hosting. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today’s podcast, Róisín talks to singer-songwriter Wallis Bird about her sixth album 'Woman', which is released this week. Wallis talks to Róisín about what's inspired her for the new album - #MeToo, Trump, Brexit, the war in Syria - about how falling in love and being in a grown-up relationship has changed her, why she shaved her head to record 'Woman', and why living in Berlin is as annoyingly cool as it seems.**A reminder that the annual march for choice takes place this Saturday 28th September, on International Safe Abortion Day, beginning at the Garden of Remembrance at 2pm. “No one left behind” is the Abortion Rights Campaign’s message this year and you can find all the details of the march on their website www.abortionrightscampaign.ie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In her new book ‘Republic of Shame’, journalist Caelainn Hogan examines Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes and the collusion of the Catholic Church with the Irish State. Personal accounts from survivors, nuns and others bring the truth forward for all to see. In today’s podcast, Róisín speaks to Caelainn about the stories of the women she spoke to, the lack of understanding of the suffering they endured and the appalling legacy of Ireland’s mother-and-baby homes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2018, Limerick woman Vicky Phelan became a household name as Irish women's voice for justice, when she chose to speak out and lift the lid on what has become one of the greatest political and medical scandals of our time. In today’s podcast she talks to Róisín about her memoir ‘Overcoming’, which details her remarkable personal story from her early life and a life-threatening accident, through to motherhood, a battle with depression and later, her devastating discovery that her cancer had returned in shocking circumstances.Plus: Orna Mulcahy, a managing editor here at the Irish Times, chats to Róisín about the dangers of inputting too much personal data to pregnancy and period-tracker apps, Culture Night 2019 and Dublin’s newest museum, MoLi. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today’s episode, Cork woman Vera Twomey talks to Kathy about her memoir, For Ava. Ava is Vera's daughter and she suffers from Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that causes multiple seizures a day. The only medication that has any effect on Ava's condition is a form of medicinal cannabis that Vera has, for years, fought tooth and nail to gain access to. For Ava tells the story of that campaign, pays tribute to those who helped the family achieve their goal and shows the lengths a parent will go to for their child's health and happiness.Earlier this year, legislation allowing people access to medical cannabis on a limited basis over the next five years was signed into law. It allows compassionate access to cannabis for medical reasons in cases where conventional treatment has failed. However discussions are still ongoing to secure a supplier for the Irish market and as yet no such products have been supplied. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's podcast, journalist, author and podcaster Sophie White talks to Róisín Ingle about her debut novel, Filter This, in which she peels back the social media mask that many people wear to disguise what’s really going on in their lives.Following her comments about candidate selection this week, Fianna Fail Councillor and General Election candidate Lisa McDonald discusses her belief that the party has a problem with women.Plus: Journalist and wheelchair user Louise Bruton explores the problem with accessibility when it comes to Dublin's gig venues and tells us what is on her cultural radar - the Dublin Fringe Festival and Margaret Atwood's new book The Testaments. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nunchi is a guiding principle of Korean life, considered essential for survival, happiness and success. Roughly translating as self-awareness, Nunchi is the art of a reading a room and using that knowledge for the good of everyone in it. Korean-American author Euny Hong has written the ultimate guide to this secret skill, The Power of Nunchi. In today's show, she talks to Róisín about good and bad nunchi, the difference between nunchi and empathy, and how anyone can learn this superpower the Koreans see as an essential life skill. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today’s podcast: Kathy speaks to the District Attorney of Suffolk County in Massachusetts, Rachael Rollins, who is the first woman to hold that particular office and also the first woman of colour to be appointed as a DA across the whole of Massachusetts Commonwealth. Rollins was in Dublin ahead of her appearance at the Kennedy Summer School in Co. Wexford this weekend. They talk about her landslide victory, her drive to reform criminal justice, Trump, and why she fears no man.Also today: Róisín talks to Rally for Choice activist Rosa Thompson about the 2019 march, which takes place this Saturday September 7th in Belfast.But before all of that: Irish Times senior features writer Deirdre Falvey chats to Róisín about what's coming up in the Dublin Fringe Festival, the Booker shortlist and Labour MP Jess Phillips's stunning take-down of Boris Johnson in the House of Commons. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ross O’Carroll-Kelly books have sold over a million copies and creator, Paul Howard, is both adored by fans and revered by critics as the greatest satirist of this generation.In the latest Ross book – Schmidt Happens – women take centre stage. Ross’s wife has just given birth to a baby that isn’t his, his son has walked out on his wife-to-be and his own mother is threatening revenge on Ross for an incident involving an olive in a martini.On today's show Róisín talks to Paul about how Ross is getting on in the Me Too era. How has Ross evolved? Will he ever be woke? And, has it ever been a challenge to write a character who is so at odds with modern standards of political correctness? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just over a century ago, Trinity College Dublin admitted its first female student. This year, the 400-year-old university reached another milestone: it has elected its first ever all-female line-up of officers across both the students’ and graduate students’ unions. On this week's show, Kathy talks to president and vice-president of the graduate students’ union respectively, Shaz Oye and Gisèle Scanlon, about how that came about and what it says about women and activism in 2019. They also speak about their different backgrounds, the winding paths which led them to Trinity College and what education means to them. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today’s show, Rachel Flaherty chats to Irish journalist Jenny McQuaile about her powerful documentary Straight/Curve - starring Tess Holliday & Iskra Lawrence. Jenny talks about the body image crisis affecting women & girls worldwide and why we need a more diverse range of role models in the fashion industry and the media.Straight/Curve: http://www.straightcurvefilm.com/Plus: Bernice Harrison speaks to Mary Moynihan and John Morgan, two of the organisers behind the upcoming Dublin Arts & Human Rights Festival. Hosted by FrontLine Defenders & Smashing Times Theatre Company, the event aims to celebrate human rights heroes, past and present, from Ireland and around the world. It runs at various venues around Dublin Thursday 19 to Sunday 29 September 2019.www.smashingtimes.ie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today’s podcast – Bernice Harrison talks to the half-Irish half-French author Moira Fowley-Doyle about her third novel for young adults, All The Bad Apples, which tells the stories of a line of women doomed to follow in their ancestor’s footsteps and have their lives turned upside-down at 17.Later, Jennifer Ryan speaks to the British author Emma Jane Unsworth, whose hugely successful book about female friendships – Animals – has been adapted for the big screen and will be in cinemas here from tomorrow, Friday 9th August. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.