The Women's Podcast

New domestic violence measures announced last year came into force at the start of 2019 under the Domestic Violence Act 2018, with the aim of improving the protections available to victims of domestic violence under both civil and criminal law.How is this different to the previous legislation? And, are the resources in place sufficient enough to police the new laws?Kathy talks to Gillian Dennehy, Services Manager at Women’s Aid and Ursula Regan, a Family Law Practitioner, about what the new provisions mean for domestic violence victims and how they should be enforced.Women’s Aid 24 hour National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Róisín talks to theatre maker Louise White about her show, This is the Funeral of Your Life – a production she made in response to the death of her father five years ago and an attempt to cope with her grief. She says it’s not morose, it’s about talking about death in a healthy way. Louise is performing the show as part of a fundraising exercise for a new musical she is working on called Poor Little Rich Girl. That show is about privilege and inequality, in which Louise will explore invisible systems of privilege in Ireland by examining the implications of her own.https://www.louisewhiteperformance.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anne Maher, director and co-founder of The National Ballet of Ireland – Ballet Ireland, talks to Kathy about her career as a professional dancer, ballet's snooty image and her commitment to making her company less reliant on traditional ballet. She also talks about ballet's #MeToo moment, why there's no misogyny in her studio and Ballet Ireland's upcoming double-bill at the O’Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College, Dublin - Bold Moves & Lost.Later: Hedy Fry has been an MP in Canada since 1994, making her the longest-sitting woman in the country’s parliament. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, the Liberal Party politician was in Dublin recently to visit her old stomping ground at the Royal College of Surgeons, where she studied in the 1960s. She talks to our co-producer Jennifer Ryan about Ireland in the 1960s, Canada under Justin Trudeau and why she went from medicine into the "scuzzy business" of politics.Plus: Róisín and Kathy on the true meaning of Valentine's Day. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out in

St Brigid is having a 'moment'. For too long the iconic patron saint of Ireland has been overshadowed by St Patrick, but now Lá Fhéile Bríde has become an annual celebration of Irish Women. It began in the Irish Embassy in London and now takes place across the world at various Irish embassies, consulates and other venues. This year Róisín Ingle took part in the festivities when she joined RTÉ's Aine Lawlor, Marie Claire editor-in-chief Trish Halpin, former Irish rugby international Sophie Spence and actor Olwen Fouréré for a discussion about challenge and change in women's lives at the Irish Embassy in London. Today's podcast is an edited version of that conversation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Intensive Care doctor Aoife Abbey went to work on Christmas Day and four of her patients died. That's normal. It's just part of the job. Every day at University Hospital Coventry she experiences feelings of fear, grief, anger, joy, distraction, disgust and hope. The former 'Secret Doctor' blogger has written about those feelings in her first book, Seven Signs of Life: Stories from an Intensive Care Doctor, which describes what it means to be alive and how it feels to care for the living and the dying. She talks to Kathy about the book, about empathy and why there are no 'fighters' when it comes to medicine.Plus: Kathy and Róisín talk about Derek Scally's call-out to the 'Magdalene men', the women in white at President Trump's State of the Union address and the insanity of suggesting that women should avoid going jogging alone to combat abuse and catcalling from men. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ellie Kisyombe and Carol Deans will contest the local elections in May for the Social Democrats in Dublin’s North Inner City ward. They speak to Kathy about why they chose to run, what drew them to the Social Democrats and what they'll do if they succeed in becoming Dublin City Councillors. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On Christmas day 2018, 24-year-old mother of three Karen McEvoy died as a result of sepsis at Naas General Hospital, one week after giving birth to her daughter at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin. Karen's partner Barry Kelly has told The Irish Times social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland that he wants an independent investigation into Karen's death. On today's podcast, Kitty and Dr Jo Murphy-Lawless from the school of midwifery in Trinity College Dublin, speak to Kathy about Karen McEvoy's death following the release of preliminary postmortem results indicating she died of sepsis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Theatre maker Doireann Coady talks to Kathy about her show, I’m Not Here, running at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin next weekend. The piece is a duet with her brother Donal, but he is, in fact, not here. Donal died by suicide almost ten years ago, but we hear his voice in the show through recordings that Doireann's father discovered years after his death. She talks to Kathy about the show, about how we talk about suicide in Ireland, and why her audience has nothing to fear. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed captured the world’s attention recently when she barricaded herself in a Thai hotel room after fleeing abuse in her own country. Using social media, she communicated with the outside world from her hotel room, she is now safe in Canada. Egyptian-American journalist and activist Mona Eltahawy played no small part in her escape, translating her Arabic tweets into English and using her contacts to bring attention to Rahaf's plight. On today's show Eltahawy speaks to Kathy from Canada about Rahaf and the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia's guardianship system.Later, co-producer Jennifer Ryan talks to Kathy about Eileen Twomey, the 84-year-old Donnybrook resident who is fulfilling a lifelong ambition holding her first ever art exhibition at her Dublin home this weekend.Plus: Róisín tells Kathy why she has gotten into Opera later and they talk about the Gillette ad that caused a stir this week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Jo Murphy-Lawless, a sociologist at the school of nursing and midwifery at Trinity College Dublin, speaks to Róisín about what's wrong with Ireland's maternity services. She talks about her experience teaching trainee midwives and the challenges they face, and also about strengthened legislation around the reporting of maternal deaths, which it's hoped will become law by March 2019. Dr Murphy-Lawless is part of the Elephant Collective, a group which has campaigned for the new laws and which has brought a travelling exhibition to the Wexford Arts Centre commemorating women including Savita Halappanavar, Sally Rowlette and Bimbo Onanuga - it runs until February 12th. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Abortion became legal in Ireland on New Year's day. On today's show, Róisín finds out everything a person facing an unplanned pregnancy needs to know about accessing abortion services in Ireland. She talks to Helen Deely, Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme Lead at the HSE, about its information and support service MyOptions.Plus: Jennifer Ryan visits the 'Blazing a Trail' exhibition at EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum, celebrating 21 Irish diaspora women who blazed a trail in sport, science, the arts and more. She speaks to the exhibition's curator, historian in residence at EPIC, Dr Angela Byrne.Online: www.myoptions.ieFreephone: 1800 828 010 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Irish author Emilie Pine chats to Kathy about her collection of highly personal essays, Notes to Self, published by Tramp Press. The book deals with the taboo topics we're not supposed to talk about like alcoholism, infertility and rape. Emilie tells Kathy the background to some of the essays, what she has learned from writing them and why her mantra for 2019 is: being strategic, but also reflecting. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before we get back into the studio after our Christmas break, we're reposting this episode from earlier this year - Monday 28th May to be exact. Health Minister Simon Harris came into studio two days after the result of the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment and was joined by Together for Yes co-founder Ailbhe Smyth, Róisín Ingle and on the line by Marian Keyes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2018 brought us the referendum to repeal the 8th amendment, it saw Vicky Phelan blow the CervicalCheck scandal wide open and the Irish Women’s Hockey Team had us all roaring at the telly as they played their hearts out against the Dutch in the World Cup Final in London. On New Year’s eve, Kathy is joined by journalists Alison O’Connor, Kitty Holland and Jennifer O’Connell to take a look back at the year that was. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Irish Times journalist Rosita Boland reads an article she wrote about Elizabeth O’Kelly, the little-known Irish philanthropist who, it was revealed last October, left €30 million to charity in her will. In the piece published in the Irish Times on Saturday 22 December, Rosita reports on Elizabeth O’Kelly’s past, revealing a life of privilege and tragedy, generosity and anonymity.You can read that article here: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/elizabeth-o-kelly-the-irish-orphan-who-gave-away-30m-1.3734135 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's show, we bring you thoughts about Christmas from some of the women who have appeared on the podcast in the past. They include stories by the writer Ruth Fitzmaurice and Rose of Repeal Brianna Parkins, which you'll find in the Irish Times Christmas Eve Magazine and on irishtimes.comHappy Christmas y'all! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Róisín reconvened the Women’s Podcast Book Club recently to give Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming the once over. It's hardly a spoiler to say that Irish Times journalists Bernice Harrison and Niamh Towey, and Róisín's mother Ann Ingle all enjoyed the book. Find out why on today's show. Plus: Róisín and Kathy tackle the thorny issue of emotional labour at Christmas. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The vast majority of Indian nurses working in Ireland come from one small part of southwestern India called Kerala. Why Ireland? And, what is it like to be separated from their families back home, some for years at a time? Irish Times journalist and author of New to the Parish, Sorcha Pollak, went to Kerala to find out and in today's podcast she tells Kathy what she learned from that trip. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today, Kathy speaks to Conor O’Clery, the former Irish Times foreign correspondent, and his wife, Zhanna, who met in Moscow in the heady days of glasnost and perestroika. Conor has written about his postings to Moscow and the U.S. in articles for this paper and in his books, but it is Zhanna who is the subject of his latest book, The Shoemaker and his Daughter. It is a memoir about Zhanna’s incredible family, set to the backdrop of 80 years of Russian history, from Stalin to Putin. She and Conor speak to Kathy about the book, about how they met and married, and the shock of moving from the USSR to the west when Conor was posted to Washington for the Irish Times. Conor also gives his take on the current situation in Russia and why he thinks we have a right to be nervous about it.Plus: Brexit - Róisín is feeling a bit sorry for Theresa May, but Kathy reckons the British PM's situation is all her own doing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On Monday December 10th, The Irish Times marks 100 years since the 1918 election, with a magazine and unique commemorative poster featuring a specially commissioned poem by Eavan Boland, illustrated by artist Paula McGloin. Articles by Catriona Crowe, Ivana Bacik, Una Mullally and others will explore how the vote was won by the women of Ireland, and how they have fared in the century since. To mark this publication Róisín Ingle hosted a special Irish Times Women’s Podcast at The National Gallery in Dublin. It was a stimulating evening of conversation about Irish women and art. Joining the discussion was Leah Benson, archivist and curator of the [In]Visible: Irish Women Artists from the Archives exhibition which sheds light on the education, career and recognition of artists such as Mary Swanzy, Elizabeth Corbet Yeats and Evie Hone. Acclaimed performance artist Amanda Coogan talked about the inspiration behind her provocative new artwork Floats in the Aether which is currently running at the gallery in respon