The Women's Podcast

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." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Beast from the East saw our presenter stranded abroad, while the production team had a glimpse into the lives of those people who "work from home". Determined not to let our listeners down however, Róisín recorded an episode in her bedroom in which she celebrates great female writers ahead of International Women's Day. In this podcast, you'll hear extracts from Olivia O'Leary's Party Animals, Maggie O'Farrell's contribution to Ann O'Donnell's book Mortification, Maeve Binchy's Baby Blue, an entry from Zlata Filipovic's Zlata's Diary and a taster from Louise O'Neill's new book Almost Love.And, stay tuned to the end of the podcast to hear Amanda Palmer's cover of The Cranberries No Need to Argue, in tribute to the late Dolores O'Riordan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The youngest-ever U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Obama, Samantha Power, who emigrated from Ireland to America at the age of nine, began her career as a foreign affairs journalist. Forbes has called her “a powerful crusader for US foreign policy as well as human rights and democracy,” and she was named one of Foreign Policy’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers.” The Women’s Podcast was fortunate enough to get an hour of Ambassador Power’s time during her recent trip to Ireland. She spoke to Kathy Sheridan about her Irish roots, reporting from the Balkans during the Bosnian war, her feelings on Trump, how she made up with Hillary Clinton after calling her a monster, and lots more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's 20 years since Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31st 1997. In this episode, Róisín Ingle recalls reporting on her death, while Jennifer Ryan speaks to people who knew her personally, and those who felt like they did. Arthur Edwards is The Sun's royal photographer and got to know Diana well throughout the nearly 20 years he spent photographing her. Elizabeth Emanuel designed many items of clothing Diana wore, including her wedding dress. Tipperary primary school principal Margaret Harty admired Diana from afar and Irish Times fashion journalist Deirdre McQuillan recalls how Diana used her clothing to send out signals about her life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week's podcast was recorded in The Irish Times as part of Culture Night in association with the Herstory movement. In what is the first of a series of Herstory Salons, our panel included Irish Times columnist and playwright Hilary Fannin, history lecturer Dr Jennifer Redmond and Professor Linda Doyle of Trinity College Dublin. They discussed the significance of salons for women throughout history, the thrill of rediscovering lost stories of women and the importance of women engaging in the latest technological developments including the Internet of Things. Presented by Kathy Sheridan there is music from MayKay of Fight Like Apes (Kathy's daughter!) plus eloquent exchanges of views on everything from iconic female musicians to #WakingTheFeminists. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's 10 years since The Irish Times moved from Fleet Street in Dublin to our current offices in a shiny tower of glass on Tara Street. To mark the move, we invited some of the most talented journalists from print, online and broadcasting to tell us the stories of their careers. In the first of our Story Times episodes hosted by Kathy Sheridan, Olivia O'Leary, Kitty Holland, Anne Harris. Bairbre Power, Catherine Cleary, Dearbhail McDonald and more tell us the stories that changed the narrative. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.