The Women's Podcast

This month on The Women’s Podcast book club, we’ve been reading Lucy by the Sea by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout. Set in the early days of the pandemic, it tells the story of Lucy Barton who moves to Maine during lockdown, to live with her ex-husband William in a small house by the sea. Leaving her life in New York behind, Lucy must now spend the next several months in the company of the man she once loved and their complex past. So what did our book clubbers Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Ann and Róisín Ingle make of this pandemic love story and all that it brings? If you’ve read the book too, please share your thoughts with us at thewomenspodcast@irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marks ten years since the death of Savita Halappanavar, who died on the 28th October 2012. The young Indian woman was seventeen weeks pregnant when she presented to University Hospital Galway complaining of severe back pain. Although informed by doctors that she was actively miscarrying, she was denied access to an abortion, despite multiple requests. One week later, she was dead. What followed was a public outpouring of grief and calls for a change to Ireland’s strict abortion laws. People took to the streets calling for reproductive rights for all Irish women, which later culminated in the repealing of the 8th Amendment more than five years later. In this episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by Kitty Holland, the Irish Times journalist who broke the story of Savita’s death, Ailbhe Smyth Co-director of Together for Yes, Ireland’s campaign to repeal the 8th and Anna Cosgrave, the abortion rights activist who created the famous Repeal jumpers. Together, they reflect on Savita’s life, the legacy she left b

Last year, as part of their ‘Storyland’ initiative, RTE invited budding writers and creative talent to submit their ideas for original and new local drama.From the hundreds of submissions, three dramas were eventually chosen to go into production, all written by women. The first of which airs tonight on RTE2 at 9:30pm. It’s called Mustard and was created by actress and playwright Eva O’Connor. Originally a theatre show, Mustard tells the story of Eilis and her addiction to the spicy yellow condiment. The following week, we’ll see Every Five Miles by Sinéad Collopy make its debut on screen. It’s a harrowing story of human trafficking and modern day slavery, inspired by Collopy’s years spent working in child protection services. Finally, on November 3rd, Balor Hall written and directed by Rioghnach Ni Grioghair will be aired. This contemporary ‘whodunnit’ sees the greedy members of the Devereux family return to the patriarch’s vast agricultural estate for a brutal land grab. The three writers talk to Róisín Ing

When Maryam Mohitmafi arrived in Ireland with her husband two years ago, she was seeking a better life. A life where she could be free to choose what to wear, where to work and what religion to practice. A life with “basic freedoms” that are not available to women in her home country of Iran. From her new home in Dublin, the 31 year-old watches on as the women of Iran fight for those freedoms. Over the past month, thousands have taken to the streets to protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died while in the custody of the country’s ‘morality police’. In this episode, the Persian-Iranian speaks to Róisín Ingle about her own personal run-ins with the morality police and why she made the tough decision to leave her homeland. We also hear from Iranian journalist Yeganeh Rezaian, who lives in Washington DC with her husband and son. She explains that the protests come as a result of pent up frustration and anger towards the strict regime which rules the Iranian people. Both women talk about their

Total is the brand new book from author and filmmaker Rebecca Miller. It has just been released, but the wheels were set in motion for this collection of short stories, almost two decades ago. It was during the pandemic, when Miller, the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and acclaimed photographer Inge Morath, finally found the time and space needed to flesh out and expand her ideas. In Total, there are seven short stories, many exploring themes of motherhood, family and creativity, often with women at their core. In this episode, the pair discuss Miller’s connection to Ireland through her marriage to actor Daniel Day-Lewis, her own journey through motherhood and what she plans to do next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Ewart-Biggs was just eight years-old, when her father, Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the former British Ambassador to Ireland was assassinated by the IRA, just two weeks after the family arrived into the country. Looking back on that day in 1976, Ewart-Biggs says she spent “a lovely morning” with her father, before he left their home to attend an official meeting. Minutes later, the explosion from a bomb which detonated underneath her father’s car could be heard as she played in their front garden. Following the death of her mother to cancer more than a decade later, Kate left Britain and took off to Africa, where she lived and worked for many years. She also spent time in Brazil working with street children and disadvantaged groups. It was these experiences which ultimately reshaped her view of the world and paved the way for her current role as Deputy Chief Executive of the British Council. In this episode, she tells Kathy Sheridan about the work and global reach of the British Council, her life growing up

When Alice Ryan began writing her first novel There's Been A Little Incident, a debut about familial love and lifelong friendship, it was an "act of hope" in the face of terrible loss. 11 years ago, her mother, former literary editor of The Irish Times Caroline Walsh, died by suicide while suffering from a debilitating illness. Ryan, a grand-daughter of the late writer Mary Lavin, was initially rejected by publishers but persevered until her book "a novel about grief, that is hopeful" won her a book deal. It was written, she told Roisin Ingle, almost entirely on her phone in the early hours of the morning or while "the fish fingers were burning." The mother of one also spoke about suffering from post-natal anxiety, finding solace in her late mother's book collection and the support of family and friends at the worst times in her life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Edwina Dunn was a young girl, she dreamed of becoming a long distance truck driver and living a very glamorous life on the road. While she didn’t quite achieve that goal, she did go on to become a very successful business woman and the brains behind the Tesco Clubcard. In the early 1990s, she and her husband Clive brought their expertise in data science to the boardroom of Tesco and helped them become one of the most successful retailers in the world. After selling their stake in Tesco for a cool 93 million pounds and taking a bit of time out to enjoy the payout, the pair set up their next company Starcount. In that time, Edwina also created The Female Lead, a non-profit organisation dedicated to offering women alternative role models to those presented by popular culture. In this episode, she tells Róisín Ingle about her career journey and what it’s been like working alongside her husband through the years. They also discuss the great work being done by the Female Lead and why it’s time for women to sha

Girlcrush is the brand new novel from writer and illustrator Florence Given. It follows the journey of Eartha, a young woman fresh out of a relationship, coming to terms with her sexuality and dealing with her growing online fame. It’s the second book from the writer who brought us Women Don’t Owe You Pretty which explores all corners of the feminist conversation. Given speaks to Róisín Ingle about her move to fiction, how she deals with her own success, creating online boundaries for herself and what she’d like to do next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Fringe time again and as usual, the Dublin Fringe Festival has a host of female-led art and showomanship to discover. In today’s episode we highlight some of the brilliant events by women taking place in venues across the capital from the 10th to the 25th of September. (You won't want to miss Growler, the story of an 82-year-old inner-city vulva for just one brilliant example). Róisín Ingle is joined in this episode by the women of Hive City Legacy: Dublin Chapter, a project from the Hot Brown Honey collective, a group of women of colour disrupting the arts industry. The show was created by director  Lisa Fa'alafi and music maestro “Busty Beatz” aka Kim Bowers and they talked to Róisín about the joy of being disruptive and exploring gender, class and identity through art. Also on the podcast is dancer and stylist Andrea Williams, who features in the show in collaboration with seven other Irish women of colour reclaiming their narrative through dance, song, poetry and performance. For more

Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen is the latest book up for discussion on the book club. Set in the summer of 1994, the story follows the lives of Maeve and her two friends, who begin working in the local shirt factory in a small border town in Northern Ireland, while awaiting their A-Level results. As the summer unfolds, tensions rise in the factory between the Catholic and Protestant workers and the young women dream of lives elsewhere. Our book clubbers Bernice Harrison, Róisín and Ann Ingle all loved Michelle Gallen’s debut ‘Big Girl, Small Town’, so will her second book live up to expectations? Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

We cannot resolve the climate emergency without fighting for gender equality. Women, especially poor women of colour, are suffering most as a result of the climate crisis, our highest-profile climate activists are women and girls and yet, at the top table it is men who are deciding the earth’s future. In her latest book, How Women Can Save the Planet, award-winning journalist Anne Karpf argues that when it comes to fighting climate change we are not all in it together, but we could be. In today’s podcast she joins Róisín Ingle, Sadhbh O’Neill, policy coordinator with Stop Climate Chaos, and Catherine Cleary, writer and founder of the Pocket Forests initiative, to talk about many of the issues raised in the book, the debate about women and climate change and what we can all do to help. This episode was originally published in September 2021. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1960s and 70s, the name Karen was one of the most popular baby names for girls. Now, not so much. With the rise of the Karen meme, the name has gradually become associated with obnoxious and entitled behaviour, usually demonstrated by a white, angry, middle-class woman. In this episode, Róisín Ingle speaks to two Irish Karens, Karen O’Donoghue and Karen Hand, about how their once loved name evolved into a meme and an insult. They also examine which particular qualities of the stereotypical Karen, might actually be used for good. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit 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. This episode was originally published in October 2021.  If you’re affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode, contact BodyWhys.ie or CAREDIreland@gmail.com Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8,

In this podcast recorded in September 2021, Róisín talks to the journalist, author and presenter of the brilliant How To Fail podcast Elizabeth Day. She has just published her latest novel, Magpie, a thrilling, stylish and psychologically astute story of jealousy, motherhood and power. In this funny, moving and revealing conversation, Day explains how some of the book’s themes relate to her own life, why it was important to her to write about mental illness with sensitivity and why she is a Derry girl at heart. She also tells Róisín about her lockdown wedding to husband Justin Basini, some of her favourite How To Fail guests and her friendship with Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Aoife Farrelly was just six years-old, when her older brother Cian began sexually abusing her. The abuse lasted two years and stopped when she told her parents what was happening. Last month, he was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to rape and sexual assault. Now aged twenty-one, Aoife plans to rebuild her life, ‘heal her inner child’ and not let the abuse define her. In this episode, she speaks to Roisin Ingle about her decision to waive her anonymity, the road to recovery and her new life in Aberdeen, Scotland. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, you can call the national 24 hour rape crisis help line on 1800 778888 or www.drcc.ie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Launched in 2015, Love Island is one of the most successful reality dating shows on TV. Despite a number of controversies through the years, the show still attracts millions of viewers every night. So why is it so compelling to watch and what keeps us coming back for more? In this episode Róisín Ingle is joined by three avid Love Island viewers, writer and philosopher Laura Kennedy, baker Gerry Godley and his thirteen year-old daughter Amalia Godley. Together they discuss the highs and lows of the latest season, the islander lingo and which loved-up couple might triumph this year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The price of everything is on the rise. From petrol, groceries, energy and gas, every facet of our lives has been affected. So why is everything so expensive and how can we make our money stretch further? In this episode, Róisín Ingle speaks to two budgeting experts Caz Mooney and Kel Galavan, who both share their money and saving tips through their Instagram profiles @Irishbudegting and @MrssmartmoneyhqWe also hear from Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray, who explains why inflation is soaring and how the government plans to tackle it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Set in the seaside town of Tramore, Co Waterford, The Amusements by Aingeala Flannery follows the lives of the Grant and Swaine families and their neighbours, over three decades. The story is woven together by this diverse cast of characters who capture the joy, frustration and limitations of small town life. In this episode, the author speaks to Róisín Ingle about her own childhood summers spent on the beach in Tramore, her decision to leave radio journalism to pursue writing full time and why loving what you do will always matter most.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Following on from the landmark decision by the US Supreme Court last week to overturn Roe v Wade, abortion is now restricted in at least seven states, with trigger bans set to take effect in several more. In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by women’s rights advocate Dr Erica Goldblatt Hyatt and American journalist, poet and essayist Katha Pollitt to discuss this “assault on human rights” and the impact it will have on the millions of American women who now face restricted access to reproductive healthcare. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.