The Women's Podcast

Best of The Women’s Podcast: How women can save the planet (and why they shouldn’t have to)

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We cannot resolve the climate emergency without fighting for gender equality. Women, especially poor women of colour, are suffering most as a result o...

Ep 570 I, Karen: Two women discuss life in an anti-Karen world

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Best of The Women’s Podcast: Evanna Lynch

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Best Of The Women's Podcast: Elizabeth Day

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast recorded in September 2021, Róisín talks to the journalist, author and presenter of the brilliant How To Fail podcast Elizabeth Day....

Ep 569 Abuse survivor Aoife Farrelly

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 he...

Ep 568 Love Island: It is what it is. (Until it isn’t)

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep 567 Cost of Living Crisis: Three wise women on how to cut costs, budget & save

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ex...

Ep 566 Aingeala Flannery: The Amusements

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 nei...

Ep 565 After Roe v Wade: Katha Pollitt & Erica Goldblatt

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Ep 564 The Book Club: Trespasses - Louise Kennedy

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this book club episode, Niamh Towey, Bernice Harrison, Róisín and Ann Ingle discuss Trespasses by Derry writer Louise Kennedy. Set in Belfast, du...

Ep 563 Louise O’Neill: ‘I’ve been into wellness and new age spirituality since I was a teenager’

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cork writer Louise O’Neill’s latest book Idol delves into the heart and mind of a super influencer in the wellness world.In this episode she talks...

Ep 562 Naomi Long: “You need a hide like a rhinoceros to be a politician here”

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Naomi Long grew up in a staunchly unionist, east Belfast community. But as a centrist politician she has led the Alliance Party to become the third la...

Ep 561 Katherine May: “Wintering is… those times when we feel cut off from the rest of the world”

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The writer Katherine May believes we should all embrace our personal winters.She isn’t talking about the coldest season of the year though. For her,...

Ep 560 Marguerite Penrose: Yeah, But Where Are You Really From?

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Yeah, But Where Are You Really From? is the new memoir from Irish-Zambian writer Marguerite Penrose. It’s a perfectly apt title for a book that expl...

Ep 559 Repealiversary: The Unfinished Business of abortion at home and abroad

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode of the Women’s Podcast we are talking about abortion, exactly four years on from the referendum to repeal the Eighth. The anniv...

Ep 558 Amy Dunne: I Am (Miss D) Amy Dunne

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2007, aged just 17, Amy Dunne was forced to go to the High Court to fight for her right to travel for an abortion, after a scan revealed that the b...

Ep 557 Women Under The Taliban: Afghanistan’s former Minister for Women’s Affairs Hasina Safi

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, life for women and girls in Afghanistan has never been the same. Under their rule, access to education ...

Ep 556 Bonnie Garmus: Lessons in Chemistry

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lessons in Chemistry by American author Bonnie Garmus was our latest pick for the podcast book club. In a rare turn of events, our book clubbers found...

Ep 555 Sally Hayden: My Fourth Time, We Drowned

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, while at home in her London apartment, journalist Sally Hayden received a Facebook message from a young African refugee, pleading for her hel...

Ep 554 Catherine Prasifka / Richie Sadlier

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In her brilliant debut novel, None of This is Serious, Catherine Prasifka writes about life in the era of social media. She talks to Róisín about th...

Ep 553 The Book Club: Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

17 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Set in the early 1960’s, Lessons in Chemistry follows the life of Elizabeth Zott, a scientist whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlik...

Ep 552 What it’s really like to have ADHD

14 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition which affects millions of people around the world. It is often associated with ...

Ep 551 Twitter for Good & Fitwaffle’s Baking it Easy

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we’re delighted to reveal that Women’s Aid has been chosen as Twitter’s main charity partner for 2022. To speak about the ...

Ep 550 BITCH: A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution & the Female Animal

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be female? Mother, carer, the weaker sex? Think again.Lucy Cooke says a revolution has been brewing in zoology and evolutionary b...

Ep 549 Matrescence: what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother?

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we're talking about matrescence. That's the word used to describe the physical, emotional, hormonal and social transition to b...

Ep 548 Marian Keyes: “Young Irish women are better at knowing what they’re entitled to”

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marian Keyes talks to Róisín about her latest ‘selling-like-hotcakes’ book, ‘Again, Rachel’, the sequel to her much-loved novel 'Rachel’s ...

Ep 547 The Change: Tales of transformation for International Women's Day

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday evening, The Women’s Podcast gathered together a group of women to take part in 'The Change', a special storytelling evening to mark Inte...

Ep 546 Ukraine Woman: Nadia Dobrianksa in a country under siege

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kyiv native Nadia Dobrianska fled her hometown early last Thursday morning, as Russia launched their first attacks on Ukraine. The human rights worker...

Ep 545 The Book Club: The Herd - Emily Edwards

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the first book club episode of 2022, Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Róisín and Ann Ingle are discussing The Herd by Emily Edwards. The Herd tells...

Ep 544 Summer 1976: The murders of Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy

24 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the Summer of 1976, two young Irish women, Elizabeth Plunkett and Mary Duffy were abducted and murdered by Ireland’s first serial killers Geoffre...

Ep 543 Worrier Queens: Yasmine Akram and Phillipa Dunne

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We Heart Worry is a brilliant podcast from Irish actors and writers Phillipa Dunne and Yasmine Akram. From worrying about the hidden meaning of a drea...

Ep 542 Public Shaming & Period Poverty with Sacha Dekker & Nadine Reid

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent article in The Irish Times, Sacha Dekker described an incident during which she was mocked by strangers in a restaurant who found her disa...

Ep 541 Women of Honour

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, the Women of Honour (WOH) documentary by journalist Katie Hannon was broadcast on RTE, revealing allegations of sexual abuse, harassment an...

Ep 540 Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Halfway through her term as Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland talks to Róisín about being only the 10th woman to hold the office and her ambiti...

Ep 539 Watershed Moment? Reflections on men’s violence against women

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

25 years ago a comprehensive government task-force report on violence against women was published. Since then, nearly 250 women have been murdered in ...

The Great Pivot: What would it take for you to change everything?

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever questioned the path you’ve found yourself on? Ever fantasised about quitting your job and making a career change? Or maybe life just i...

Ep 537 The Invisible Job: How sharing home and parental responsibilities makes everyone happier

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we celebrate Women’s Christmas or as it’s known in Ireland Nollaig na mBan. Traditionally this was the day when women got a day off af...

Ep 536 The Women's Podcast 2021 Review

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode presenters Kathy and Róisín are joined by producers Jennifer and Suzanne to look back at 2021. We share our favourite episodes, name...

Ep 535 Jan Brierton: What day is it? Who gives a f*ck

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this year, in the bleakness of lockdown three, Jan Brierton became a viral sensation with her pandemic poem What day is it? Who gives a f*ck. ...

Ep 534 Christmas comfort eating with Grace Dent

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Feast your ears on this deliciously festive food episode with columnist, broadcaster and author Grace Dent. As restaurant critic for The Guardian and ...

Ep 533 Christmas Book Club: Our best reads of 2021

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It has been another fantastic year for books: Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, Megan Nolan’s Acts of Desperation, Catherine Ryan How...

Ep 532 Double Disadvantage: The cost of the pandemic on Irish youth

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For thousands of young people across Ireland, the impact of the pandemic has been catastrophic. This is especially true for children from disadvantage...

Ep 531 Violence against women is a men's issue - Jackson Katz & Ryan Hart

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The vast majority of violence against women and girls (and men and boys) is perpetrated by men. Why then is it viewed primarily as a women’s issue? ...

Ep 530 Comrades: Rosita Boland and Brianna Parkins

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Living alone during lockdown and cut off from her wide circle of friends, Irish Times journalist and author Rosita Boland, wrote a beautiful book of e...

Ep 529 Lara Marlowe: Love in a Time of War

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Lara Marlowe met Robert Fisk in 1983 in Damascus, he was already a famous war correspondent. She was a young American reporter who would become a...

Ep 528 Polish “Savita” case / Sarah Gilmartin’s Dinner Party

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The death of a 30-year-old woman in Poland, likened to the Savita Halappanavar case, has sparked protests and candlelit vigils in an outpouring o...

Ep 527 Evanna Lynch: The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Ep 526 Big Night In: Maeve Higgins

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we’re bringing you a conversation from our Big Night In series of events which took place earlier this year. Back in May, comedian,...

Ep 525 Ann Ingle: Openhearted

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In her memoir, Openhearted, Ann Ingle tells the story of her life with her late husband Peter, the “wild Irishman” she fell in love with while on ...

Ep 524 The Sally Rooney Effect

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last month Irish writer Sally Rooney launched her highly anticipated third novel Beautiful World, Where Are You. Since its release, the book has toppe...

Ep 523 Vicky Pryce: Women vs Capitalism

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In her new book, Women vs Capitalism, economist Vicky Pryce presents readers with an uncomfortable truth: we will not achieve equality for women witho...

Ep 522 Jade Jordan: Nanny, Ma and Me

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, when most of us were busy baking banana bread or learning how to crochet, Irish actress Jade Jordan spent her time in lockdown delving back...

Ep 521 How women can save the planet (and why they shouldn’t have to)

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We cannot resolve the climate emergency without fighting for gender equality. Women, especially poor women of colour, are suffering most as a result o...

Ep 520 Elizabeth Day

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s podcast Róisín talks to the journalist, author and presenter of the brilliant How To Fail podcast Elizabeth Day. She has just published...

Ep 519 Our Table: from Direct Provision to Taste of Dublin

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Taste of Dublin returns to the Inveagh Gardens this week. A celebration of eating, drinking and entertainment, the festival runs for five days from th...

Ep 518 Back To School: Third time lucky?

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s that time of year again. The back-to-school sun is shining as thousands of children around the country return to the classroom. Parents, childr...

Ep 517 The Breakup Monologues: Rosie Wilby

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In her new book The Breakup Monologues, comedian Rosie Wilby takes you on a journey back through her romantic history, celebrating the ups and downs a...

Ep 516 The Bright Side - Anne Gildea and Ruth Meehan

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Bright Side, by Irish director Ruth Meehan opens in Irish cinemas on August 20th. The film was inspired by Anne Gildea’s best-selling memoir ‘...

Ep 515 World Breastfeeding Week / Maternity Restrictions

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first week of August marks World Breastfeeding Week, which aims to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. Glob...

Ep 514 Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1998, a fresh-faced 16-year-old Britney Spears became an overnight global superstar with the release of her debut single Baby One More Time. She we...

Ep 513 Big Night In: Dr Marie Cassidy

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we are bringing you a conversation from our Big Night In series of events, which took place in late 2020. On a cold Winter's evening,...

Ep 512 Ethel Rohan: In the Event of Contact

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode Róisín talks to author Ethel Rohan, who describes herself as “a kind of a queen of uncomfortable stories”. Rohan has written a n...

Ep 511 Women and art: identity, sexuality, race and power

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Art historian Catherine McCormack recently published her book, ’Women in the Picture: Women Art and the Power of Looking’. In it, she argues that ...

Ep 510 How to Get Back Out There: A guide

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After more than a year working remotely, socialising on zoom and staring at the four walls of our own houses, the thought of getting back out into the...

Ep 509 Post-pandemic beauty with Marian Keyes

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, author Marian Keyes joined Roisin Ingle live on Zoom, for a post-pandemic beauty chat in association with Clarins. In front of a virtual au...

Ep 508 The Benefits of Being Shy & Meeting the Midwife

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With her book ‘Shy: How being quiet can lead to success’, author and journalist Annie Ridout has written a practical guide which teaches us to rec...

Ep 507 What it means to be transgender in Ireland

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s show Róisín chats to one of Ireland’s leading trans activists, Sara R Phillips, chair of the Transgender Equality Network Ireland and...

Ep 506 Mother and Baby Homes Commission member speaks publicly

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, survivors of Ireland’s mother and baby homes heard from one of the members of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes,...

Ep 505 Why women are poorer than men

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why Women are Poorer than Men is the debut book from Annabelle Williams, a journalist and editor who specialises in investing, economics and consumer ...

Ep 504 Nothing Compares: Sinead O'Connor’s Rememberings

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this specially extended podcast, Sinead O'Connor invites us into her home to talk about her extraordinary new memoir Rememberings. Over coffee and ...

Ep 503 The 8th: documenting a defining moment in Irish history

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s three years since the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment was passed by a landslide on May 25th 2018. Now, film directors Aideen Kane, Lu...

Ep 502 Fíona Scarlett: Boys Don’t Cry

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The inspiration for Fíona Scarlett’s debut novel came to her just over three years ago while scrolling through Twitter. The schoolteacher turned au...

Ep 501 Wild Mountain Thyme

17 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the trailer for Wild Mountain Thyme was released late last year, it was immediately met with widespread criticism, not only for its delusional de...

Ep 500 Older & Bolder: celebrating our 500th episode

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today is a BIG day for us. It’s our 500th episode! We love any excuse for a party, as you know, so in lieu of being able to gather the team together...

Ep 499 Hollie McNish on life, sex and poetry

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hollie McNish writes about so much of what it means to be a woman. In her latest book, Slug… and other things I’ve been told to hate, she writes a...

Ep 498 Standing up to fast fashion: Laura Egan from Studio Minti

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever really thought about where your clothes come from? Who makes them and what conditions are they working in? What happens to all the mater...

Ep 497 Politics, feminism and the pandemic - with former minister Gemma Hussey

03 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1982, Gemma Hussey became Ireland’s first female minister for education. She was appointed by Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald after winning a seat f...

Ep 496 Breast density / ‘Cooking for Freedom’

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lifestyle blogs are ten a penny, but well-informed health blogs are hard to find. Siobhán Freeney’s ‘Being Dense’ is an Irish blog aiming to ra...

Ep 495 Roisin Kiberd: A personal journey through the Internet

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Roisin Kiberd was born in 1989, the same year that Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist, invented the World Wide Web. In her new book The Disconnect, ...

Ep 494 “It undermines you as a person”: one woman’s experience of identity theft

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Until a few weeks ago, 19-year-old UCC law student Alicia O’Sullivan had never heard of Admireme.vip. The website is an 18+ subscription-only platfo...

Ep 493 Alexandra Heminsley: Some Body to Love

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alexandra Heminsley is a best selling author, journalist and broadcaster. Her latest memoir Some Body to Love is an open-hearted exploration into body...

Ep 492 The Muslim Sisters of Éire

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever passed the GPO on Dublin’s O’Connell Street on a Friday evening, you’re very likely to have seen the Muslim Sisters of Éire (M...

Ep 491 The Book Club: Acts of Desperation - Megan Nolan

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this book club episode, Róisín, Ann Ingle, Bernice Harrison and Niamh Towey discuss Acts of Desperation, the debut novel from Waterford writer Me...

Ep 490 Men Who Hate Women: Laura Bates

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode we are delving deep into the ‘manosphere’ with English feminist writer and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project Laura Bates...

Ep 489 Predicting the pandemic: Sue Rainsford - Redder Days

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sue Rainsford handed in the final manuscript of her novel Redder Days on the 14th of March 2020, the same day that Irish schools and colleges closed t...

Ep 488 Brain fog: why you shouldn't ignore it and how to beat it

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever felt like your brain is fuzzy, that you just can't seem to focus on the task in hand, or you have trouble finding the right word in a se...

Ep 487 Punch Line: Becky Cheatle and Allie O'Rourke

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This Wednesday March 31st marks International Transgender Day of Visibility. It's an annual event celebrating transgender and non-binary people which ...

Ep 486 Abortion NI: Westminster intervenes / A Good Father

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The UK government has intervened to compel the introduction of full abortion services in Northern Ireland due to a lack of progress on the issue by po...

Ep 485 Melissa Rice: Sobering

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Melissa Rice is what you might describe as an unexpected addict. Growing up in a happy family in Kirkby, on the outskirts of Liverpool, Rice excelled ...

Ep 484 Sarah Everard: how can the world be safer for women?

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard in London prompted thousands of women to share stories about fearing for their personal safety and the modific...

Ep 483 Megan Nolan: Acts of Desperation

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Acts of Desperation is the darkly funny debut novel from Waterford writer Megan Nolan. Set in Dublin, it tells the story of an intense love affair bet...

Ep 482 Sarah Everard and Lockdowniversary: what if more women had been in charge?

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The disappearance of Sarah Everard in London and the subsequent discovery of a body in woodland by police searching for her, has got many of us talkin...

Ep 481 Stories of Overcoming / Celine Byrne

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last Thursday, the Irish Times Women’s Podcast hosted an evening of storytelling to mark International Women’s Day. Guests on the night were invit...

Ep 480 China’s detention of Uighur Muslims: “It’s a state of emergency”

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China is facing mounting global criticism over its treatment of the mostly Muslim Uighur population in the north-western region of Xinjiang. Rights gr...

Ep 479 Above Water: Trish Kearney

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trish Kearney was one of the six Irish swimmers who charged former swim coach George Gibney with sexual abuse offences in 1992. Known in her younger d...

Ep 478 Professional Troublemaker - Luvvie Ajayi Jones

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Luvvie Ajayi Jones wants you to be a fear-fighting troublemaker. We're all afraid of something: of hearing the word 'no', of being different, of being...

Ep 477 Making memories - with Professor Veronica O'Keane

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered why you remember some things and not others? Or why, even though you might share an experience with someone, their memory of it...

Ep 476 All Against Racism

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the last twelve months, almost half of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 have witnessed or experienced racism. This shocking statistic is ...

Ep 475 All the single ladies: love in lockdown

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Ireland 40% of people don’t live in a couple. When you look at those in the 16-29 age bracket, that skyrockets to 71%. After almost a year of loc...

Ep 474 Thin Places: Kerri ní Dochartaigh

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nature writer and essayist Kerri ní Dochartaigh was born in Derry, Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. The daughter of a Catholic mother ...