IMAGE The Motherload

Hazel Chu has spent much of her public life breaking barriers. As the first Irish-born person of Chinese heritage to serve as Lord Mayor of Dublin and now deputy leader of the Green Party, she has faced racism, abuse and scrutiny while fighting for a more equal Ireland.

But in this deeply personal episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Hazel joins Dominique to talk about the experiences that have shaped her away from politics.

She speaks with extraordinary openness about her recent breast cancer diagnosis, the moment her then seven-year-old daughter Alex asked, “Mama, are you going to die?”, and the loneliness that can come with being seriously ill.

Hazel also looks back at a difficult pregnancy and her experience of postnatal depression, including the period when she struggled to feel love for herself or her new baby.

And in one of the most emotional moments of the conversation, Hazel talks about racism, how becoming a mother changed her relationship with it, and the pain of watching her daughter experience racism herself.

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In this week’s episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Mary Kennedy joins Dominique for a beautiful conversation about motherhood, ambition, loss, marriage and separation, ageing, grandmotherhood and the many times in life we get to begin again.

Mary Kennedy has spent decades on Irish television, but behind her remarkable broadcasting career is a life shaped by a willingness to keep beginning again.

In this warm and deeply personal conversation she talks about raising four children while building her career, navigating separation at a time when it carried a very different social weight in Ireland, being rejected twice before finally getting the opportunity to present Eurovision, and what all those experiences taught her about failure, persistence and putting yourself forward.

We hope you enjoy.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Louise Cooney has shared her life online for more than a decade, but in this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, you will hear a side of her you may not have heard before.

Now mum to two-year-old Jude and pregnant with her second child, Louise joins Dominique at a fascinating moment in her life, as she prepares to become a mum of two.

Here, Louise opens up about how she is feeling during her second pregnancy, the bittersweet reality of knowing her chapter as a family of three is coming to an end, and the questions that come with wondering how you will divide your time and heart between two kids. 

She also reflects on when she became a mum the first time around, her changing identity, confidence, work and mum guilt, her relationship with husband Mark, sharing motherhood online and what she hopes to do differently when baby number two arrives.

And, of course, there’s plenty of fashion and beauty too.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Broadcaster, documentary maker, podcaster and mum of two Síle Seoige joins Dominique for a beautifully open conversation about the experiences that have shaped her.

From pregnancy loss and thyroid cancer to anxiety, motherhood, marriage and a career spent in the public eye, Síle reflects on the highs and lows of her life with extraordinary perspective.

They talk about becoming a mum later in life, raising children in an increasingly anxious world, learning when to push yourself and when to protect yourself, why gratitude has become such an important part of how she moves through the world, and what hundreds of intimate conversations on her own podcast have taught her about being human.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

For Maria Walsh, motherhood didn't begin with a positive pregnancy test. It began with therapy, difficult decisions, IVF and choosing to build a family on her own terms.

In this deeply personal conversation, the Fine Gael MEP joins Dominique to discuss her journey to solo motherhood through IVF and sperm donation, and why she believes Ireland still has a long way to go in supporting modern families.

Maria speaks candidly about fertility treatment, public scrutiny, compassionate healthcare, the legal issues around donor conception, LGBTQ+ parenting and the importance of recognising the value of care.

She also reflects on ambition, equality, building a village around her child, and the kind of Ireland she hopes her daughter will grow up in.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Writer, broadcaster, author, grandmother and now stand-up comedian, Barbara joins Dominique this week for a funny, wise and refreshingly honest conversation about why getting older might just be the greatest gift of all.

Together they discuss becoming a comedian at 60, the surprising freedom that comes after menopause, why women should stop apologising for their anger, and the joy of caring a little less about what other people think.

Barbara also reflects on becoming a mother in 1980s Ireland, raising three daughters, navigating modern motherhood, becoming a grandmother, and why loving your grandchildren doesn't necessarily mean becoming full-time childcare.

This is an episode about reinvention, perspective and remembering that life's best chapters may not have even happened yet.

Tickets and dates for Barbara's upcoming show, Because I'm Worth It, are available here : https://barbarascully.com/shows/

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Lisa Wilkinson has spent almost three decades standing beside women. A barrister specialising in family law and coercive control, she has also been an entrepreneur, doula, yoga teacher, childcare provider and wellbeing pioneer. While those careers may seem worlds apart, they are all driven by one purpose: making women's lives safer, healthier and fairer.

In this powerful episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique and Lisa discuss coercive control, domestic abuse, family courts, birth rights, informed consent, childcare, motherhood and why so many of the systems women rely on continue to let them down. Lisa explains why abuse often escalates after separation, how coercive control can continue through legal processes, the warning signs every woman should know, and why listening to women's lived experiences has never been more important.

This is a difficult conversation in places, but an essential one.

If this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available through Women's Aid on 1800 341 900 or at womensaid.ie.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with one of the most influential figures in modern Irish history, Ailbhe Smyth.

As Ailbhe celebrates her 80th birthday, she reflects on a life spent challenging injustice, campaigning for equality, and helping to shape the Ireland we live in today.

Together they discuss motherhood in 1970s Ireland, surviving some of the darkest periods of her life, becoming a grandmother, coming out as a lesbian in a very different Ireland, and the social movements that transformed the country, including Marriage Equality and Repeal.

Ailbhe also shares her thoughts on modern motherhood, the invisible labour still carried by women, why progress should never be taken for granted, and what gives her hope for the generations to come.

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This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with entrepreneur, beauty founder and mother-of-three Kim O'Sullivan.

Today, Kim is the founder of Brow Aid and The Dublin Makeup Academy, but her journey began as a young single mother determined to build a better future for her son.In this inspiring conversation, Kim reflects on the challenges of early motherhood, the leap of faith that saw her leave a secure job with Armani, and the mindset that helped her build two successful businesses from the ground up.

She shares why she credits motherhood with much of her success, the surprising role manifestation has played throughout her life, and how writing down her goals helped turn dreams into reality, from career milestones to meeting the man she would eventually marry.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

What happens when motherhood doesn't just change your life, but changes your nervous system?

This week, Dominique McMullan is joined by psychotherapist Michelle Flynn, who specialises in maternal mental health, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma and somatic therapy.

Together they explore matrescence, the profound identity shift that accompanies motherhood, and why so many women feel unprepared for the emotional and psychological transformation that follows having children.

Michelle shares both professional expertise and personal experience as they discuss perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, rage, resentment, burnout, perimenopause and the challenges of being constantly "on" as a mother.

Most importantly, they dive into the role of the nervous system and the growing field of somatic work, exploring how stress and trauma can become embodied and why healing often requires more than simply talking.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.