The Women's Podcast

In Ireland, more than 5,500 children are currently in foster care. This could be because of illness in the child’s family, the death of a parent, neglect, abuse or violence in the home, or simply because the parent or family is not coping. Whatever the reason, foster carers are there to take care of children who cannot live with their own family, either on a short-term or long-term basis. In today’s episode, we hear from two foster carers Sinead O’Donnell and Sharon Kelly. O’Donnell, who lives in Donegal, began fostering during Covid and has welcomed two young girls (sisters) into her home. Kelly, who lives in Kilkenny has fostered children for more than a decade and has provided foster care to two children since birth. They tell Róisín Ingle about why they wanted to open up their homes, the challenges involved and what advice they’d give to anyone considering becoming a foster carer. 

But first Irish Times Opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the stories making headlines this week including American comedian Rosie O’Donnell’s decision to move to Ireland, why girls are getting their periods earlier and why Dublin City Council might elevate the Molly Malone statue.

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To celebrate International Women’s Day, the book club gathered with a handful of podcast listeners for a live event at Kildare Village on Saturday morning. Niamh Towey, Ann Ingle, Bernice Harrison, and Roisin Ingle, explored the books by women that have challenged and changed them and that they think every woman should read.

Book Club Choices: 

Ann Ingle: The Women’s Room by Marilyn French & Anne Tyler novels

Bernice Harrison: Heartburn By Nora Ephron & Country Girls by Edna O’Brien

Róisín Ingle: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott & How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran

Niamh Towey: Claire Keegan’s novels and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

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International Women’s Day is on Saturday the 8th March and there are lots of events happening all around the country to celebrate the occasion. Irish Times features writer Ella Sloane joins Róisín Ingle on the podcast today to tell us about some of them, including a free guided tour exploring how women are represented in a selection of works at the National Gallery and a ​​march against gender violence taking place in Dublin city. She’ll also be telling us about a new report from Nasc, which highlights the barriers that migrant women face accessing employment. 

Later on, we’ll be hearing from three impressive women who have carved out careers in male-dominated industries. Engineer Susan McGarry, horticulturist Rebecca Hegarty and laboratory technician Bronwyn Villis explain why they went into their chosen career, what obstacles they have met along the way and why they would encourage more women to take the leap into jobs that have historically been dominated by men. 

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Born and bred in New York, the last place that Rosie Schaap thought she’d end up, was living in a rural village in Northern Ireland, miles away from the bustling city she once called home. But that’s exactly where she’s found herself. Five years ago, the writer and journalist moved from NYC to the tiny town of Glenarm in Co Antrim, in search of a new life. The writer and journalist was grieving the death of her husband and her mother - who died just one year apart - and was also looking for a new way to heal. In her new memoir, The Slow Road North, Schaap details her personal story of loss and the unexpected solace she found in a small seaside village in Northern Ireland. She tells Róisín Ingle all about it on today’s episode. 

But first, Irish Times podcast producer Aideen Finnegan is here to discuss some of the stories making the headlines this week, including the lifting of a travel ban on controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, the new domestic violence register being proposed by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and why an Oscar could finally be on the cards for veteran actress Demi Moore.

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After lengthy government formation talks and a chaotic first week in the Dáil, the new Government is finally settling into it's first few weeks of a new term. There’s a whole host of new faces in Leinster House, including 10 new women TDs. We wanted to hear what life is like for three of those women, so we’ve invited Labour’s Marie Sherlock, Fianna Fail’s Erin McGreehan and Social Democrats’ Jen Cummins to tell us their first impressions of the Dáil, their background in politics and what issues they’ll be focusing on in their term.

But first, Irish Times reporter Niamh Towey is here to discuss some of the stories making the headlines this week including the results of a new survey which found an “alarming” incidence of rooms being advertised in exchange for sex, the decision to grant planning permission to rebuild Creeslough service station and the long fight for justice for murdered backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.

Email for International Women's Day live event entries: [email protected]

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This Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to shift the focus away from love and relationships and onto the joy and excitement of the single experience. If you’re single and sick of dating apps, Irish Times relationships columnist Roe McDermott is here with some new dating ideas, from singles running clubs to mindful dating events. Later on, Róisín Ingle is joined by Nicola Slawson, an author who has literally written the book on the single life. Slawson shares her advice for living a complete and full life on your own and details her unconventional path to motherhood. 

But first, Irish Times podcast presenter Bernice Harrison is here to discuss some of the news stories that have caught her eye this week. She tells Róisín Ingle about the latest details coming from the Omagh Bombing inquiry and why the civil service is trying to crack down on working from home arrangements.

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America might be rowing back on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, but one woman who is fighting to keep interculturalism at the forefront of people’s minds is Mamobo Ogoro, the CEO of Irish social enterprise GORM. 

Ogoro is a Nigerian-Irish Social Psychologist and multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, who is “on a personal mission to unify the world”. Through her work with GORM, she helps organisations in Ireland and around the world develop intercultural leaders. In this episode, Ogoro talks to Róisín Ingle about growing GORM from an idea into a movement, how she works to bridge the gap between diversity and inclusion and how she’s become Ireland’s first Echoing Green Fellow. 

But first, Irish Times podcast producer Aideen Finnegan is here to discuss some of the biggest stories from the week, including a dramatic fashion statement at the Grammys, the sexual assault trial taking place in Spain over that infamous World Cup kiss and how Ireland’s ambassador to the USA, Geraldine Byrne Nason, is running diplomatic relations in the Trump era.

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Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien story is the brand new documentary by Irish filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea. It’s a portrait of one of Ireland’s finest writers, featuring extracts from O’Briens journals, contributions from the likes of Gabriel Byrne and Anne Enright and a remarkable final interview with O'Brien shortly before her death aged 93 last year. In this episode, O’Shea tells Kathy Sheridan about the late-writer’s extraordinary life and legacy and how the film came about after a chance encounter at a wedding. 

But first, Irish Times podcast producer Suzanne Brennan is here to discuss some of the biggest stories from the week including a review into maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital in Galway, why Caroline Kennedy made a last minute plea to the US Senate this week and how the gender balance row in government has intensified in recent days.

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Yoga teacher and wellness coach Kerry White was 48 years old when she finally decided to pursue her long-held dream to become a mother. As a single woman, who had just entered perimenopause, White used donor sperm and donor eggs to become pregnant. Then, in 2020, two months shy of her 50th birthday, her baby girl Freya was born. In this episode, White talks to Róisín Ingle about going it alone, the reaction from those closest to her and how she didn’t want to live with the regret of having never tried. She also talks about the process of choosing donors, the options available for solo parents and how her work now focuses on helping other women navigate their path to motherhood. 

But first, Irish Times journalist Bernice Harrison is here to talk through some of the stories making the headlines this week, including Bishop Mariann E. Budde’s brave plea to President Donald Trump, the sexual assault allegations facing author Neil Gaiman and a new archaeological study which shows that in Celtic Britain, women held the power in society.

Kerry White Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNqIxj8Se4

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These days, we’re hearing a lot more about ultra processed foods and the dangers of over eating these highly industrialised food products. But what exactly are UPFs, how bad are they really and how can you spot them when out doing the grocery shop? In this episode, nutrition consultant Sophie Morris joins Róisín Ingle to answer all these questions and to explain why she’s joined the growing movement away from ultra processed foods.

Morris has amassed more than 300 thousand followers on her Instagram account, where she spreads the word about healthy eating, educates people on ingredient lists and suggests ‘clever supermarket swaps’ to her followers. In this conversation, we hear about her move from finance into food, her concerns about the hot school lunches scheme being rolled out across the country and what’s next for her in 2025.

But first, Irish Times journalist Niamh Towey is here to talk through the stories that caught her eye this week, including the disappointing results of a national childcare survey, why Nikita Hand has brought Conor McGregor back to court and how Mark Zuckerberg’s is bringing a new “masculine” energy to Meta.

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