The Women's Podcast

The sex in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel Normal People became a huge national talking point. It was praised for its authenticity and complained about on Liveline for very different reasons. In this episode Ita O'Brien, intimacy coordinator, talks to Roisin Ingle about why her job choreographing the sex scenes between Marianne and Connell was akin to the role of a choreographer brought on set to oversee a fight scene. Nothing was left to chance from consent to safe words, which meant the actors were protected and the sex in Normal People was always integral to the story and never gratuitous. A former dancer and actor, O'Brien previously worked on programmes such as Sex Education and Gentleman Jack and offers a fascinating glimpse behind a relatively new part of the film and TV industry.

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We were joined by almost 300 listeners, readers and Irish Times subscribers last Saturday night for our fourth Big Night In on Zoom. This one was with acclaimed singer and musician Lisa Hannigan. It was a magical night of conversation between podcast host Roisin Ingle and Hannigan who shared her thoughts on creativity in a pandemic and life in lockdown with her 14 month old child. This episode includes snippets of the songs she sang and a lengthy back and forth between the singer and the fans who gathered to hear her talk. Also on the podcast we mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day with findings from a survey showing how women and girls are managing periods in a pandemic.

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It's two years since 64.66 per cent of us voted to Repeal the 8th Amendment. Roisin Ingle reads her column looking back on that important day. Also on this episode, we hear from the author of a brilliant debut novel Exciting Times. Naoise Dolan spoke about her writing life and launching a book in Lockdown. And finally, Geraldine Quigley is a writer from a working class background who was helped by the Write Now scheme run by Penguin Random House. The scheme is open to people resident in the Republic of Ireland for the first time this year, and she came on the podcast to encourage writers from diverse backgrounds to apply,

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Jane Casey is one of the most successful crime writers of recent times, blazing a trail in a genre that has been dominated recently by Irish women such as Liz Nugent and Tana French. Originally from Ireland she is based in London and married to a criminal barrister, which comes in handy for gruesome plotlines. Her latest novel starring her kickass detective Maeve Kerrigan is called The Cutting Place and it follows the murky goings on in one of London’s most elite gentlemen’s clubs. In the episode, host Roisin Ingle also reflects on the ways the pandemic is negatively affecting the lives of women according to a recent report from the Central Statistics Office. Finally, our next Big Night In on Zoom is with the wonderful singer Lisa Hannigan this Saturday May 23rd at 8pm. Listen to the podcast to find out how you can win a chance to join us there.

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There's something in the air. A tiny bit of longed for freedom. The timeline for the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions has been released and we want to celebrate. Over the past few weeks and months we've been collecting stories from our guests and from listeners. We asked them one simple question: what are you most looking forward to when lockdown is lifted? The answers were funny, warm and sometimes surprising and we heard from a whole range of people from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald to journalist Alison O'Connor. What are you looking forward to most when we are finally given our freedom? We hope you enjoy this episode and it gives you plenty of inspiration for the days, weeks and months to come.

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Welcome to our 400th episode! We never imagined when we started the podcast back in September 2015 that we'd still be here 400 episodes later telling women's stories and delving into the issues that are important to us. Over those nearly five years we've had many well known guests such as Margaret Atwood, Samantha Power, Marian Keyes and Caitlin Moran. In today's special ep we are joined by actor, writer and all-round joy bringer Amy Huberman. Amy (and more than 250 of our closest friends) came for the Zoom chats last Saturday night and told us about lockdown life with her kids (and BOD!), the fearlessness that comes with getting older and the "hot tools" every woman needs in a pandemic. Now that we're 400 we also thought it was about time we joined Instagram, so tune in to this episode to find out how following us on insta @itwomenspodcast could land you a gorgeous hamper of chocolate from our sponsors Green & Blacks. Thanks for staying with us these 400 episodes. And here's to the next 400!

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In this episode, Róisín Ingle was joined by MEP and former Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald. In a recent article for The Irish Times, Fitzgerald wrote about the impact this pandemic is having on women and the need to document their stories for future generations. “Women are so rarely written about in these global events, much less so when their work is behind the scenes.” In this conversation, they reflect on the women who make up nearly 80% of the healthcare workers across Europe, the domestic violence pandemic and the EU response to the crisis. ‘When this is over, let us not forget the women’ by Frances Fitzgerald is available to read here: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/coronavirus-when-this-is-over-let-us-not-forget-the-women-1.4239130

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In this episode, comedians Alison Spittle and Joanne McNally join Róisín Ingle to discuss the highs and lows of the London lockdown life. From living with housemates who refuse to socially distance, yearning for life back at home and waiting for the tsunami of single guys from all the lockdown divorces, this conversation with two of Ireland’s funniest comedians will hopefully bring a bit of joy to your day. We’ve also just announced our next guest for The Women’s Podcast Big Night In - it’s Amy Huberman! - so if you’d like to join us this Saturday May 9th, send us your voice note of what you can’t wait to do once lockdown is lifted to [email protected]

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In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by journalist Jenn Gannon and author Emer McLysaght for a discussion about Normal People, the Irish TV show that has everyone talking. It’s the small screen adaptation of Sally Rooney’s best selling novel, which was released just eighteen months ago. Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie McDonald directed the new series from Element Pictures, which was filmed last summer in Dublin and Sligo. It’s already been the topic of a heated discussion on Liveline (it’s the national broadcaster promoting "fornication" don’t you know) and has received rave reviews both at home and abroad. Jenn and Emer have binge watched the entire 12 part series and share their thoughts on how the show perfectly portrays teenage lust, angst and awkwardness. No spoilers.

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In today's episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by three of Ireland’s newest authors, Michelle Gallan (Big Girl, Small Town), Niamh Campbell (This Happy) and Rachel Donohue (Temple House Vanishing). 2020 will be a milestone year for each of these authors, as it marks the release of their debut novels. This conversation was recorded before the coronavirus outbreak, when all three women were able to come into studio and speak to Róisín about their new books and the inspiration behind them.Today is also Poetry Day Ireland. We pay tribute to Eavan Boland, leading Irish poet and champion of women's voices, who died on Monday. Nessa O’Mahony joined Róisín to take a look back on the poet’s life and read one of her most moving works, ‘The Pomegranate’.

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