The Women's Podcast The Irish Times

A regular on The Women's Podcast, journalist and author Caitlin Moran was in Dublin recently as part of her latest book tour. As someone who regularly discusses the problems of girls and women in public, Moran has often been confronted with the question: “But what about men?”. Indeed, the statistics on male misery are grim: boys are falling behind in school, are at greater risk of addiction, depression, suicide, and increasingly at risk from online misogynist radicalisation thanks to the likes of Andrew Tate and Jordan B Peterson. Moran explains what led her to write her new book What About Men? and discusses the issues affecting men and boys that she says if tackled will also help women and girls.
This episode was originally published in July 2023.


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The local and European elections are taking place in just over two weeks time, on Friday June 7th. Since the beginning of the campaign, there have been a number of worrying incidents where election candidates have faced intimidation, harassment and abuse while out canvassing or hanging up party posters. Green Party Councillor Janet Horner and Social Democrats election candidate Ellen O’Doherty have both experienced this type of intimidating behaviour in their constituency. They talk to Kathy Sheridan about what happened, how it has impacted their campaigns and how abuse in political life is widespread, problematic and targeted disproportionately at women and minority groups. We also hear from Lisa Keenan, Assistant Professor in Political Science at Trinity College, who recently contributed to the Taskforce report on Safe Participation in Political Life.
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Author, podcaster and fond friend of the show, Marian Keyes is back with her sixteenth novel ‘My Favourite Mistake’. It follows Anna Walsh, as she ditches her high-flying PR job and makes the move from the Big Apple to the wilds of Connemara. In this episode, Keyes talks to Róisín Ingle about abandoning the original idea for the book, in favour of writing a love story instead. She also reflects on some recent personal milestones; moving house, celebrating 30 years of sobriety and having her portrait unveiled at the National Gallery of Ireland.
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In this episode, author Caroline Magennis talks to Róisín Ingle about her new book Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women. It’s a look beyond the often divisive conversation around choosing not to have children, and offers an alternative message of hope and celebration. We also hear from Margaret O’Connor, a Limerick-based psychotherapist and presenter of the ‘Are Kids For Me’ Podcast. Through her work as a therapist, O’Connor supports people wondering if parenthood is for them. Writer Laura Kennedy, is also here to discuss the pressures faced by women as they approach the end of their fertility window and her own feelings of  ambivalence around motherhood.
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It’s hard to believe the last time Wallis Bird was on the podcast was nearly five years ago in 2019. Since then, the Berlin-based musician has released two more albums, the latest of which, Visions of Venus, was released last month. It’s a creative collaboration with the German classical quintet Spark, and together they are showcasing 1000 years of female composers from Clara Schumann to Kate Bush, Enya to Hildegard von Bingen. In this wide-ranging conversation with Róisín Ingle, Bird talks about the women at the centre of this ambitious album and what their music means to her. She also shares the details of her ongoing renovation project, turning a derelict farmhouse in rural Germany into a house for herself and five others, and she talks about the grief and shock at losing her best friend suddenly last December.
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Last November, Pastiche, a pop singer-songwriter from Malahide in Co Dublin was diagnosed with endometriosis, more than a decade after her first symptoms of the condition developed. While the diagnosis itself came as a relief, the 26-year-old was told she may face difficulties when trying to conceive later on. This ultimately led to her decision to freeze her eggs, as a sort of "insurance policy” for her fertility. In this conversation with Kathy Sheridan, Pastiche talks about the egg freezing process, what she wishes she knew going into it and how she’s used her music to share her personal story. We also hear from Edwina Oakes, chairperson of the Irish Fertility Counsellors Association, who discusses the reasons behind the rising numbers of women freezing their eggs and explains who she typically sees going forward for the procedure.
Pastiche’s new song Forfeit Control is out now.

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