The Women's Podcast

4.7 (109)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED WEEKLY

The Women's Podcast, hosted by Róisín Ingle & Kathy Sheridan. Producers: Róisín Ingle and Suzanne Brennan. By women, for everyone. Produced in association with Kildare Village. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1D AGO

Surge in women seeking help for cocaine addiction / Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen

Almost three years on from their final Aisling book, writers and besties Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen are back with a brand new novel, Our Deadly Summer. It’s a heartfelt and hilarious tale about friendship, young women and bad men. In today’s episode, the pair tell Róisín Ingle about the J1 spent in Long Island which inspired the story and why despite pursuing solo projects after the Aisling series, they ultimately found themselves working together again. In this wide-ranging discussion, they also give their take on enduring female friendships, Botox, and the precarity of renting in Dublin. But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the surge in women seeking help for cocaine addiction and why Meghan Markle wants you to buy a $64 candle to celebrate her wedding anniversary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 12m
MAY 14

Jan Carson on the Troubles, trauma and faith

In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by award-winning Northern Irish writer Jan Carson, who has just released her ninth book, Few and Far Between. Set on a fictional archipelago in Lough Neagh, the novel blends history, realism and the surreal, drawing on themes of community, belonging and generational trauma. In this conversation, Carson explains how a historic plan to drain Lough Neagh and create a seventh county in the north, inspired the book. She also reflects on her childhood growing up in a Presbyterian fundamentalist family - where attending church six days a week was the norm - and what her faith means to her now. But first, freelance journalist Kate Lynch is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the racial abuse experienced by newly chosen Dublin Rose, Saud Mooge, plus the rise in popularity of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and what the party’s policies mean for women. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

56 min
MAY 7

The decline in marriage rates, Met Gala moments, Jan Brierton

Fifty-year-old mother of two and stylist Jan Brierton became an accidental poet during the pandemic and has since become a regular on The Women’s Podcast. Her bestselling collections, What Day Is It? and Everybody is a Poem, struck a chord with readers, while a recent appearance on The Tommy Tiernan Show introduced her to an even wider audience. Fresh from a UK tour with Henry Normal, Brierton joined podcast host Róisín Ingle to talk about life on the road, caring for her father and the unexpected joy of intergenerational friendships. She is now bringing her trademark wit and warmth to stages across Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Dublin. More details are available on her Instagram page, @jbgoodtome. Also on this week’s episode, Jennifer O’Connell, Opinion Editor at The Irish Times, returned to discuss some of the stories of the week including the continuing decline in marriage rates in Ireland. New data from the Central Statistics Office shows that Catholic weddings have more than halved over the past decade, with overall marriage numbers also falling despite increases in civil and humanist ceremonies. Jennifer and Róisín explore what is driving the shift. They also discuss the latest chapter in the long-running legal dispute involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni and share their favourite looks from this year’s controversial, Bezos-sponsored Met Gala. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 1m
APR 30

Free travel for domestic abuse victims / Women of Iran

While the war in the Middle East dominates the daily headlines - from peace talks to the price of oil - far less attention is given to the lived experiences of ordinary Iranians. These are the people who are living among the conflict and under the rule of a heavy-handed Islamic regime. It is the less-heard voices and experiences that Iranian activists, Mahya Ostovar and Nasim Soleimanian want to amplify and as a result, they have set up the Iranian Democratic Diaspora Network in Ireland (IDDNI). In today’s episode, the pair join Róisín Ingle to discuss the goals of IDDNI, what they are hearing from friends and family in Iran and their hopes for a secular democracy and a peaceful future for their country. But first, freelance journalist Kate Lynch is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the death of Holocaust survivor and psychologist Edith Eger at the age of 99, plus the new government initiative which will allow victims of domestic abuse to travel on public transport for free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

49 min
APR 23

The women of the 1926 census / Walking the Camino

This May, 13 members of the Sea of Change choir will spend five days walking a Camino in Portugal. The choir, which is based in Dublin, is made up of cancer survivors and supporters. Formed in 2018, they have performed at venues across the country, at Electric Picnic, and have even featured on Britain’s Got Talent. Ahead of their departure early next month, two choir members, Terry Kinane and Miriam Payne, joined Róisín Ingle on the podcast to discuss their preparations for the 120km walk. Kinane, who will be leading the group of women on the walk, shares her Camino expertise, while Payne, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016, explains what this achievement will mean to her. But first, freelance journalist Kate Lynch is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the publication of the 1926 census, a new report detailing the barriers some women face in accessing free contraception, and why 91-year-old Leila Doolan walked from Shannon Airport to Leinster House this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

50 min
APR 20

The Book Club: A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello

This month the book club is reading A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello, as chosen by bookclubber Niamh Towey. The novel follows Anna Hughes, who , from the vantage of middle age, examines her life and the choices she made along the way. It's a story about obsessive love, memory, and self-discovery. The next book club pick is London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe. The group will be discussing it in May. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

35 min
APR 16

Caroline Foran on anxiety, self-compassion and ASMR

Bestselling author and podcaster Caroline Foran is back with her fourth book, Everything I Wish I’d Known about Anxiety. The book is for anyone struggling with anxiety who is unsure how or where to begin the healing process. Based on her own experience of overcoming debilitating anxiety, it blends storytelling with practical advice and offers a step-by-step roadmap to help quiet anxious thoughts and rediscover calm. In this episode, Foran tells Róisín Ingle about the micro-changes that make a big difference, how ASMR has helped soothe her nervous system, and why self-compassion is so important. She also talks about the meaning behind her many tattoos and how motherhood - and the challenges it has brought - has shaped her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

47 min
APR 9

Women in space / Louise O’Neill on fame, fate and turning 40

Author Louise O’Neill is back with her sixth novel, Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone? It’s a gripping page‑turner about the dark side of the entertainment industry, focusing on child star twins Madeline and Chelsea, who grow up in the spotlight under the tight grip of their controlling mother, Erin. In today’s episode, O’Neill joins Róisín Ingle to discuss toxic celebrity culture, the treatment of women in the media and how these themes inspired the story. She also speaks about her own experiences of fame, why she believes in fate, and how life has gotten even better since turning 40. But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell joins us to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the woman making history aboard the Artemis space mission and how an initiative in Northern Ireland is helping hairdressers spot signs of coercive control. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1h 9m

See All (593)

Kathy Sheridan

Host
Róisín Ingle

Host
Emer McLysaght

Guest
Sarah Breen

Guest
Jennifer Connelly

Guest
Jan Carson

Guest
Kate Lynch

Guest
Mahya Ostovar

Guest
Nasim Soleimanian

Guest
Terry Kinane

Guest

4.7

out of 5

109 Ratings

Always interesting

01/20/2024

KrayKay90

My favorite episodes of this podcast are the book club episodes. I've learned about a lot of great Irish Women writers from Roisin and her fellow book clubbers. She always does a good job of covering current events and social issues too. I look forward to this podcast every week.
Let the guests speak

02/06/2025

GidgetlovesMana

I used to love this podcast, but Roisin’s constant interrupting & talking over guests is annoying.
Best podcast for women

08/31/2023

Patty Flanagan Webster

I am an American but I still find the issues universally relevant. This is my absolute favorite podcast. I have even gone back and listened to the ones from 2018 forward. Even when it’s a subject that I don’t think will interest me, it always does. Please don’t stop doing what you’re doing, Rosin and Kathy Patty, St Louis, Mo, United States
Wonderful interview with Sinéad!

08/02/2023

kojaks-wig

I didn’t want the interview to end. I am so fortunate I found your podcast. What I loved the most is the fact that you, as the interviewer, clearly admired her and appreciated her all the while having loads of fun. I’ve seen/heard so many interviews where the interviewer is about as stiff as the undead—robotic, uninformed. She was raw, completely herself with you. I absolutely loved it! I wish there were more of those interviews 😔 I am still gutted by the absence of her living presence in this world. Her words, her life, her voice, her courage and badassery —these all affected and inspired me deeply. And, this is so odd for me because I did not know her personally and yet, I grieve as though my sister has died. I am the same age as she is. I first heard her sing (way before “Nothing Compares to You”) as a young person trying to figure myself out in San Francisco. Her voice screamed my soul into the Universe and has ever since. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, dear Sinéad. And thank you, Roísín, for such a beautiful remembrance and for your work 💕🙏🏼❤️

The Women's Podcast, hosted by Róisín Ingle & Kathy Sheridan. Producers: Róisín Ingle and Suzanne Brennan. By women, for everyone. Produced in association with Kildare Village. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.