The Laura Dowling Experience

🎧 Episode DescriptionDonal O’Shea has spent a lifetime working at the sharp end of endocrinology- and in this conversation, he brings that perspective with clarity and honesty. Laura and Donal explore how dramatically medicine has changed, from early diabetes care rooted in fear and compliance to modern treatments that prioritise quality of life and long-term health.The discussion moves through hormones, obesity, and the rise of GLP-1 medications, examining how new treatments exposed long-held misconceptions about appetite, behaviour, and responsibility. Along the way, they confront stigma, access to care, and the cultural tendency to reduce complex conditions to willpower. Thoughtful and grounded, this episode invites a more humane way of thinking about health- one led by evidence, humility, and compassion.🔑 Key PointsHow diabetes care used to work - and why it didn’tDonal reflects on fear-based approaches from earlier in his career and contrasts them with today’s technology-driven, compassionate care.Hormones quietly run the showThe episode unpacks how chemical messengers regulate appetite, mood, energy, and long-term health.GLP-1s changed more than blood sugarOriginally developed for diabetes, these treatments revealed unexpected effects on appetite and behaviour.Why “eat less, move more” falls shortObesity is explored as a biologically regulated, chronic condition rather than a failure of willpower.When medicine collides with cultureLaura and Donal discuss how effective treatments risk being misunderstood in a thinness-obsessed world.Access isn’t equalCost and prescribing rules shape who receives care and who is left behind.Weight loss doesn’t erase identityThe psychological impact of changing bodies is often overlooked.📚 Mentioned in this EpisodeOSheaHoganLabs - Donal’s educational presence on TikTok and Instagram addressing medical misinformation⏱️ Timestamps00:00 - A lifetime inside changing medicine04:10 - Diabetes before technology07:30 - Why fear was never good healthcare12:00 - GLP-1 and a shift in understanding obesity17:45 - Appetite, behaviour, and biology23:30 - Stigma, thinness, and misuse of treatment30:15 - Identity after weight change36:40 - Menopause, hormones, and long-term thinking43:20 - Battling misinformation online50:00 - Who gets treatment - and who doesn’t57:00 - Looking to the next generation

🎧 Episode DescriptionThis conversation traces the path that brought Eoin Cluskey to where he is today- not only as the founder of Bread 41, but as someone who thinks deeply about community, responsibility, and the kind of impact a business can have. He talks openly about struggling through school, finding his footing in kitchens abroad, and eventually discovering purpose through business.Eoin also reflects on the parts of his story that don’t get talked about as often- the pressure of building something from nothing, the moment his partner told him the work was breaking their family, and the shift that followed. His stories from his work in prisons, schools, and the community show a consistent thread of noticing people who are often overlooked, and making small interventions that can have big impact.🔑 Key PointsSchool never fit, but it pushed him to think differentlyEoin explains how feeling behind in education stayed with him and later influenced how he approaches people who struggle in traditional systems.Finding belonging through craftFood became a place where he could build discipline, confidence, and a sense of identity.The personal cost of ambitionEoin names the moment he realised that relentless work was pulling him away from his family and needed to change.Understanding dignity through prison workHis experiences with incarcerated men opened his eyes to circumstance, accountability, and the meaning of opportunity.What teachers experience behind the scenesSpending time with educators gave him a clearer picture of the pressures and expectations they carry.Encouragement as a turning pointThe schoolboy who doubted his own ability shows how a few honest words can change someone’s trajectory.📚 Mentioned in this EpisodeBread 41 / Breaducation Programme⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Welcome & Eoin’s Background04:10 – Growing Up Outside the System08:20 – Finding Direction in Kitchens Abroad14:25 – Lessons from Ballymaloe18:40 – Starting Bread 41 from Scratch24:30 – A Family Wake-Up Call29:45 – Rethinking Ambition and Balance32:10 – Experiences Inside Mountjoy Prison42:30 – Teachers, Pressure & the Breaducation Programme48:25 – A Small Moment That Changed a Young Person’s Path54:10 – The Responsibility of Being a Business That “Sees” Peopl

🎧 Episode DescriptionThis episode is an emotionally rich, thoughtful exploration of motherhood, storytelling, friendship, and addiction. Sophie reflects on how her podcast began long before podcasting was popular- born out of frustration and a desire for honesty. Instead of curated perfection, she and co-host Jen offered chaos, humour, truth, and community and thousands of women saw themselves reflected, often for the first time.Sophie also shares deeply personal experiences with mental illness, alcoholism and self-loathing, describing how shame can follow us from childhood into adulthood until compassion interrupts the pattern. Through laughter, vulnerability, and storytelling, she shows how honesty can become a form of healing.⸻🔑 Key Points🎙 Podcasting with No Blueprint- A movement born from instinct, not strategy.👭 Friendship as Creative Foundation- Trust, humour, and emotional safety.👶 Motherhood Without Filters- Breaking away from curated Instagram motherhood.🧠 Postnatal Depression & Mental Health Struggles- Real emotional aftermath of motherhood.🍷 Addiction & The First Drink at 13- Relief, identity, and survival.✨ Compassion Through Seeing Children Clearly- Realising nothing was her fault.📢 Women’s Voices & The Power of Being Heard - Solidarity and storytelling.⸻📚 Mentioned in this EpisodeMother of Pod / Stop the Madness Podcast⸻⏱️ Timestamps00:00- How the podcast unexpectedly began05:10- “Be my pod wife” moment08:40- Building Patreon & creative freedom13:20- Irish storytelling culture18:10- Postnatal depression & emotional reality23:50- When listeners share their truth30:20- Addiction & first drink story33:00- Breastfeeding pressure & guilt40:00- Addiction, breakdown & survival52:30- Women’s safety & public space59:00- Parenting, screens & doing our best

🎧 Episode DescriptionWhat started as a simple moment in Lidl — noticing the word “style” on a yogurt label — turned into a viral movement. In this heartfelt conversation, Sophie Morris shares how her honest, practical videos helped people understand not just what’s in their food, but how to shop with confidence, protect their health, and even support small producers.Sophie explains how clever swaps, label awareness, and small decisions can lead to powerful changes — physically, mentally, and emotionally. She shares real stories from families, teenagers, and everyday shoppers who say her content didn’t just change their eating habits, but changed how they feel. This is more than food education — it’s empowerment.⸻🔑 Key PointsFrom Local Coaching to Viral ImpactSophie began by helping confused shoppers understand food labels and trends.Greek vs. Greek-Style — The Moment Everything ChangedHer first viral video showed how one tiny word can change the whole meaning of a product.Clever Swaps, Not ShameShe believes in empowering people with realistic, often cheaper swaps — not food fear.Profit vs. NutritionBig companies aren’t evil, but operate in a system built for profit, not health.Food and Mental WellbeingPeople report better mood, clarity, and energy after reducing ultra-processed foods.Responding to CriticismSophie explains why she avoids ingredient fearmongering and never singles out additives.Consumer PowerHer audience helped small Irish producers thrive — proving demand drives change.⸻⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Greek-style yogurt and how it all began03:20 – When the videos went viral06:00 – Clever Swaps explained08:00 – Who really makes our food?10:40 – Criticism, trust, and staying independent15:00 – Why ingredient awareness matters19:00 – Real stories: food and mental health23:20 – KitKat, Activia & misleading marketing28:00 – Policy, labeling & regulation30:10 – The Sophie Effect: small brands rising31:40 – Why she refuses sponsorships40:00 – Protein hype and sugar sneaking48:20 – Food access and affordability49:50 – Where food awareness is headed

🎧 Episode DescriptionIn this deeply moving and human conversation, Tammy Darcy opens up about the defining experiences that shaped her life- from the powerful bond with her sister Shona, her traumatic teenage years, bullying, and becoming a single mother at 18, to transforming pain into purpose by founding The Shona Project. She shares how her sister’s brain tumour, family breakdown, and years of emotional isolation shaped her desire to create a community of support for young girls- one rooted in courage, authenticity, and belonging.With tenderness and honesty, Tammy reflects on self-worth, shame, resilience, and why young people don't just need motivation- they need community, compassion, and a strong sense of who they are. At its core, this episode is about showing up for one another, embracing vulnerability, and believing that our greatest pain may one day serve a greater purpose.🔑 Key PointsTrauma, Loss & a Sister’s LegacyTammy shares the life-changing impact of her sister’s brain tumour, the emotional fallout, and how the loss shaped her outlook on compassion, purpose, and human connection.Turning Pain into PurposeInstead of being defined by tragedy, Tammy built The Shona Project- a nationwide movement supporting young girls through workshops, festivals, and leadership programmes.Bullying and Its Lifelong EffectsShe describes years of bullying, hiding in school toilets, and losing trust in other girls, realising that relational harm can sometimes take longer to heal than trauma itself.Courage Over ConfidenceTammy explains why we should focus on building courage rather than confidence because courage is what allows us to act even when we're unsure.Why Values Matter More Than AchievementsShe explores how helping teenagers identify their personal values gives them a lasting compass for decision-making, identity, and self-worth.Authenticity as FreedomTammy reflects on how embracing her authentic self, rather than trying to be “perfect”, has been liberating and transformative in both life and leadership.Creating Safe, Supportive CommunitiesShe shares how The Shona Project helps girls recognise that they can both harm and heal and that change begins with accountability, compassion, and kindness.📚 Mentioned in this EpisodeThe Shona Project - https://shona.ie/Shine Festival - https://shinefestival.ie/500x500 campaign https://shona.ie/500x500/⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction & Early Confidence08:10 – Shona’s Diagnosis & Family Breakdown13:00 – Trauma, Grief & Feeling Lost16:00 – Becoming Pregnant at 1823:00 – Bullying, Isolation & Self-Worth30:00 – How The Shona Project Was Born45:00 – 500 by 500 Vision & Community51:00 – Talking to Young People About Values57:00 – Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

🎧 Episode DescriptionIn this powerful and deeply human conversation, Breda O'Toole shares her extraordinary journey of trauma, survival, and ultimately, healing. Her life was marked by poverty, abuse, war-related family trauma, institutional mistreatment, and years of being misdiagnosed within psychiatric care. For 23 years, she was prescribed heavy medication, underwent 29 shock treatments, and spent time in psychiatric institutions — including being restrained in a straitjacket for 11 days. Yet none of it treated the real wound: trauma.Breda explains how no professional ever asked about her life or experiences — only symptoms. She felt unseen, unheard, and misunderstood. The turning point came when a priest told her: “Take back control of your life.” That moment sparked her recovery journey — off medication, back to herself, and finally into true healing.This episode is painful, inspiring, and illuminating — a moving reminder that trauma is not mental illness, and recovery is possible when we are truly seen, heard, and believed.🔑 Key PointsTrauma vs. Mental IllnessHer suffering was rooted in trauma, not a disorder.Misdiagnosis & OvermedicationShe lived under 8+ incorrect diagnoses and was on up to 15 tablets daily.Electric Shock Therapy (ECT)29 ECT sessions — each followed in her records by: “Still depressed.”The StraitjacketShe was involuntarily restrained for 11 days — until her father rescued her.Loss & GriefShe lost three baby boys — through negligence, miscarriage, and stillbirth.The Words That Changed Everything“Take back control of your life” — the moment her recovery truly began.Recovery Begins With Being HeardOne doctor finally asked: “What happened to you?” — not “What’s wrong with you?”📚 Mentioned in This Episode• Unseen — Breda’s memoir• St. Patrick’s Institution, St. Brigid’s, St. Vincent’s• Valium, Lithium, Optimax• Straitjacket institutional practices• Father Walsh, Father Pat• Tommy — Breda’s husband⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introducing Breda & her story01:00 – Childhood trauma: war, poverty, abuse08:00 – First Valium prescription & addiction10:00 – Misdiagnosis & medication spiral13:00 – Shock therapy and lost identity16:00 – Being detained & rescued by her father24:00 – Loss of her babies & emotional impact33:00 – Straitjacket and institutional trauma40:00 – “What happened to you?” — turning point46:00 – Coming off medication & reclaiming life52:00 – Real recovery, healing, and hope

🎧 Episode DescriptionIn this powerful and deeply human conversation, Miriam O’Callaghan opens up about the defining moments that shaped her life — from navigating high-pressure live television, to facing unimaginable personal loss, to raising eight children while working in the public eye.Miriam speaks candidly about the ups and downs of her pregnancies and births, the chaos of live political debates, grief, resilience, menopause, and what it’s really like to live so much of her life under intense public scrutiny. She shares the heartbreaking story of losing her sister and father within weeks of each other, her legal fight against an online scam using her name, and the grounding philosophies that have kept her centred through it all.This episode is raw, emotional and filled with wisdom — a rare look at one of Ireland’s most beloved broadcasters, beyond the headlines and beyond the studio lights.🔑 Key PointsWriting a memoir after 20 years of hesitationWhy Miriam avoided writing her book, the emotional weight of telling her own story, and what finally pushed her to begin.The pressure and chaos of live TVBehind the scenes of major political debates, on-air confrontations, and the mental load of broadcasting to millions.The year everything changedLosing her sister at 33, losing her father shortly after, and how grief reshaped her perspective on life and motherhood.Fertility struggles, pregnancy trauma & raising eight childrenCandid reflections on secondary infertility, complex pregnancies, motherhood, and letting go of perfection.Menopause, HRT & women’s healthWhy she advocates openly for hormone therapy, vaginal oestrogen, and breaking the silence around women’s health.The Facebook “face-cream” scamHow scammers used her name for years, how it affected her family, and what happened when she took Facebook to court — and won.Gratitude, grounding & implacable courtesyThe philosophies that guide her relationships and keep her anchored through chaos.📚 Mentioned in this Episode• Life, Work, Everything — Miriam’s memoir (print & audiobook)• Paul Read — the solicitor who represented Miriam in her Facebook/Meta scam case• Holles Street Maternity Hospital & The Coombe• Prof. Caher & Dr. Colm (Miriam’s obstetricians)• Evorel Conti Patch & Vagifem (HRT mentioned)• John Hume, Pantibliss (Rory O’Neill), Leo Varadkar, Tommy Tiernan, Roy Keane• Ireland’s Marriage Equality referendum & key cultural moments• “Implacable courtesy” — Seamus Heaney’s advice⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Introduction & Miriam’s Early Career06:50 – The Loss of Her Sister & Father12:30 – Navigating Motherhood & Raising Eight Children16:45 – Pregnancy Complications & Birth Stories22:10 – Handling Pressure in Live Broadcasting27:55 – The Haemorrhage During Pregnancy34:40 – Surviving Public Scrutiny & Balancing Family38:10 – The Facebook Scam & Taking Meta to Court43:30 – Gratitude, Faith & Daily Grounding Rituals48:20 – Reflections on Resilience & What Truly Matters

Deirdre O’Kane joins Laura for a funny, honest and wide-ranging conversation about what it was really like being one of the few women in stand-up when she started out.She talks about the early days of breaking through in a male-dominated industry, finding her own voice, the reality of long-term relationships, raising kids in the age of WhatsApp chaos, and using humour to get through tough times.This is a brilliant mix of personal stories, cultural insight and big laughs.🕒  Timestamps & Key Points00:00 — Pre-chat & setup: A warm, relaxed start as Laura and Deirdre banter about microphones, lighting, and jawlines.04:00 — Wild beginnings: Boarding school, being part of “the bold gang,” and discovering performance through impersonating teachers and nuns.06:00 — Acting vs. stand-up: Early love-hate relationship with stand-up and what made it so tough starting out.08:20 — Women in comedy: Audience groans, breaking barriers, and how social media helped shift the landscape.11:00 — Self-censorship: Why she avoided certain topics early on — and how that’s changed.14:00 — Touring life: What it’s really like on the road as a comic, from long drives to late nights.17:00 — Irish vs. UK audiences: How humour translates across borders and why Irish audiences are special.20:00 — Long-term relationships: Honest reflections on discomfort, denial, and doing the work over decades together.23:00 — Expectations in love: Balancing domestic reality with romantic ideals — and keeping individuality.27:30 — The Magdalene Laundries bit: Taking on a taboo topic and walking a fine line between darkness and humour.30:00 — Phone bans and stand-up: How comics protect their material from leaking online.33:00 — Comedy as a lifeline: How stand-up kept her family afloat when her husband was ill.36:00 — Motherhood & identity: Returning to stand-up after kids and why motherhood fuelled her next show.43:00 — Modern motherhood rant: Emails, WhatsApp groups, class reps, and why it’s all too much.48:00 — Quick fire: Worst gig ever, sharing the stage, favourite punchlines, and industry reflections.53:00 — Politics & culture: A candid take on the current Irish political climate and cultural shifts.🧠 Key ThemesWomen in comedy & gender barriersFinding your comedic voiceLong-term relationships & emotional honestyModern motherhood and social pressuresComedy as both art and survivalCultural change in Ireland & beyond🪄 Actionable TakeawaysCourage comes with craft — pushing boundaries can create powerful cultural moments.Honesty in relationships matters — even the uncomfortable parts.Women’s voices in comedy are no longer the exception.Modern motherhood comes with too many expectations — and laughter helps cut through the noise.