The Women's Podcast

In this episode, Aideen Finnegan sits down with former president of Ireland Mary Robinson and film director Aoife Kelleher to talk about their brand new film, Mrs Robinson. Told in her own words, the documentary reflects on key moments in Robinson’s life and career including her move from law into politics, the wedding that her parents refused to attend, and some of her political and personal regrets. In this conversation, Robinson explains why she was initially hesitant to make the film, what she hopes people can take from it and how she went from a shy child growing up in Ballina to walking the halls of Áras an Uachtaráin. Director Aoife Kelleher talks about her memories as a young girl watching the 1990 election, what inspired her to make the film and the joy of going through archive footage including never before seen home-videos shot by Robinson's father.

There are Rivers in the Sky is the brand new novel from Turkish-British author Elif Shafak. The book is a “love letter to water”, but also a reflection on the climate crisis and the increasing issues with fresh water supply around the world. In this conversation with Róisín Ingle, Shafak explains how she uses storytelling to address global issues and why her writing will always remain political. She also speaks about her nomadic upbringing, being raised by two strong women and her surprising love of melodic death metal.

Earlier this year, influencer Hannah Neeleman made headlines after taking part in a beauty pageant just 12 days after giving birth to her eighth child. Last month the Sunday Times profiled the 34 year-old dubbing her the 'queen of tradwives.' The interview is still provoking commentary. Journalist Megan Agnew wrote about Neeleman's former career as a ballerina, truncated so she could leave New York City for Utah to spend the next 13 years having babies. Neeleman runs a farm with her husband, living a traditional Mormon lifestyle with no birth control, no elective abortions, no pain relief during labour and no nannies looking after the children. Her way of living has been embraced by the tradwife movement; one that adheres to strict, traditional gender roles and has its roots in right wing ideology. DCU professor of gender and digital culture, Debbie Ging, unpacks the tradwife trend which has exploded on TikTok and gone mainstream in 2024. Produced and presented by Aideen Finnegan

This episode was originally published in August 2023. Rosemary Murphy, a dynamic 40-year-old woman from Dolphin’s Barn in Dublin, had two major goals from childhood. The first was to have a large family. The second was to study medicine and become a doctor. As a mother of 12 children, ranging from 20 to 19 months, the first goal has been well and truly achieved. This September, she will start the journey to achieving her second, when she begins a six year medical degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). In this conversation with Róisín Ingle, Murphy speaks about the joy of being accepted into the RCSI, the long road to get there and why "there’s no such thing as being too old, you can do anything at any age”.

This November, Americans will have the opportunity to elect their first female president. After securing enough support from her delegates, Vice President Kamala Harris looks set to take on former president and convicted felon Donald Trump in the next election. But will Americans vote her in? In this episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by Caitríona Perry, BBC News Chief Presenter based in Washington DC, to discuss Harris’ rise through the political ranks, her stance on key issues such as women’s reproductive rights and what she might bring to the role if voted into power.

At the beginning of 2019, writer and journalist Kitty Ruskin was young, free, and single and eager to give her sex life a bit of a shake-up. Having previously shunned the idea of one-night stands and kissing complete strangers, Ruskin decided to embrace her sexuality and embark upon a year of no-strings, casual sex. Partly inspired by Sex and the City’s Samantha and by her desire to shed her sexual reservations, Ruskin began meeting a variety of men on dating apps, one swipe at a time. In her new book ‘Ten Men,’ Ruskin shares the details of her year of sexual liberation and the darker and less discussed side of modern dating. She tells Róisín Ingle about the men she met, the men she'd rather forget, and the lasting impact of her experiment.Warning: This episode discusses sexual assault and rape.

Laura Dockrill was just 14 years old when she first set eyes on her husband, Maccabees guitarist Hugo White. The pair quickly began an intense relationship, exchanging carefully curated mixtapes and letters doused in Body Shop perfume. Despite a longing on both sides, the teenagers never let their friendship spill over into romance. It is this tale of young love that serves as the inspiration for Dockrill’s new novel, I love you, I love you, I love you. The book follows the story of teenage sweethearts Ella and Lowe, who spend their early years friend zoning each other, before eventually losing touch. In this episode, Dockrill talks to Róisín Ingle about why she decided to fictionalise her own story and the joys of delving back into the intensity of first love. She also speaks about her experience of postpartum psychosis following the birth of her son in 2018 and how she’s become a voice for this severe mental illness, which affects around 1 in 1000 mothers.

The Queen of Pop, Taylor Swift, is finally back in Dublin this weekend, bringing her Eras tour to more than 150 thousand fans at the Aviva Stadium over three nights. To celebrate the singer's return, we’ve gathered a panel of Swifties to talk about her music, stardom, and her dedicated fanbase. Writer, DJ, and disability activist Louise Bruton gives a potted history of Swift's career, from teenage country singer to global mega superstar. Creative writing student and member of University of Galway’s Swiftie Society, Ella Conneff, explains how Swift's music resonates and brings people together. We also hear from Kayleigh Bealin from the Irish Family History Centre, who has teamed up with EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, to track down Swift’s Irish roots and her connections to Derry and Dublin.