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This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Kit de Waal novelist, memoirist, and fierce advocate for working-class voices in literature. In conversation with Roisin Ingle, de Waal discusses her powerful new novel The Best of Everything, set in 1970s and 1980s England, which follows the interwoven lives of a single mother, her son, and their neighbours as they navigate grief, love, and survival.
Best known for her acclaimed debut My Name is Leon, de Waal also shares insights from her 2022 memoir Without Warning and Only Sometimes, where she recounts her unconventional upbringing as the daughter of a Caribbean father and an Irish Jehovah’s Witness mother. From the fear of a prophesied Armageddon in 1975 to the complexities of faith, identity, and family, the writer reflects on the experiences that shaped her and how they now shape her fiction.
This is a moving, sharp, and sometimes darkly funny conversation about resilience, storytelling, and what it means to find your place in the world.
Also on today's episode, Niamh Towey joins us to discuss the stories of the week including Gaza, where the UN has said the lives of thousands of children are at risk due to malnutrition.
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In 2016, Clodagh Hawe and her three sons, Liam (13), Niall (11) and Ryan (6) were murdered in their Co Cavan home, by their husband and father Alan Hawe, who took his own life shortly after. It was and still is Ireland’s largest murder-suicide and the brutal killings sent shockwaves throughout the country. In her book, Deadly Silence, Clodagh’s younger sister Jacqueline Connolly, gives her account of the circumstances leading up to the mass murder and how her brother-in-law, Hawe, coercively controlled and manipulated her unsuspecting sister. In this episode, Connolly talks to Róisín Ingle about the person Clodagh was, the relationship the pair had growing up and how their bond changed when Hawe entered their lives. She also talks about her family’s painful search for answers in the aftermath of the killings and the critical failures in the initial Garda investigation.
But first, Irish Times Opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the conviction for sexual assault of actor Gérard Depardieu.
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Two years ago this month, Tina Turner died at the age of 83 at her home in Switzerland. The global superstar and rock icon had a career spanning more than five decades. Although she retired from performing in her late 60s, one of her final projects was to collaborate on Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which debuted in London’s West End in 2018. This month the show comes to Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre for a two week run and in this episode Róisín Ingle speaks to some of the cast members, Jochebel Ohene MacCarthy who plays the role of Tina Turner and choreographer Simone Mistry Palmer.
But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connoll is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the camogie skorts row, the latest from the papal conclave and Prince Harry’s recent security woes.
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In March, a group of secondary school students from Co Offaly made history when they became the first ever all-female team to win the VEX IQ All-Ireland Robotics Competition. ‘The Steminists’ will now represent Ireland at the World Championships in Texas this month. The team consists of five students aged between 12 and 14 years old, from the Sacred Heart School in Tullamore. In today’s episode, two team members, Alice Duffy (12) and Rachel Ebenezer (13), along with their teachers Sindy Meleady and Aisling Burke join Róisín Ingle to discuss the upcoming competition and how they created their winning robot ‘Agatha Trunchball’.
Later on we’ll be learning all about Luail, Ireland’s first all-island national dance company with creative director Liz Roche. But first, Irish Times podcast presenter Bernice Harrison is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the Satchwell trial and why US immigration have detained Irish woman Cliona Ward.
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According to the latest European State of the Climate Report, 2024 was the hottest year on record for Europe and the fourth warmest year ever recorded in Ireland. As part of the global fight against climate change, Ireland has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 — but are we really on track to meet that goal?
In today’s episode, we hear from three climate activists: CEO of the climate change NGO Opportunity Green Aoife O’Leary, marine environmentalist Flossie Donnelly and Catherine Cleary, co-founder of Pocket Forests. They discuss the changes needed at the top, the reasons to remain hopeful about the climate and why individual efforts, even small ones, still matter.
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Seven years after Amanda Knox was definitively acquitted of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, she flew to Italy to meet the man who had led the prosecution’s case against her, Giuliano Mignini. The now 37-year-old mother of two wanted to ask her former prosecutor why he had identified her as the chief suspect, pursued a murder conviction against her, and whether he felt any remorse for putting the wrong person in prison.
In her new memoir, Free: My Search for Meaning, Knox details this emotional meeting, the years leading up to it, and the shadow her wrongful conviction cast over her life. The book explores the power of acceptance and forgiveness, and how to cope with life’s most challenging moments.
In this conversation with Róisín Ingle, Knox talks about the fear and confusion of being accused of such a serious crime, how she reclaimed her identity when she finally walked free, and why what happened to her made her the person she is today.
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Bookshops and libraries are bursting with books on parenting and what to expect when you’re expecting, but there aren't nearly as many guidebooks out there on how to be a good grandparent. That’s why family psychologist Terri Apter has written her latest book all about the topic. Grandparenting: On Love and Relationships Across Generations offers readers an expert guide on modern grand parenting and how to overcome tricky family dynamics that might occur along the way. Apter talks to Róisín Ingle about how the first grandchild changed her family, the different types of grandmothers and how important a grandparent is in building a child’s identity.
But first, Irish Times journalist Ella Sloane is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including new research from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre examining attitudes towards victims of sexual assault, why only half of fathers in Ireland are taking paternity leave and how pottery fever is catching in Dublin.
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When Adolescense arrived on Netflix last month, it was streamed nearly 25 million times in just four days and sparked a global conversation on the dark side of social media and the lives of teenage boys. But what is it really like to be a teenage boy in 2025? How much attention do they really pay to masculinity influencers? What kind of pressures do they face? And what do they wish adults would understand about them? To discuss all this and more, Róisín Ingle is joined by three teenagers, Dylan O’Malley, Chester Ryan and Daniella Tetteh. We also hear from Jamie Carrick, a facilitator with The Soar Foundation, which delivers wellbeing workshops for teenagers in schools around Ireland.
But first, Irish Times reporter Niamh Towey is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week, including the arrest of eight protestors from the Mothers Against Genocide group outside Leinster House, why the head of Primark resigned this week after making “an error of judgement” and why one reader of the Irish Times is suffering from wedding and baby shower fatigue.
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This month on The Women’s Podcast Book Club, Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Róisín Ingle, and Ann Ingle discuss Confessions, the debut novel from Catherine Airey.
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On Friday March 28th, the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) will celebrate Daffodil Day. It’s the charity’s biggest fundraising event and aims to raise millions of euros to support cancer patients and progress cancer research. In this episode, Kathy Sheridan is joined by Daffodil Day Ambassador Tara Doonan, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 at 36 years-old. Tara lives in Cavan but travelled to the Mater Hospital in Dublin for her treatment. In today’s episode she talks about the shock of her diagnosis, the road to recovery and the financial impact of cancer, from travel and parking expenses, to the loss of income. Amy Nolan, Director of Clinical Affairs at ICS also joins the conversation to explain how the charity supports patients financially and what needs to change in order to limit costs for those undergoing treatment.
But first Irish Times podcast presenter Bernice Harrison is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including a frightening encounter at a Dublin hotel for influencer Chloe Koyce, the harassment of a University of Limerick student at her campus accommodation and the latest in the rumoured feud between Gwyneth Paltrow and Meghan Markle.
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Sarah Corbett Lynch was just eight-years-old when her father Jason was killed at their home in North Carolina by her stepmother Molly Martens and her father Tom Martens in 2015. Over the next decade, the Martens, who claimed self defence, were put on trial for murder, had their convictions quashed and later took a plea bargain for voluntary manslaughter which saw each of them spend less than five years in prison.
For all of that time, Corbett Lynch and her older brother Jack had to remain silent on the case, but now, in her new memoir ‘A Time For Truth', she tells her story for the first time. In this episode, she joins Róisín Ingle to discuss the heartbreak and loss that has defined her young life and shares her account of the events leading up to the night her father was killed.
But first, Irish Times podcast presenter Bernice Harrison is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including the Dublin Rape Crisis centre’s response to Conor McGregor at the White House, Millie Bobby Brown’s plea to the media and why everyone's talking about the new Netflix show Adolescence.
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In Ireland, more than 5,500 children are currently in foster care. This could be because of illness in the child’s family, the death of a parent, neglect, abuse or violence in the home, or simply because the parent or family is not coping. Whatever the reason, foster carers are there to take care of children who cannot live with their own family, either on a short-term or long-term basis. In today’s episode, we hear from two foster carers Sinead O’Donnell and Sharon Kelly. O’Donnell, who lives in Donegal, began fostering during Covid and has welcomed two young girls (sisters) into her home. Kelly, who lives in Kilkenny has fostered children for more than a decade and has provided foster care to two children since birth. They tell Róisín Ingle about why they wanted to open up their homes, the challenges involved and what advice they’d give to anyone considering becoming a foster carer.
But first Irish Times Opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the stories making headlines this week including American comedian Rosie O’Donnell’s decision to move to Ireland, why girls are getting their periods earlier and why Dublin City Council might elevate the Molly Malone statue.
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To celebrate International Women’s Day, the book club gathered with a handful of podcast listeners for a live event at Kildare Village on Saturday morning. Niamh Towey, Ann Ingle, Bernice Harrison, and Roisin Ingle, explored the books by women that have challenged and changed them and that they think every woman should read.
Book Club Choices:
Ann Ingle: The Women’s Room by Marilyn French & Anne Tyler novels
Bernice Harrison: Heartburn By Nora Ephron & Country Girls by Edna O’Brien
Róisín Ingle: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott & How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran
Niamh Towey: Claire Keegan’s novels and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
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International Women’s Day is on Saturday the 8th March and there are lots of events happening all around the country to celebrate the occasion. Irish Times features writer Ella Sloane joins Róisín Ingle on the podcast today to tell us about some of them, including a free guided tour exploring how women are represented in a selection of works at the National Gallery and a march against gender violence taking place in Dublin city. She’ll also be telling us about a new report from Nasc, which highlights the barriers that migrant women face accessing employment.
Later on, we’ll be hearing from three impressive women who have carved out careers in male-dominated industries. Engineer Susan McGarry, horticulturist Rebecca Hegarty and laboratory technician Bronwyn Villis explain why they went into their chosen career, what obstacles they have met along the way and why they would encourage more women to take the leap into jobs that have historically been dominated by men.
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Born and bred in New York, the last place that Rosie Schaap thought she’d end up, was living in a rural village in Northern Ireland, miles away from the bustling city she once called home. But that’s exactly where she’s found herself. Five years ago, the writer and journalist moved from NYC to the tiny town of Glenarm in Co Antrim, in search of a new life. The writer and journalist was grieving the death of her husband and her mother - who died just one year apart - and was also looking for a new way to heal. In her new memoir, The Slow Road North, Schaap details her personal story of loss and the unexpected solace she found in a small seaside village in Northern Ireland. She tells Róisín Ingle all about it on today’s episode.
But first, Irish Times podcast producer Aideen Finnegan is here to discuss some of the stories making the headlines this week, including the lifting of a travel ban on controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, the new domestic violence register being proposed by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and why an Oscar could finally be on the cards for veteran actress Demi Moore.
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After lengthy government formation talks and a chaotic first week in the Dáil, the new Government is finally settling into it's first few weeks of a new term. There’s a whole host of new faces in Leinster House, including 10 new women TDs. We wanted to hear what life is like for three of those women, so we’ve invited Labour’s Marie Sherlock, Fianna Fail’s Erin McGreehan and Social Democrats’ Jen Cummins to tell us their first impressions of the Dáil, their background in politics and what issues they’ll be focusing on in their term.
But first, Irish Times reporter Niamh Towey is here to discuss some of the stories making the headlines this week including the results of a new survey which found an “alarming” incidence of rooms being advertised in exchange for sex, the decision to grant planning permission to rebuild Creeslough service station and the long fight for justice for murdered backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.
Email for International Women's Day live event entries: [email protected]
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This Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to shift the focus away from love and relationships and onto the joy and excitement of the single experience. If you’re single and sick of dating apps, Irish Times relationships columnist Roe McDermott is here with some new dating ideas, from singles running clubs to mindful dating events. Later on, Róisín Ingle is joined by Nicola Slawson, an author who has literally written the book on the single life. Slawson shares her advice for living a complete and full life on your own and details her unconventional path to motherhood.
But first, Irish Times podcast presenter Bernice Harrison is here to discuss some of the news stories that have caught her eye this week. She tells Róisín Ingle about the latest details coming from the Omagh Bombing inquiry and why the civil service is trying to crack down on working from home arrangements.
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America might be rowing back on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, but one woman who is fighting to keep interculturalism at the forefront of people’s minds is Mamobo Ogoro, the CEO of Irish social enterprise GORM.
Ogoro is a Nigerian-Irish Social Psychologist and multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, who is “on a personal mission to unify the world”. Through her work with GORM, she helps organisations in Ireland and around the world develop intercultural leaders. In this episode, Ogoro talks to Róisín Ingle about growing GORM from an idea into a movement, how she works to bridge the gap between diversity and inclusion and how she’s become Ireland’s first Echoing Green Fellow.
But first, Irish Times podcast producer Aideen Finnegan is here to discuss some of the biggest stories from the week, including a dramatic fashion statement at the Grammys, the sexual assault trial taking place in Spain over that infamous World Cup kiss and how Ireland’s ambassador to the USA, Geraldine Byrne Nason, is running diplomatic relations in the Trump era.
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Blue Road: The Edna O’Brien story is the brand new documentary by Irish filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea. It’s a portrait of one of Ireland’s finest writers, featuring extracts from O’Briens journals, contributions from the likes of Gabriel Byrne and Anne Enright and a remarkable final interview with O'Brien shortly before her death aged 93 last year. In this episode, O’Shea tells Kathy Sheridan about the late-writer’s extraordinary life and legacy and how the film came about after a chance encounter at a wedding.
But first, Irish Times podcast producer Suzanne Brennan is here to discuss some of the biggest stories from the week including a review into maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital in Galway, why Caroline Kennedy made a last minute plea to the US Senate this week and how the gender balance row in government has intensified in recent days.
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Yoga teacher and wellness coach Kerry White was 48 years old when she finally decided to pursue her long-held dream to become a mother. As a single woman, who had just entered perimenopause, White used donor sperm and donor eggs to become pregnant. Then, in 2020, two months shy of her 50th birthday, her baby girl Freya was born. In this episode, White talks to Róisín Ingle about going it alone, the reaction from those closest to her and how she didn’t want to live with the regret of having never tried. She also talks about the process of choosing donors, the options available for solo parents and how her work now focuses on helping other women navigate their path to motherhood.
But first, Irish Times journalist Bernice Harrison is here to talk through some of the stories making the headlines this week, including Bishop Mariann E. Budde’s brave plea to President Donald Trump, the sexual assault allegations facing author Neil Gaiman and a new archaeological study which shows that in Celtic Britain, women held the power in society.
Kerry White Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNqIxj8Se4
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- Se mer
