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In today’s episode, we’re bringing you the recording from our recent Women’s Podcast Live event. On Thursday evening, in front of a very festive Zoom audience, our crack squad of Irish Times columnists presented the ultimate Christmas 2020 survival guide. Joining us on the evening was beauty reporter Laura Kennedy, who came bearing the best gift ideas this side of Bethlehem, including a pandemic themed beer and a candle which smells like the Westbury bathrooms. Advice columnist Roe McDermott came bearing insightful counsel on how to deal with everything from tricky family situations to self-care. Food writer Lilly Higgins brought us gorgeous recipes that will help make your feast the finest around. And finally, Hilary Fannin, who writes a weekly lifestyle column, came grinning and bearing it, because whatever happens this Christmas, we have to laugh. It was a wonderful evening spent in the company of four very wise women, all thanks to our sponsor Green & Black’s.

Rhonda Byrne shot to worldwide fame in 2006 with her massively successful film and book, The Secret. With fans like Oprah Winfrey, the book went on to sell more than 30 million copies, making Byrne a multi-millionaire. The Secret claimed to show us the path to create anything we want to be, do or have. Now Byrne has written its follow-up, The Greatest Secret, through which she hopes to help people learn how to find true peace without having to spend hours meditating each day. She talks to Róisín Ingle about writing her phenomenally successful first book The Secret, the 14-year search for truth which led her to The Greatest Secret, why none of us has to suffer if we stay “aware” and how the pandemic can be an opportunity to change the course of your life for the better.

In this book club podcast Róisín, Ann Ingle, Bernice Harrison and Niamh Towey discuss our latest read, Nick Hornby’s ninth novel, Just Like You. The author, known for his portrayal of the interior lives of men in books including the much loved, High Fidelity, is back with a funny age-gap love story set to a backdrop of Brexit London. In it, Hornby attempts to inhabit the point of view of a black man in his 20s and a woman in her 40s, with excursions into football and music. Does he successfully embody the lives of the two protagonists? In the era of Black Lives Matter, has the author managed to handle the issue of race appropriately? And, how does Brexit work as a literary device? As usual there were some strong opinions among our book clubbers, minor disagreements and even a slightly uncomfortable exploration of a hypothetical age-gap love story involving two of our panelists. We’ll have details of our upcoming Christmas book club meeting in a later episode and on our social media channels.

It's Food Month in The Irish Times but you might say it's been Food Month pretty much everywhere since last March when the pandemic took hold and we found ourselves spending a lot more time in our homes and particularly in our kitchens. We were delighted to welcome resident Irish Times Food Columnist Lilly Higgins back to the podcast to discuss the foods that have been keeping her and her family going over lockdown - did anybody say duck pancakes? She also made a compelling case for her one woman campaign to bring back the Vol-au-vent, the giant variety of course. Living in Cobh, Co Cork with her husband and small children, Higgins talks about the dishes that have been the crowd pleasers with her family and with readers over Lockdown including a Goan Fish Curry that takes only fifteen minutes to prepare. She's also been cooking up a storm on Instagram and she told Roisin Ingle all about building a new community of foodies on that platform. Here's the three recipes featured in this episode: Yee-Haw! Cowboy Beans with Roast Chicken https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/yee-haw-cowboy-beans-with-roast-chicken-1.3869324 Goan Fish Curry https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/a-quick-easy-curry-that-can-be-made-in-15-minutes-goan-so-1.3993016 One Pot Paprika Chicken https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/recipes/one-pot-paprika-chicken-1.4071851%3fmode=amp

While many of us were rightly outraged by the Government's approach to rushing through the Mother and Baby Homes Bill, and relieved by the U-turn that followed the public campaigning of survivors and human rights experts, one aspect of that story got very little attention. For black or mixed-race people born or raised in mother and baby homes and industrial schools, the abuse they received was of a different nature than that meted out to their white-skinned inmates. Rosemary Adaser was one of those people and she came on the podcast to talk about her experience of systemic racism, physical and sexual abuse and the trauma of having a non-Irish heritage which meant she was, as she puts it, "at the bottom of the pecking order". Rosemary was dehumanised in these institutions, called a savage, demeaned and made to feel ashamed of her heritage, her Irish mother and Ghanaian father. It was only in her fifties and living in London that she began to look back at her past and at her Irish identity. In this powerful interview, she spoke to Roisin Ingle about why we need to tell the whole story of these institutions, and the people that were brutalised in them, if we are to fully understand our past.

You might have seen a shocking and disturbing news story in The Irish Times this week by Kitty Holland who wrote about a cluster of suicides among young women in west Dublin last year which was linked to the housing crisis, domestic violence, social media and recreational drug use. Though the area has had a female suicide rate three times the national average since 2015, it was the deaths of eight women in their 20s and early 30s over a 10-week period that prompted a HSE report. Four of the women who died between April and July 2019 were from Ballyfermot and the others were from neighbouring Clondalkin, Tallaght and Palmerstown. Several were young mothers. One of the most striking things from the report into these suicides was fears by some of these young women that their children could be removed by Tusla and that was cited as a reason why some mothers in distress don’t seek help. On the podcast to discuss this were reporter Kitty Holland, People Before Profit Councillor Hazel Norton and S.W.A.A.T. Co-ordinator (Supporting Women to Access Appropriate Treatment) with Ballyfermot Star Denise Joy.

In this episode, we meet Ruth Medjber the talented young music photographer who, having lost all her work due to the pandemic, found a novel and engaging way to capture the story of Ireland in Lockdown. Medjber told Roisin Ingle about why she began taking photographs of people at their front windows, to show the rich and diverse tapestry that made up the universal details of our locked down lives. She traveled the country taking photos of people (and sometimes their dogs) and the result has been made into a beautiful book called Twilight Together: Portraits of Ireland At Home. Medjber spoke about growing up with photography in her DNA and about how this latest project has made her reevaluate her art in a positive sense. Also in the episode, we hear from Drogheda teenager Victoria Adeyinka who has 11.5m followers on Tik Tok where she entertains the masses with funny, heartwarming skits.

Four years ago this week, we called an Emergency Episode of this podcast to lament and analyse the ascent of racist, sexist Donald Trump to The White House. Four years later we assemble again in a slightly more hopeful mood against a backdrop of Biden possibly emerging victorious. We can't forget though that nearly 70 million voters choosing Trump again, despite or perhaps because of, his four year reign which has included white supremacist allegiances, children in cages, lies, sexism, narcissism, meltdowns and more lies. Joining our host Kathy Sheridan for this invigorating conversation which included an exploration of 'tenacious optimism' and 'fuck you feminism' was feminist giant Mona Eltahawy, human rights lawyer Simone George and Irish Times Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch. Cheerful is not an option, says Mona. Righteous anger and activism are what we need to dismantle the patriarchal structures that are still alive and well whether, when all the votes are finally counted, Biden/Harris or Trump/Pence take The White House.

In today's episode, Kathy Sheridan talks to broadcaster Aine Lawlor as she marks the move from anchoring RTE Radio 1's News At One to a gig she has to set the alarm much earlier for as one of the co-presenters of the flagship programme Morning Ireland. She talked to Sheridan about her long career, her passion for current affairs, her thoughts on the US Election and the importance of speaking so openly about her cancer diagnosis in 2011.

In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by Doireann Ni Ghriofa, a talented poet and the author of an original, evocative and lyrical book called A Ghost In the Throat. This stunning debut is an exploration into Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, one of the greatest love poems of the Irish language, written by Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill. A fluid hybrid of essay and autofiction, Ni Ghríofa weaves in her own lived experience as she sets herself the huge task of writing a new translation of the 18th century poem. It’s a visceral read, dripping with breast milk, full of the mundanity and the glory of motherhood. She spoke about the poem's powerful resonance and her lifelong obsession with finding out the rest of the story. Also, a reminder that tickets are still available for our Big Fright In this Halloween night with British writer and journalist Caitlin Moran joining us as our special guest. Tickets available on irishtimes.com/big-night-in

In this episode Kathy Sheridan talks to little person Sinéad Burke about her extraordinary activism and her new stigma-busting book Break the Mould. You'll know Burke from such accolades as appearing on the cover of Vogue (Meghan Markle chose her for the gig) and her TED talk 'Why design should include everyone'. She is a writer, academic, influencer, activist and broadcaster who has been fearless in her mission to make the world a more inclusive and accessible place. A tireless campaigner and passionate fashionista, Burke spoke to Sheridan about how she broke the mould and explained why standing out and being yourself is a message people of all ages need to hear.

In today’s episode Roisin Ingle meets Galway based Erin Darcy the author of a new book called In Her Shoes which tells the stories of women left behind by the Eighth Amendment. In early 2018 Darcy created an online art project, In Her Shoes Women of the 8th to safely and anonymously share private stories of the real and devastating impact of the 8th amendment. In the five months leading up the referendum on abortion, the project had a simple request for undecided voters: put yourself in her shoes. Within weeks there were hundreds of stories pouring in and what began as a solo act of grassroots activism unleashed a national conversation on human rights that would help change Ireland forever. She spoke about coming to Ireland as a teenager from America after falling in love with an Irish man she met on an online message board. In a wide ranging interview, we hear about her activism, her art and about the power of storytelling.

For years now, campaigners and activists have been calling on the government to prevent records compiled by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes from being sealed for 30 years. Proposed legislation related to the commission’s records, the Records Bill, was brought forward by Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman and the debate continues this week in Dail. Organisations such as the Clann Project, Justice for Magdalenes and the Adoption Rights Alliance are all against the records being sealed. They say it will result in people being unable to access information “disappeared" relatives or babies "buried in unmarked graves." In today's episode we asked human rights lawyer Maeve O’Rourke to talk to us about the issues and about her long battle together with with the Clann Project to ensure that women survivors of human rights abuses in Ireland get access to their personal information. Also with us was Mary Harney, a woman now in her seventies who was born in Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork. Mary told us her life story and explained the devastating repercussions of being denied access to information about her identity.

In 1984, Majella Moynihan was a fresh faced young garda recruit when she gave birth to a baby boy. Charged with breaching An Garda Siochana disciplinary rules - for having premarital sex with another guard and for becoming pregnant and having a child while unmarried - she was pressured to give up her baby for adoption or face dismissal. It forced her into a decision that would have devastating impacts on her life. Moynihan left the Guards in 1998 and in 2019, following an RTE documentary on her case, she received an apology from the Garda Commissioner and Minister for Justice for the ordeal she endured as a young garda. She spoke to Roisin Ingle about her memoir A Guarded Life and the reality of a police culture steeped in misogyny and prejudice. Majella Moynihan is a hero, whose courage and resilience led to her speaking out against an institution that traumatised and bullied her for years, for the "crime" of being a pregnant, unmarried woman in Ireland. Also, a reminder that tickets are still available for our Big Night In Season 2. Our next guest is Glamour editor-in-chief Samantha Barry. Tickets available on irishtimes.com/big-night-in

Who knows when we'll get to lose ourselves in the darkness of a cinema again? But when we do all of us at The Women's Podcast are urging you to go and see a wonderful Irish film called Herself which tells the story of a brutalised single mother Sandra and her dream to build her own house where she and her two small daughters can be safe. The story of the film was written by Dubliner Clare Dunne who also stars, and was inspired by a real-life friend of Clare's who was forced to declare herself homeless and live in a hotel in order to get on the housing list. It tells the story of how women in this situation. women fleeing terrifying home situations of domestic abuse, are treated by society and the legal system. But at the heart, it's a hopeful, uplifting film directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) about how one woman took matters into her own hands despite all the obstacles. Already critically acclaimed, Herself - a co-prodcution between Sharon Horgan's company Merman and Element Pictures - is moving, funny and at times painful to watch. Clare Dunne joined us on the episode to talk about a movie that was a real labour of love. Also, a reminder that tickets are still available for our Big Night In Season 2. Tickets available on irishtimes.com/big-night-in

The most fabulous and famous family dynasty in Britain and Ireland during the 1920s were the grand-daughters of the first Lord Iveagh also known as the Glorious Guinness Girls. The glamour, the drama and the secrets are explored in fiction by writer Emily Hourican who spoke to Kathy Sheridan about her new novel The Glorious Guinness Girls. Hourican talks about the inspiration for the book, her geographically diverse childhood and her cancer diagnosis five years ago. Also, a reminder that tickets are still available for our Big Night In Season 2 which kicks off on Saturday October 3rd with Senator Eileen Flynn. Tickets available on irishtimes.com/big-night-in

On the podcast today we have skin expert Jennifer Rock who aswell as talking about her new book The Skin Nerd Philosophy, deals with all your pandemic skin problems and delves into looking after this most important organ every day of the year. We are also very excited to bring you details of season 2 of our Big Night In. From this Saturday October 3rd we'll be back on zoom to bring you conversations with talented inspiring women such as Senator Eileen Flynn, Caitlin Moran and Claire Byrne. For more details go to https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/irish-times-big-night-in-online-interviews-with-r%C3%B3is%C3%ADn-ingle-restart-this-saturday-1.4366413

Last April, which seems a hundred years ago now, we spoke to Dr Catherine Motherway, consultant anaesthetist at University Hospital Limerick and former President of the Intensive Care Society of Ireland. In this episode, Roisin Ingle catches up with her to find out Dr Motherway's views on Level 3, life on the frontline, societal compliance with covid restrictions and her hopes and fears as we face into a winter of living with the virus. As a new report from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows women's voices being "drowned out" globally in terms of coronavirus reporting. The Women's Podcast will continue to amplify the voices of women on all aspects of this crisis.

Cork author Louise O'Neill joined Roisin Ingle on the podcast to talk about her latest novel After The Silence. The book marks a departure for O'Neill in that it's a thriller but what hasn't changed is the uncompromising, gently probing voice of the writer of novels such as Asking For It which on publication became a national talking point. In After The Silence, set on a small Island off the coast of Cork, she explores themes such as emotional abuse and the kind of notoriety that follows a small community devastated by a traumatic event - in this case the unexplained murder of a beautiful young Islander. O'Neill talks about writing, about life in Lockdown and about the new and very different experience of writing a thriller.

There is a lot of confusion and covid-weariness swirling around at the moment so we thought we'd bring you an episode that will divert, intrigue and definitely distract you. Jenny Keane is an holistic sex expert and yoga teacher who runs hugely popular online workshops teaching people to explore their sexuality and enhance sexual pleasure. Her path to an empowering form of sex education began when she was experiencing health issues around her periods but from there she expanding her knowledge and expertise to help women (and men) tune in to their own bodies so that they can experience themselves and the world in a more connected way. What's a yoni? What are the mysteries of female ejaculation? Advice for women who’ve never experienced an orgasm? Jenny knows it all. She certainly taught Roisin Ingle a thing or three. For more find Jenny on instagram @hellojennykeane We hope this episode is a satisfying experience for all our listeners.