IMAGE The Motherload

Broadcaster, documentary maker, podcaster and mum of two Síle Seoige joins Dominique for a beautifully open conversation about the experiences that have shaped her.
From pregnancy loss and thyroid cancer to anxiety, motherhood, marriage and a career spent in the public eye, Síle reflects on the highs and lows of her life with extraordinary perspective.
They talk about becoming a mum later in life, raising children in an increasingly anxious world, learning when to push yourself and when to protect yourself, why gratitude has become such an important part of how she moves through the world, and what hundreds of intimate conversations on her own podcast have taught her about being human.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

For Maria Walsh, motherhood didn't begin with a positive pregnancy test. It began with therapy, difficult decisions, IVF and choosing to build a family on her own terms.

In this deeply personal conversation, the Fine Gael MEP joins Dominique to discuss her journey to solo motherhood through IVF and sperm donation, and why she believes Ireland still has a long way to go in supporting modern families.

Maria speaks candidly about fertility treatment, public scrutiny, compassionate healthcare, the legal issues around donor conception, LGBTQ+ parenting and the importance of recognising the value of care.

She also reflects on ambition, equality, building a village around her child, and the kind of Ireland she hopes her daughter will grow up in.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Writer, broadcaster, author, grandmother and now stand-up comedian, Barbara joins Dominique this week for a funny, wise and refreshingly honest conversation about why getting older might just be the greatest gift of all.

Together they discuss becoming a comedian at 60, the surprising freedom that comes after menopause, why women should stop apologising for their anger, and the joy of caring a little less about what other people think.

Barbara also reflects on becoming a mother in 1980s Ireland, raising three daughters, navigating modern motherhood, becoming a grandmother, and why loving your grandchildren doesn't necessarily mean becoming full-time childcare.

This is an episode about reinvention, perspective and remembering that life's best chapters may not have even happened yet.

Tickets and dates for Barbara's upcoming show, Because I'm Worth It, are available here : https://barbarascully.com/shows/

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

Lisa Wilkinson has spent almost three decades standing beside women. A barrister specialising in family law and coercive control, she has also been an entrepreneur, doula, yoga teacher, childcare provider and wellbeing pioneer. While those careers may seem worlds apart, they are all driven by one purpose: making women's lives safer, healthier and fairer.
In this powerful episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique and Lisa discuss coercive control, domestic abuse, family courts, birth rights, informed consent, childcare, motherhood and why so many of the systems women rely on continue to let them down. Lisa explains why abuse often escalates after separation, how coercive control can continue through legal processes, the warning signs every woman should know, and why listening to women's lived experiences has never been more important.
This is a difficult conversation in places, but an essential one.

If this episode raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available through Women's Aid on 1800 341 900 or at womensaid.ie.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with one of the most influential figures in modern Irish history, Ailbhe Smyth.

As Ailbhe celebrates her 80th birthday, she reflects on a life spent challenging injustice, campaigning for equality, and helping to shape the Ireland we live in today.

Together they discuss motherhood in 1970s Ireland, surviving some of the darkest periods of her life, becoming a grandmother, coming out as a lesbian in a very different Ireland, and the social movements that transformed the country, including Marriage Equality and Repeal.

Ailbhe also shares her thoughts on modern motherhood, the invisible labour still carried by women, why progress should never be taken for granted, and what gives her hope for the generations to come.

IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.