The Women's Podcast

For journalists Tanya Sweeney and Jen Bray, 2026 has been a very exciting year so far. In January, Sweeney published her debut novel, Esther is Now Following You, while Bray published her debut crime thriller, The Lies Between Us in February. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of publicity for the pair, who are still working as busy journalists in two separate Irish newspapers..

In today’s episode, the two ambitious women join Roisin Ingle to talk about their move from reporting on facts to writing fiction. They talk about the road to publication, what inspired their two very different stories and what they’ve learned about themselves along the way. We also hear about three of Bray's novels that never saw the light of day and how Sweeney found the time to write between multiple house moves and becoming a mother.

But first podcast host Róisín Ingle brings us some stories of the week including Jessie Buckley's historic Oscar win and concerning news about the rise of "creepshots" being taken of women on nights out.
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In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by the brilliant Joanne McNally. The comedian and podcaster dropped by the studio to talk about her newly announced date at Dublin’s 3Arena and how she’s made history as the first ever Irish female comedian to headline two shows at the venue. In this hilarious and wide-ranging conversation, McNally also talks about living with fame, why she’s taken a sabbatical from dating and about her desire to become a mother.

But first Irish Times opinion editor is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including a shocking report about the state of Ireland’s only female prison, plus a powerful piece in the New York Times by Daryl Hannah.

Tickets to Pinotphile at the 3Arena go on sale on Friday morning at 11am.
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This Sunday 8th March is International Women’s Day and to mark the occasion, The Women’s Podcast hosted a live podcast recording at Chapters Bookstore in Dublin this week. On the night, Róisín Ingle was joined by DCU Professor Debbie Ging, human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher and 5th year student Orla Hanratty to discuss how bias against women and girls has been built into the technologies shaping our world and crucially, what can be done about it.

From deepfakes and nudification tools to AI girlfriends, the panel identified all the ways in which misogyny has been baked into evolving technology. They explored the ways to tackle the issue, the progress being made and shared practical ways to build safer, fairer online platforms. Singer Róisín O also joined us on the night to perform her new single Magic. Written as a tribute to her mother Mary Black, it’s out this Friday 6th March.
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This month on The Women’s Podcast Book Club, Bernice Harrison, Niamh Towey, Róisín Ingle, and Ann Ingle are discussing Heart the Lover by American author Lily King.
The story follows ‘Jordan’, a bright, ambitious college student who finds herself caught up in a complicated love triangle, with best friends and fellow students Sam and Yash.

Decades later, Jordan is living the life she dreamed of, and the vulnerable days of her youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news brings the past crashing into the present, Jordan returns to a world she left behind and is forced to confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self.

The next book club pick is A Beautiful Loan by Mary Costello. The group will be discussing it in April.

Lily King writing about the teenage love that "changed her life" in Vogue: https://www.vogue.com/article/lily-king-teenage-love-essay
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This week, the grand final of the Irish Times Debate will take place in Dublin, where teams will debate the motion: This house believes the United Nations has had its day. The debating competition was founded in 1960 and counts many distinguished alumni among the ranks of its participants and winners, including comedian Dara O’Briain and the late broadcaster Marian Finucane. In today’s episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by this year’s debate convenor and former winner Ciara McLoughlinn, plus Clíodhna McHugh, who won the individual speaker prize in 2024. Both work in the legal profession and say this debating experience was crucial in building their confidence and public speaking skills, before leaving university.

But first Irish Times features writer Nadine O’Regan is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including Katie Taylor’s retirement announcement, the latest in the disappearance of US pensioner Nancy Guthrie and the backlash that followed a proposal to reduce the number of special needs assistants (SNAs) in Irish schools. She also shares her thoughts on the new Wuthering Heights movie, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.
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