Mná na hÉireann

Mna na hEireann - Women of Ireland. Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. BBC Journalist and presenter Ciara Riordan interviews one Irish woman per episode. Three defining moments, what being an Irish woman means to them, Irish women they look up to, best advice they got from an Irish woman, their favourite Irish saying, and a quickfire at the end Taytos or King crisps, Lyons or Barrys tea. This week's guest Kathy McLoughlin is an Irish educator who career has been defined by resilience, international experience, and a deep commitment to literacy. She taught English and religion at secondary school level in Ireland before spending two years in the UK, and then moving to Sudan where she lived for twelve years working across primary and secondary school settings before the war broke out in April 2023 and she and her family had to escape. She is from Mayo and lives in Mayo.www.mnanaheireann.iewww.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. This week’s guest Julie Ryan is an acclaimed Irish film and television producer.  Julie produced The Young Offenders movie, which ran for 24 weeks in cinemas, and became the fastest Irish film to surpass €1 million at the box office. It inspired the successful RTE and BBC series now in its fifth season. She then founded MK1 Studios, a female-led company and one of Ireland’s leading production companies.Her work expands outside of Ireland with co-productions such as Channel 4’s Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama, starring Michael Sheen, the Sky Original film Finding You, starring Vanessa Redgrave… and she also worked on the true crime drama Maxine, landing at No.1 on Netflix in the UK and Ireland. Wow she has done a lot! She is from Cork and lives in Wicklow. For more information visit: www.mnanaheireann.ieFounder and host: Ciara Riordan - www.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. BBC Journalist Ciara Riordan interviews the founder of Black & Beech, a feminist fashion brand built on the belief that clothes aren’t neutral, and neither is business.Stacey Grant-Canham is originally from Limerick and is based in Cardiff. She has spent the past decade building a brand worn by over 40,000 people who see fashion as a form of expression, resistance and solidarity. Black & Beech produces its collections in women-ownedfactories across Portugal, and works with heritage makers in the UK, with screen printing or embroidery done locally in Cardiff. The brand has donated over £25,000 to feminist causes, including abortion access, domestic violence support and migrant women’s advocacy. Inspiring women. Inspiring Irish women. Women of Ireland. Mna na hEireann. We all have a story to tell. For more information: www.mnanaheireann.iewww.ciarariordan.com

Hello and welcome to the Mna to hEireann podcast. The podcast that celebrates Irish women at home and abroad. Each week, BBC journalist Ciara Riordan will interview one Irish woman who will tell us about the three defining moments that shaped who she is today, what Mna na hEireann means to her, and we’ll hear about all the wisdom she has gathered along the way. And there is some fun at the end with a rapid fire round - Tayto or King crisps, Lyons or Barrys tea - which one do you prefer?! www.mnanaheireann.iewww.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. Dearbhail Ormond is the founder and CEO of frendo, a digital health platform building the data and care infrastructure layer for endometriosis and chronic women’s health. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis after nearly two decades of misdiagnoses, years marked by pain, confusion, and repeatedly trying to explain symptoms that weren’t being understood. Dearbhail is from Dublin and lives in London. Website: www.mnanaheireann.ieFounder and Host: Ciara Riordan - www.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. A fabulous colleague of mine at the BBC, she has worked for the UK’s top media companies for the past 30 years. Claudia Redmond has a master’s graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama at the university of London. Claudia is also a theatre reviewer, and writes for the Irish post. Born in London to Irish parents, she grew up in Albert road in Cork City. Website: www.mnanaheireann.ieFounder and Host: Ciara Riordan - www.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. An AI superstar - Joanne Sweeney is a global digital communications expert, AI educator, and hosts her own podcast called the AI Six Podcast. A Harvard Kennedy School graduate in AI and Public Policy, this Irish woman trains leaders across government, policing, EU institutions and the media. Joanne has become a leading voice in AI literacy and digital transformation. She has written four books including the AI Playbook.From Donegal and lives in Galway.Website: www.mnanaheireann.ieFounder and Host: Ciara Riordan - www.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. Edel Howlin is a seasoned communications professional, who set up her own company ‘Untapped Communications’ 5 years ago. I met Edel when we both worked at Newstalk radio a long time ago! She specialises in helping nonprofits and women-owned businesses thrive. Edel has her own podcast called The Mediocre Gardener.Edel is from Kildare and lives in Pennsylvania in the US.Website: www.mnanaheireann.ieFounder and Host: Ciara Riordan - www.ciarariordan.com

Celebrating Irish women at home and abroad. My very first guest... she’s a Ted Ed Educator, an-award winning stem advocate and trainer, an esteemed primary school teacher, and all around funny and charismatic woman, it’s my SISTER Naoimh Riordan! From Cork, lives in Cork and loves Cork ;) Website: www.mnanaheireann.ieFounder and Host: Ciara Riordan - www.ciarariordan.com