Calling women pigs has been a trope to bring down women throughout history.

The famous ‘pig-faced woman’ of Dublin was a trailblazer – in the 1700s she set up Ireland’s first public hospital using an inheritance from her twin brother.

Working with artisans, builders, doctors and notable figures in Dublin society, her work provided the first freely available medical treatment to the city’s poor.

The hospital she founded is home to the HSE today.

🎧 To listen, find us wherever you get your podcasts.

Clodagh Finn: If only we had hospital builder Madam Steevens in today's world

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A single act of kindness by a Red Cross nurse to eight year old Manizha Khan would change the course of her life forever – that one action would save her from Taliban death threats twenty years later and lead her on her journey to Ireland.

Growing up in Pakistan as a refugee, studying dentistry in China and returning to Afghanistan as a highly educated woman during the country’s brief years of liberation, Manizha was bound to be a target for the Taliban when the Americans pulled out.

Working as Dean of a University Dental School, as the Taliban rolled into Herat and shots fired outside, she frantically printed student records – so they could prove they had studied, if the chance ever came again to resume education.

"I was in the university because the students were very scared that if university archive burns, then all their records will be destroyed.

“We were printing records for the students and signing and stamping them.

“My husband called, and he said the Taliban have entered the city, stop what you are doing, I'm coming to pick you up, just leave...

“Some people started laughing and they're like, well done now, all you women, you will be going back home. You enjoyed freedom for 20 years. Now again, back home, sit in your home, raise children...These things were coming from the people who are working with us, people we called brothers, people we called colleagues."

Read Manizha Khan’s article in this week’s Irish Examiner

Ireland welcomed me, but new rules mean my path is impossible to follow

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After months of living under suffocating Taliban rule, losing her much-loved job, encountering death threats and oppression, Manizha and her family escaped from Afghanistan thanks with help from an old friend. 

Arriving in Ireland at Christmas, Manizha and her family were welcomed warmly by their new neighbours in Rosscarbery.

"When we came, it was Christmas. And I remember when we reached Irish soil, my daughter said, where is Santa Claus? Because Dublin Airport was so beautiful with decorations.

“We were in Reenascreena at the time and that house was so isolated and all the neighbours came to us. They brought us Christmas gifts. They brought us Christmas cards. They brought us cookies. They didn't let us feel lonely. It wasn't like a show, you know, they didn't come to see ‘that poor refugee family’. It wasn't like that.”

“It was like, look at this refugee family alone here during Christmas.”

Ireland is home now.

“I think I am Irish. If God forbid tomorrow Ireland goes in war, I will be fighting for Ireland. I would die for Ireland. I won't let Ireland go to the same pain that Afghanistan went through.”

Read Manizha Khan’s article in this week’s Irish Examiner

Ireland welcomed me, but new rules mean my path is impossible to follow

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Massive delays in parcel delivery, one operator gone out of business just weeks before Christmas and a growing sense that some stockings may be filled with IOUs this festive season has consumers all up in a heap.

Irish Examiner columnist Caitriona Redmond has been keeping abreast of delivery problems this Christmas and she is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Caitríona Redmond: Who is responsible when deliveries go missing from your doorstep?

An Post Christmas backlogs grow as customers wait a week or more for parcel deliveries

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Mother of four Naomi James from Co Louth died in June 2024 after giving birth to her youngest son.

Having previously experienced traumatic births in hospital, Ms James laboured at home and was brought to hospital where she later died. Her family believes she may have been influenced by the online Free Birth movement to avoid medical intervention.

A recent investigation into the Free Birth movement by the Guardian found an industry worth millions of dollars to a few figurehead leaders, putting the lives of women and babies worldwide at risk.

Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin has been covering this story. She is the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy podcast.

Mother who died after giving birth was 'exceptional', her husband says

Maternity care in Ireland has seen 'a lot of change', leading to better outcomes, leading doctor says

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90 year old Callaghan (Cal) O’Keeffe gave his life to save a woman from being hit by a reversing car in 2024.

The retired school principal and farmer from North Cork was posthumously recognised last week with a gold medal at the National Bravery Awards.

His son Martin spoke to Deirdre about the life and death of an extraordinary hero.

Bravery Awards: Gold medal for 90-year-old Cork man who died saving a woman's life

Posthumous bravery award for Cork man who gave his life to save stranger

Man, 90, who died in Fermoy saved another life moments before being struck by car

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The disappearance of Jimmy O’Neill is one of Ireland’s longest running mysteries. The 16 year old messenger boy disappeared in 1947 after being accused of stealing a postal order, and his family’s decades-long search has only raised more questions than answers about the conduct of local Gardai at the time.

With most of his surviving family long dead, Jimmy’s brother Frank continues to search for answers, following traces of Jimmy to Liverpool and beyond.

Today’s guest on the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast is Alison O’Reilly, and you can read her coverage of this case at irishexaminer.com.

Brother of child missing since 1947 to address National Missing Persons Day event

Jimmy O'Neill letter to be forensically examined 77 years after his disappearance

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In his first visit to Ireland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ireland repeatedly for its “steadfast support” for his embattled country.

Speaking in the Dáil, he said Ireland’s support for the thousands of Ukrainians who have sought protection here and for the country’s defence was rooted in a shared historical understanding.

On today’s podcast, Irish Examiner political staff Paul Hosford and Louise Burne break down the visit, from President Connolly’s welcome at Áras an Uachtaráin to the statement from People Before Profit, who did not applaud the Ukrainian President’s speech.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Last week's 'Lancet' report on ultra processed foods (UPFs) established that ultra processed foods are damaging both our mental and physical health, across all the major organ systems of the body.

Food writer Michelle Darmody says Ireland could be a leader in cleaning up our food systems, but we need a Minister for Food first Michelle is the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Read Michelle’s article here Michelle Darmody: Ireland could lead the way in ultra-processed foods control

Listen back: Podcast: I tried to give up ultra-processed foods — here's what happened

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In August 2022, 75 year old mother of four Miriam Burns was found strangled and beaten in her Killarney home after family members asked neighbours to check on her. 

Her 55 year son Billy, who suffered from bipolar disorder and was known to abuse drugs and alcohol, was convicted of her murder in the Central Criminal Court on Monday. He will be sentenced on Friday.

On today’s podcast, Deirdre speaks to court reporter Eoin Reynolds, whose reporting on this case you can read in the Irish Examiner and on irishexaminer.com.

Jury rejects insanity defence and finds Kerry man guilty of murdering his mother.

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There have been six chartered deportation flights out of Ireland so far this year. It comes as, against the backdrop of heated statements and debates, the Irish Government has been hardening its rhetoric on immigration.

Earlier this month, the Irish Examiner was given a rare look behind the curtain of what happens as people are forcibly removed from the country as 52 Georgian nationals – including three families – were sent on a chartered plane to that country’s capital Tbilisi.

Irish Examiner security correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe was the journalist who witnessed it all and he’s the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Inside Ireland’s deportation system: How gardaí carry out large-scale charter removals

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A man in his twenties is in Garda custody today after the stabbing of Stella and Brian Gallagher at their home in Ballinlough on Monday night.

Residents of the Shrewsbury Downs estate on the southside of Cork city heard a disturbance outside between 8 and 9pm on Monday night and were warned by Whatsapp message to remain in their homes and lock the doors.

Irish Examiner reporter Ann Murphy has been covering this story and is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

'It is frightening': Neighbours in shock as couple named locally after fatal Ballinlough attack

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The Holly Bough has been part of a Cork Christmas since 1897. With its unique combination of Cork folklore and history, photos from Corkonians here and abroad, puzzles, original writing and artwork, assembling it each year is a marathon task for Editor Mary Corcoran.

On this bonus Holly Bough edition of the Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast, Mary and Deirdre delve into the detail of what makes the Holly Bough so special.

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Growing numbers of new mothers are living in fear their babies will be taken from them by social services because they are homeless.

One woman who spoke to the Irish Examiner remains in hospital with her baby after a C section, but is afraid that when she is discharged her baby will go into care.  

In a statement, Tusla the Child and Family Agency said “Our goal is always to keep children within their family units whenever possible. It is important to emphasise that managing any referral of concern involves an extensive process.

"This process can include several steps including screening, preliminary inquiries, initial assessments, and appropriate onward actions. Actions may then lead to family support services, safety planning processes, or, as a last resort, taking the child into State care, either voluntarily or through a court order.”

In September, 16,614 people were living in emergency accommodation, almost a third of them children. Over 3,000 women are now homeless, the highest number ever. The Government this week launched a new housing plan, promising 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030.

Irish Examiner Reporter Alison O’Reilly joins Deirdre on today’s episode of the podcast.

Homeless mums fear their babies will be taken into care

Some 76 babies impacted by mothers taking drugs during pregnancy

'I feel safe': How Anew helps pregnant homeless women and their babies

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23 year old Emer O’Loughlin was found dead in a burned-out mobile home in the Burren, Co Clare in April 2005. An inquest into her death last week established – 20 years on - that another person was involved in the young art student’s death.

Her sister Pam O’Loughlin has been campaigning for Gardaí to treat Emer’s death as murder since the family learned in 2010 that she had been buried without a cause of death, her case treated as accidental. A forensic examination at that time established that she had been violently killed.

23 year old Emer’s last known movements were to borrow a phone charger from neighbour John Griffin, a native of Mervue in Galway city.

Griffin is the chief suspect in Emer’s death, but a series of bizarre events culminated in his disappearance off the island of Inis Mór.P am believes he faked his own death, and is hiding somewhere in Europe.

In the years since Emer died, her mother has also passed away. Now her family, including her elderly father Johnny, hope that last week’s inquest may pave the way for a breakthrough in the case.

Pam O'Loughlin is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

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Over 42,000 families were affected by the tracker mortgage scandal, put under enormous pressure to pay money they never really owed, but just one person has ever been held responsible. 

Caitríona Redmond and her family spent 20 years fighting the bank after their bank illegally withdrew the tracker rate. They were put under immense pressure to pay thousands more than they owed, at a time when her husband had lost his job and they had very young children. 

The Redmonds went through seven separate procedures with the bank which involved every penny they spent being scrutinised – they were criticised for spending 70 euro a week on food for five people.  

In today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, Caitríona describes the impact on the couple’s mental and physical health.  

"There'd be some times when [John] would have walked out of the house and I remember ringing one of his brothers saying, I don't know where he is. Can you see where he is? I'm really worried about him. And I wasn't... I wasn't really worried that he'd do something, he was just so out of his mind with stress. You know, he just needed to talk to somebody other than me.” 

Caitríona, who now writes a consumer column for the Irish Examiner, began blogging about her recipes and budgeting, and was contracted to write a cookbook – but the family budget didn’t extend to buying ingredients for recipe testing.  

“I'd signed a contract to write a cookery book with Mercier and we didn't have enough money for me to pay for the ingredients for the recipe testing. And I rang Mam and I said, you know, I was under pressure, I was under deadlines.  

“And Mam was like, right, I'm just gonna see what I have. And she arrived up with two big bags of shopping. Like she literally just like hoofed it all out and into the shopping bag.” 

We took the bank's calls in hospital as we watched our new baby struggle to breathe 

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A review of security at all IPAS centres nationwide is underway after a Halloween night arson attack on a Drogheda centre housing 28 people .

At the time the fire was set, families including a 20 year old baby were asleep in the building.

CCTV footage widely circulated of the incident shows a masked man pouring a substance onto the building’s only staircase and igniting it before fleeing.

The incident is part of a pattern of more than 30 arson attacks on buildings associated with asylum seekers since 2018, but according to Irish Refugee Council CEO Nick Henderson, an attack on a building that was inhabited at the time represents an escalation. It took place just days after an anti-migrant rally in the town.

One speaker at the protest on Saturday, October 25, previously made online comments about fires at Ipas centres, and reportedly wrote "burn baby burn" online about a hotel being used to house asylum seekers.

At the rally, he claimed that all migrants were provided "four-star accommodation" while some "16,000 Irish people don't know where they're going to sleep tonight".

Irish Examiner reporter Liz Dunphy has been covering this story – she's the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Anti-migrant rally held in Drogheda days before near fatal attack on Ipas centre

Fuel was poured on stairs at Ipas centre before it was set alight

'Terrifying ordeal': Children amongst those rescued as gardaí say Ipas centre fire was arson attack

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On Tuesday’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, court reporter Liam Heylin described the daylight murder of Kieran Quilligan and the extensive Garda investigation that led to his remains being discovered in a bag by teh side of an East Cork road.

On Wednesday, his killers Luke Taylor and Niall Long were sentenced to life in prison – and the court finally heard about Kieran Quilligan the man, rather than Kieran Quilligan the murder victim.

“I miss my best friend every day. I feel lonely and lost without him. Kieran was a good man, a good friend and a good partner. Kieran was adored by his family and he will be missed forever and always,” said Mr Quilligan’s partner Colette O’Driscoll.

Today’s episode features moving testimony from his parents Stephen and Catherine, and his long-term partner Colette O’Driscoll.

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 Murdered in daylight on a Cork city street after a small-time drug deal went wrong, the case of Kieran Quilligan is a revealing insight into the darker side of life in Cork city.

Audio recording from on-street cameras of a row over €200 worth of crack cocaine,  footage tracking the victim’s evening stroll across the city centre, and a phone call to Gardaí from distressed residents who heard a man being beaten with a hammer were crucial to this case being solved.

Luke Taylor and Niall Long have been convicted of Mr Quilligan’s death – but questions remain about how a small-time drug dealer who lived at home with his parents and used his mother’s car to dispose of the body became a killer, and on whose orders.

Irish Examiner Court Reporter Liam Heylin is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

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Catherine Connolly has been elected the tenth president of Ireland by a resounding majority.

She’s the first ever candidate backed by all the left wing parties and this represents a stunning success for the female-led left alliance, but it leaves the mainstream parties Fianna Fiáil and Fine Gael with egg on their faces.

In this special bonus edition of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford and Political Correspondent Louise Burne analyse the fallout from the race for the Áras.

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