The Limerick Lady Podcast

Emma and Ann chat with Limerick woman, newly published author and children's book buyer for O'Mahony's Books, Gráinne O'Brien.  Gráinne O'Brien has been the Children's Book Buyer at O'Mahony's, one of the largest independent booksellers open since 1902, for the last ten years.  She's taught creative writing workshops at 3rd level, and is the Head of Publishing at Walls of Limerick. She co-founded...

This month, Emma Langford and Ann Blake have a return guest in the form of IFTA nominated and award winning director, writer and actor Laura O'Shea. Having spent a number of years working in call centre and then a shoe shop, Laura's professional trajectory in film has been steadily rising. Taking the power into her own hands and making short films to get her face and her work out there she talks a...

Emma Langford and Ann Blake talk to Dr. Susan Liddy, founder of Catalyst International Film Festival, about the festival which is set to take place from the 30th of March to the 1st of April at various venues around Limerick City. The three consider the challenges faced by new and emerging festivals in gaining an audience, and they discuss the key elements needed to allow such a thing to grow and...

This month our episode, once again, is going out a week later than usual.

Just a short one this month, but a good one all the same!  Singer/Songwriters Emma Langford and Wallis Bird talk about their forthcoming show, "Daughters Of The Pirate Queen: Spirit of Grace O'Malley" which will take place on the 8th of March (International Women's Day) at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.  The show was dreamed up by composer & conductor Eímear Noone in 2021, and at long last i...

This month our episode is going out a week later than usual.

Join podcasting duo  The   Limerick   Lady  at  The  Record Room in  Limerick  City on  the  24th of November for an uplifting and illuminating celebration of  the  decade of centenaries.  The   Limerick   Lady   LIVE (part 1) , hosted by Emma Langford and Ann Blake features expert guest, historian Sharon Slater, who guides us through the  experiences and stories of a selection of historic LGBTQ+ ...

On the podcast this month, Ann and Emma reflect on the year that's been and gone, looking back on their personal peaks and troughs as well as highlights of 2022 for The Limerick Lady. This episode is about looking back, as well as looking forward to a new year. There are also some wild claims made about Munster's French-speaking history.  2022 was a busy year for both of your hosts, but it was mar...

NEWS FIRST! We're doing a live show on the 24th of November at the Record Room (downstairs in The Commercial on Catherine Street, Limerick City) at 8pm. Special guests are historian Sharon Slater, musical comedy duo The Wild Geeze, and singer-songwriter Abe Soare. Doors at 8, kicking off at 8.30 sharp – this is a pre-recorded live podcast episode so get in early and take your seats on time. Ticket...

This month we meet Helena Close and Marie Boylan, the writing team behind brand new play "Red Army". Red Army is the flagship production for the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick City, and is set to run from the 22nd to the 29th. The play centres on four women and their intersecting lives as they're drawn together by a shared love of Munster rugby, and the shared tragedy of the sudden death of Munster...

In this episode Ann and Emma chat with honourary Limerick Lady and tour de force Justyna Cwojdzińska, the artistic director of The Polish Arts Festival. Our hosts and guest explore everything from common mythologies between Ireland and Poland, to Slavic Gymnastics, to how the never-ending discussion around "women's rights" can ironically often deflect from the fact that those rights are, quite sim...

Ann and Emma chat to Lauren Guilfoyle, a Chartered Physiotherapist, about women in sport. The discussion covers a wide variety of her experience and whether her life would be different if she had more visible female role models in sport in childhood. Emma reminisces that, as a child, she felt sport just wasn't for her and Ann grapples with the fact she finds herself supporting the women's English...

  It's just the two of us building castles in the sky... This month Ann and Emma are without a guest, so sit back and enjoy what can simply be described as a meandering conversation about everything and anything.  This episode is given over to reflecting on the month that's been; whiskey-tasting and talking to spirits; Limerick Pride; burnout and the importance of taking holidays; ego and how it c...

In this episode Emma and Ann ambush poor Ailbhe and wrangle every conceivable bit of info out of her about her life, her activism, and where the feck she gets all the energy! In this episode Ailbhe Smyth – activist extraordinaire – gives us a first-hand perspective, whistle-stop tour of the recent socio-political history of Ireland, from the removal of the Legitimacy Act in 1987 which removed all...

This month Eva O'Connor joins Ann Blake to talk about changing the focus and conversation around climate. Theatre maker, Eva, is the co-producer of the inaugural Future Limerick: Climate Arts Festival with Hildegarde Ryan and their company Sunday's Child Theatre. Eva, a prolific playwright and performer, has had huge success with shows such as My Name Is Saoirse and  Overshadowed, the latter which...

On this month's episode your hosts Emma Langford and Ann Blake are joined from Barcelona by special guest Tina Nsubuga.  Tina is a 29-year-old Ugandan-Irish Fashion-Tech entrepreneur. Ever evolving and exploring, she currently finds herself developing a company that influences not just our thoughts on fashion but also our behaviours towards a much more sustainable fashion lifestyle.  On top of tha...

Connecting to a "joy state"; writing as part of the healing process; self esteem and "sexual self-esteem"; teaching your kids kindness and respect; running a zero-drama household; establishing and practicing our boundaries... A mere handful of the subjects explored in this month's podcast episode with host Emma Langford and special guest Taryn De Vere.  Joy-bringer, writer, podcaster, mother of 5,...

"I do genuinely adore my job, and I'm dancing in the crowd while I'm taking my photographs"  To drastically paraphrase Jona Lewie, you will always find Ruth Medjber with a camera in her hand at parties. This month's guest talks to us about the things that elevated her to being selected to tour with the likes of Hozier and Arcade Fire. She breaks down the "weird engineering side of things" involved...

Ann and Emma record together, in person, for the first time since March of 2020. This month's episode is a reflection on gender-based violence, men's violence, and violence against women.   According to Women's Aid, 244 women have died violently in Ireland since 1996.  Of resolved cases, 87% were perpetrated by a man. 13% of perpetrators were strangers.  We dedicate this episode to the memories of...

Incredible, and incredibly busy woman Mamobo Ogoro joined Emma and Ann for this end-of-year episode! This conversation, recorded on the day of the Winter Solstice, takes in Christmas and Solstice traditions and rituals around turning over a new leaf. Christmas can be a tricky time for many - going back to the family home, seeing old friends and family members we may not always see eye-to-eye with....

"Story Kid?" is a new series of mini-podcasts from the Limerick Lady where Emma Langford and Ann Blake are joined by various guests with interesting insights & stories for a brief but enriching chat about life.  The Winter Solstice falls on the 21st of December, it is historically the shortest day, and the longest, darkest night of the year. This day marks the turn of the season toward longer brig...

This month Cassie Delaney joins Ann Blake to talk about the freedom and political power of podcasts, creepiness, queerness and being on the other side of an intense religious upbringing. A lot of fun was had in the making of this episode - just to be clear - even though Emma wasn't there. (She's very busy touring at the moment but sends her love!) Cassie runs Tall Tales Podcasts which produces, am...

Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro is this month's Limerick Lady podcast guest. She joins Ann Blake and Emma Langford to talk about her project, Unapologetic Magazine. She also speaks about the burden that falls to people to advocate for themselves, and the burden of representing all minority voices as an outspoken member of a minority group.  Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro is an English Ph. D. student in the Univers...

Ann and Emma chat with Dr. Belinda Vigors - she's a social scientist, and the host and curator of the Women of Ireland Project.  An Irish woman living in the UK, Belinda became acutely aware of her 'Irishness' once she moved away. She has set out through the Women of Ireland Project to connect Ireland's past to the lived experiences of modern Irish women. The project explores Ireland's culture, hi...

Caroline O'Donoghue is the author of two novels, Scenes of a Graphic Nature and Promising Young Women - not to be mistaken with Promising Young Woman (singular) starring Carey Mulligan, unless you want to give Caroline an Oscar that is.  Ann Blake and Emma Langford chat with the Cork-born novelist about the music that defined their youth, the regression to their teens due to the pandemic, the fear...