What Ailbhe Smyth wants for our daughters and sons

What Ailbhe Smyth wants for our daughters and sons

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.

Kim O'Sullivan on taking the leap

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with entrepreneur, beauty founder and mother-of-three Kim O'Sullivan. Today, Kim is the founder of Brow Aid and The Dublin Makeup Academy, but her journey began as a young single mother determined to build a better future for her son.In this inspiring conversation, Kim reflects on the challenges of early motherhood, the leap of faith that saw her leave a secure job with Armani, and the mindset that helped her build two successful businesses from the ground up. She shares why she credits motherhood with much of her success, the surprising role manifestation has played throughout her life, and how writing down her goals helped turn dreams into reality, from career milestones to meeting the man she would eventually marry. IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

The mental load we carry in our bodies with Michelle Flynn

What happens when motherhood doesn't just change your life, but changes your nervous system? This week, Dominique McMullan is joined by psychotherapist Michelle Flynn, who specialises in maternal mental health, perinatal anxiety, birth trauma and somatic therapy. Together they explore matrescence, the profound identity shift that accompanies motherhood, and why so many women feel unprepared for the emotional and psychological transformation that follows having children. Michelle shares both professional expertise and personal experience as they discuss perinatal anxiety, birth trauma, rage, resentment, burnout, perimenopause and the challenges of being constantly "on" as a mother. Most importantly, they dive into the role of the nervous system and the growing field of somatic work, exploring how stress and trauma can become embodied and why healing often requires more than simply talking. IMAGE The Motherload is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

From a cult to unfiltered motherhood with Laura O’Connell

This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by Laura O’Connell, a familiar face to many as the creator behind the viral Irish midwife sketches on Instagram, and co-host of the podcast Oh Right, Yeah. In this episode, Laura shares the story behind the humour. She opens up about growing up in a religious group, the loss of her mother at a young age, and how those early experiences shaped her sense of self. She also speaks candidly about an unplanned pregnancy, postpartum depression, and her experience of anxiety, including a period in psychiatric care last year. Together, Dominique and Laura explore the pressure many mothers feel to keep going, even when they are struggling, and the difficulty of slowing down in a world that rewards constant doing. This is an honest, layered conversation about mental health, motherhood, identity and what it means to ask for help. Listen now to IMAGE The Motherload, powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.

This is what resilience really looks like with Jen Healy

Jen Healy’s story is not an easy one to hear, but it is an important one. In this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Jen shares her journey from a childhood shaped by violence, through addiction, abusive relationships and homelessness, to the life she has built today as a mother, business owner and advocate for women’s mental health. This is a conversation about survival, but more importantly, it’s about what comes after survival. About healing, about the nervous system, about learning what safety feels like in your own body. Jen speaks with honesty and clarity about the realities of addiction, the complexity of abusive relationships, and the long road back to self-worth. She also shares the tools she now uses to support other women who feel overwhelmed, dysregulated or disconnected. It’s a story of resilience, yes. But it’s also a story of hope, of change, and of the quiet, powerful work it takes to rebuild a life. ***Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of domestic abuse and addiction. Listen now to IMAGE The Motherload, powered by Peugeot and sponsored by Liffey Valley, Avoca, Revive Active, Aptamil Advanced and Tigers Childcare.