IMAGE The Motherload
IMAGE The Motherload is a podcast that explores modern motherhood with honesty, humour, and heart. Host Dominique McMullan invites inspiring mums to share stories, laugh at the chaos, and dive into real talk about working motherhood. The podcast is powered by Peugeot and sponsored by various brands.
Episodes
Raising Resilient Children with Dr Joanna Fortune, Rosanna Davison, Sinead O’Moore and Lisa Kennedy
How do we raise children who can handle hard things, without leaving them to handle those things alone?In this special live episode of IMAGE The Motherload, recorded at Avoca Rathcoole, Dominique is joined by psychotherapist and bestselling author Dr Joanna Fortune, play therapist Lisa Kennedy, and mums Rosanna Davison and Sinéad O'Moore for an honest and practical conversation about raising r
Hazel Chu on racism, breast cancer and bravery
Hazel Chu has spent much of her public life breaking barriers. As the first Irish-born person of Chinese heritage to serve as Lord Mayor of Dublin and now deputy leader of the Green Party, she has faced racism, abuse and scrutiny while fighting for a more equal Ireland.But in this deeply personal episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Hazel joins Dominique to talk about the experiences that have shaped
Mary Kennedy on becoming wonderful
In this week’s episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Mary Kennedy joins Dominique for a beautiful conversation about motherhood, ambition, loss, marriage and separation, ageing, grandmotherhood and the many times in life we get to begin again.Mary Kennedy has spent decades on Irish television, but behind her remarkable broadcasting career is a life shaped by a willingness to keep beginning again.In thi
Louise Cooney on becoming a mum for the second time
Louise Cooney has shared her life online for more than a decade, but in this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, you will hear a side of her you may not have heard before.Now mum to two-year-old Jude and pregnant with her second child, Louise joins Dominique at a fascinating moment in her life, as she prepares to become a mum of two.Here, Louise opens up about how she is feeling during her second pre
Síle Seoige on motherhood, gratitude and lessons hard learnt
Broadcaster, documentary maker, podcaster and mum of two Síle Seoige joins Dominique for a beautifully open conversation about the experiences that have shaped her.From pregnancy loss and thyroid cancer to anxiety, motherhood, marriage and a career spent in the public eye, Síle reflects on the highs and lows of her life with extraordinary perspective.They talk about becoming a mum later in life, r
Why I Chose Solo Motherhood with Maria Walsh
For Maria Walsh, motherhood didn't begin with a positive pregnancy test. It began with therapy, difficult decisions, IVF and choosing to build a family on her own terms.In this deeply personal conversation, the Fine Gael MEP joins Dominique to discuss her journey to solo motherhood through IVF and sperm donation, and why she believes Ireland still has a long way to go in supporting modern fami
Why life gets better after 50 with Barbara Scully
Writer, broadcaster, author, grandmother and now stand-up comedian, Barbara joins Dominique this week for a funny, wise and refreshingly honest conversation about why getting older might just be the greatest gift of all.Together they discuss becoming a comedian at 60, the surprising freedom that comes after menopause, why women should stop apologising for their anger, and the joy of caring a littl
The truth about coercive control and why women aren't being protected with Lisa Wilkinson
Lisa Wilkinson has spent almost three decades standing beside women. A barrister specialising in family law and coercive control, she has also been an entrepreneur, doula, yoga teacher, childcare provider and wellbeing pioneer. While those careers may seem worlds apart, they are all driven by one purpose: making women's lives safer, healthier and fairer. In this powerful episode of IMAGE The M
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 li
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 s
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
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 h
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 ab
Joanna Fortune: The Parenting advice every parent needs right now
This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by psychotherapist, bestselling author and parenting expert Dr Joanna Fortune for a powerful conversation about the realities of raising children today.Together, they discuss the pressures modern parents are facing, from information overload and parental guilt to anxiety in children, screen time, emotional resilience and raising emotionally i
Una Healy on motherhood, hormones and raising teens
This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by Una Healy for a deeply honest conversation about the realities of modern motherhood.Together, they explore what it means to raise teenagers, the evolving relationship between mother and child, and the importance of “the village”. Una opens up about her experience with anxiety, her Hashimoto’s diagnosis, and the turning point that came from
Holly Cairns on leading a party and raising a child
This is not about telling you who to vote for. It is a conversation about motherhood in a place we rarely hear it spoken about.This week on The Motherload, Dominique sits down with Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats and TD for Cork South West.Holly gave birth to her daughter on polling day in November 2024 and has since returned to one of the most demanding roles in the country, leading
Caroline Foran on raising a neurodivergent child and managing anxiety
Caroline Foran joins Dominique this week for an honest conversation about anxiety, motherhood and learning to let go.A bestselling author, journalist and podcaster, Caroline has spent years helping people better understand anxiety through practical, grounded advice. In this episode, she opens up about her own experience, from debilitating panic attacks in her twenties to being anxiety free today.
Triona McCarthy, Courtney Smith and Audrey Hamilton help us get dressed
Standing in front of a jam-packed wardrobe… and still feeling like you have nothing to wear?In this special live episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by stylist Courtney Smith, beauty columnist Triona McCarthy and artist Audrey Hamilton to unpack something so many of us have a tough time with… how to get dressed and feel bloody brilliant. From the “nothing feels right” phase to def
Down syndrome, grief and palpable joy with Tracy Holmes
Author, maternal mental health advocate and mum of three Tracy Holmes joins Dominique this week for a conversation about motherhood, diagnosis and real resilience.Tracy is mum to three boys, including twins Harry and Freddie. Shortly after they were born, Freddie was diagnosed with Down syndrome. What followed was one of the most difficult periods of Tracy’s life. With one newborn at home and anot
Dr. Clodagh Campbell on adoption, postpartum depression and attachment
Psychologist, author and mum of three Dr. Clodagh Campbell joins Dominique this week, for one of the most personal conversations of the season.Dominique and Clodagh share powerful parallels in their lives. Both are adopted. Both lost their beloved fathers too early.Together they explore how adoption can shape identity across a lifetime and why questions around belonging often become louder once we
Coleen Rooney as you’ve never heard her before
This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with Coleen Rooney for a real conversation about family life. Coleen opens up about her childhood, the loss of her sister Rosie, her and Wayne’s experience of miscarriage, and occasionally shouting at the boys in McDonalds. She shares the brilliant chaos of raising four boys, the realities of parenting in the public eye, and why family is ulti
Yemi Adenuga’s extraordinary story
This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by Councillor Yemi Adenuga. Broadcaster, community organiser, mother of four and the first Black woman elected to public office in Ireland, Their conversation covers Yemi’s extraordinary childhood as one of 27 children in Nigeria, her journey to Ireland, the realities of motherhood while building a public life, and the strength it takes to rem
Triona McCarthy on ADHD, tweens and telling the truth
This week on IMAGE The Motherload, beauty editor, content creator and mum of two Triona McCarthy joins Dominique for an honest and often very funny conversation about modern motherhood.Triona opens up about her ADHD diagnosis and how that shows up in her day-to-day life, the reality of parenting tweens, managing the mental load when your nervous system is already busy, navigating public visibility
Laura Guckian on the moment motherhood broke her
In this deeply honest episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique McMullan speaks with award winning podcast host and coach Laura Guckian about the reality behind modern motherhood. From her psychiatric hospital admission when her first baby was ten months old to her late diagnoses of autism and ADHD, Laura shares the moments that reshaped her life and her mission to support other mothers. Together
The pause every mum needs - How to finally prioritise yourself
In this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, recorded live last November, Dominique McMullan is joined by Tara Rafter, Rosemary MacCabe, Daniella Moyles and Danielle Garner for a down to earth conversation about why so many mums feel depleted and overlooked in their own lives.They talk honestly about guilt, identity, exhaustion and the pressure to keep going, as well as the small, realistic ways they
Sonya Lennon on why you’re not failing as a mum. The system is.
In this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique McMullan is joined by Sonya Lennon for a conversation about what it really takes to create change for women and families in Ireland.Together, they explore why issues like the childcare crisis and the gender pay gap cannot be solved by asking women to cope better, but by redesigning the systems that created the problems in the first place. As Sonya
Miriam O’Callghan on the collision of work and family
Recorded live at IMAGE The Motherload’s final event before Christmas, this conversation with Miriam O’Callaghan didn’t go the way host Dominique McDermott expected.Funny, disarmingly honest and deeply grounded, Miriam reflects on motherhood across decades, parenting adult children, grief, resilience, and what it really means to “just get on with life.” She speaks candidly about the collision of wo
Rosanna Davison on love, loss and a miracle perspective
Rosanna Davison’s journey to motherhood is a story of loss, love and the most extraordinary resilience. The former Miss World sits down with Dominique McMullan for one of the most emotional and honest conversations ever shared on IMAGE The Motherload.Rosanna opens up about the heartbreak of fourteen miscarriages, the moment she watched her longed-for baby girl being born from another woman, and th
Tammy Darcy - Teenagers, building a movement and losing her sister
In this inspiring episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with Tammy Darcy, founder and CEO of The Shona Project. Tammy shares the powerful story behind her movement to empower the young women of Ireland, revealing how her relationship with her late sister, Shona, shaped her life's mission.Tammy also opens up about the realities of creating The Shona Project while raising her own chil
Danielle Garner - Loss, resilience, and finding her wild
Please note: This episode contains a trigger warning for miscarriage In this intimate episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique chats to Danielle Garner, the founder of Wildflower Hair Studio. Danielle's story is one of incredible resilience and reinvention.She opens up about her journey, from living with an alcoholic parent, to navigating the grief of a second-trimester miscarriage during a time
Emma Flynn - Midwifery, Postpartum OCD, and the Healing Power of Creativity
In this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by artist and mother of three, Emma Flynn, for one of the most powerful conversations the podcast has ever hosted. Together they talk about Emma’s years as a midwife, her experience of postpartum OCD and intrusive thoughts (TW), the role of medication and therapy in her healing, and the hope she’s found in creativity, faith, and communit
Healing with Pat Kane
Pat Kane has built two successful businesses - reuzi and Pragmatica - but her story is about far more than entrepreneurship. A Brazilian-born, Dublin-based mum of two, Pat is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.In this tender, powerful conversation, Pat opens up about her healing journey, how motherhood has shaped her perspective, and what it takes to raise open-hearted boys in today’s world
Ranae Von Meding - Motherhood and activism
This week on IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique sits down with LGBTQI+ rights campaigner, speaker, CEO and proud mum-of-three, Ranae von Meding, for a powerful, moving, and deeply personal conversation.Nearly a decade on from Ireland’s Marriage Equality referendum, Ranae reflects on the wins, the gaps that still remain, and the emotional toll of raising a family that isn’t yet fully recognised under
Charlene Flanagan - Softness, success and burnout
Charlene Flanagan thought she had to do it all. She co-founded beauty brand Ella & Jo, raised two children and ran herself into burnout.In this episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Charlene joins Dominique McMullan to talk about surviving that season, her mental health struggles and how they led her to redefine everything.She shares why kindness and soundness are her business superpowers, how she’
Emma Doran - On humour, identity and the messy beauty of parenthood
Emma Doran became a mum at 18. At 30, she started a stand-up career. Now a mother of three and one of Ireland’s most loved comedic voices, she joins Dominique to talk about the journey in between.Emma talks about what it was like to become a mum at 18, to sit the Leaving Cert pregnant, and to raise three children while building a career as one of Ireland’s most loved comedic voices.Emma also opens
Ali Deasy - Multiples and the truth about mum guilt
What’s it really like raising triplets? Ali Deasy joins Dominique McMullan for an episode that’s as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching.Ali talks about the shock of a triplet pregnancy, the chaos of raising four kids, surviving potty training three at once, and why asking for help as a mother still feels *so* hard.This is a conversation about the beautiful mess of family life – and how to soften yo
Dr Colman Noctor - Smartphones, Childhood and The Cost of Connection
In this episode, Dominique is joined by renowned psychotherapist Dr Colman Noctor to explore the impact of smartphones and technology on childhood, parenting and how we connect as humans.Together, they unpack the mental health trends of the past decade, the loss of offline play, and the subtle shifts happening in how our children (and we) are developing emotionally and socially. But this isn’t abo
Jodie Wood - The invisible side of fertility struggles
In this emotional and deeply honest episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique is joined by content creator and mum of three, Jodie Wood. Jodie opens up about her road to baby Sadie - a journey marked by tertiary fertility challenges, moments of heartbreak, and a quiet but steady resilience. They talk about mum guilt, the pressure to look perfect after giving birth, and how to ask for help (and ac
Jenny Keane, Emma Dowling and Siobhán McAuley - Getting Your Spark Back
Recorded live at Avoca Dunboyne, this special episode of IMAGE The Motherload dives into a theme every mum can relate to: how to find your spark again. That feeling of being lit up, connected to yourself, and full of purpose… even in the thick of motherhood.Dominique is joined by three powerful women - fitness coach Emma Dowling, travel creator Siobhán McAuley, and sex educator Jenny Keane - for a
Una Ennis - A mother fighting for her child
This episode of IMAGE The Motherload is not an easy listen, but a tremendously important one. A short while ago, Dominique sat down with Una Ennis – a mum in the midst of every parent’s worst nightmare. Her little boy Archie is seriously ill with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive disease that urgently needs prohibitively expensive treatment abroad. Over the course of this chat, with
Chupi - What we pass down to our children
IMAGE The Motherload is BACK for Season Two. In this week’s episode of IMAGE The Motherload, Dominique McMullan is joined by someone she has long admired - her friend, businesswoman and jewellery designer Chupi Sweetman Pell.Together they talk about balancing home life with ambition, the importance of sequins (very important obviously), what true equality in the home looks like and the secret to r
Jenny Keane - Self-connection and the pleasure mindset
In this episode of The Motherload, host Dominique McMullan sits down with holistic sex educator and new mum, Jenny Keane, better known as the “orgasm queen.” Beyond her famous workshops and Late Late Sex Toy Show, Jenny shares how motherhood has deepened her understanding of self-connection and body awareness. Together, they dismantle the productivity-obsessed culture and champion the “pleasure mi
Hannah Saunders and Sarah Battle - The real life, every day juggle - Live from Avoca
This week on The Motherload, Dominique sits down with Sarah Battle and Hannah Saunders at the first Motherload Live Event. Hannah is the founder of Hannah Saunders PR, and the definition of a powerhouse, balancing campaigns in Dublin, New York, and London while raising little Brody (and fur-mum duties for Chip!). Sarah is mum to five (yes, five!), a former Home Ec teacher turned RTE Home of t
Anna Whitehouse - Flex Appeal, finding love, and fighting for working mothers
This week on The Motherload, Dominique sits down with the incredible Anna Whitehouse - journalist, author, activist, and the powerhouse behind the Flex Appeal movement. In this deeply emotional and inspiring conversation, Anna shares her journey from campaigning for flexible working laws, to navigating divorce, rediscovering love, welcoming her daughter Lola, and reshaping what modern motherhood c
Courtney Smith - Growing your family, grief and personal style
Stylist, creative director, and all-round cool gal Courtney Smith is one of the most recognisable forces in Irish fashion. But beyond the bold colours and confident silhouettes, she’s also navigating life as a mum.In this episode, Dominique is joined by Courtney and her four-month-old daughter Nova and they dive into what it’s really like to parent three small humans (spoiler: it’s quite a lot).Th
Indy Power - Hope, heartbreak and her long journey to baby number two
Indy Power is known for her thriving businesses, The Little Green Spoon and SINES candles, but behind the scenes, she was fighting a private battle that lasted years. After a straightforward first pregnancy with her son Teddy, Indy’s journey to a second child was marked by multiple miscarriages, emotional and physical exhaustion, and round after round of treatment.In this deeply honest conversatio
Sinead O’Moore - The *real* work-life balance debate, and how to actually support mums
In this episode of The Motherload, Dominique McMullan sits down with Sinead O’Moore. Sinead is a powerhouse in podcasting (listen to The 40s Stretch wherever you get your podcasts!), a business owner, a fierce advocate for women, and most importantly, a mum who knows firsthand the beautiful, messy reality of it all. In this episode, Sinead and Dominique cover the real work-life balance debate
Louise McSharry - Neurodivergent motherhood, balance, and raising feminist boys
In this episode of The Motherload, Dominique McMullan sits down with Louise McSharry for an honest conversation about motherhood, balance, and raising boys with feminist values. Louise opens up about the realities of juggling a successful career and family, the pressures society places on mothers, and why she’s passionate about raising her sons to be kind, aware, and emotionally intelligent. With
