Best Mary Sweeney Podcasts (2024)

1
The sinister side of the tradwife movement 40:57

11m ago40:57

40:57

Earlier this year, influencer Hannah Neeleman made headlines after taking part in a beauty pageant just 12 days after giving birth to her eighth child. Last month the Sunday Times profiled the 34 year-old dubbing her the 'queen of tradwives.' The interview is still provoking commentary. Journalist Megan Agnew wrote about Neeleman's former career as…

1
OH, MARY vs, JOB: Off-Broadway Transfer Battle 1:03:02

1h ago1:03:02

1:03:02

"Oh Mary! Your job is too much!" Matt saw two one-act plays about gals and guns and both transferred this year from Off Broadway: OH, MARY and JOB. Matt talks at length about both. Their pros, their cons, and their spoilers. WARNING: Some sensitive subject matter is discussed in JOB. Join the Broadway Breakdown Discord Channel and get in on the d*m…

1
76: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) & Shakespeare in Love 1:28:51

35m ago1:28:51

1:28:51

We're back from our summer hiatus and ready to rock! Join us in a nice long episode where we dissect the costumes in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 version) and Shakespeare in Love. Will we answer the questions, when was the Romantic era (don't Google it!!!)? Are peacock feathers unlucky? A third question? Find out by listening! Follow along with …

1
Rosemary Murphy: The 40 year-old medical student (and mother of 12) 47:52

21m ago47:52

47:52

This episode was originally published in August 2023. Rosemary Murphy, a dynamic 40-year-old woman from Dolphin’s Barn in Dublin, had two major goals from childhood. The first was to have a large family. The second was to study medicine and become a doctor. As a mother of 12 children, ranging from 20 to 19 months, the first goal has been well and t…

1
LIVE at Broadway Con! (w/ The Theatre Lovers) 1:05:30

1h ago1:05:30

1:05:30

"There is nothing like LIVE THEATAH!" Make sure to join the Broadway Breakdown Discord and chat with other listeners about this week's episode! Link: https://discord.gg/At68Yedv Broadway Breakdown made its Broadway Con debut with longtime friends The Theatre Lovers!!! Matt, Rachael and Will sat down and picked a musical at random out of a bowl and …

1
Sarcoma Cancer- Carols story and Sarcoma Cancer Ireland 50:41

4h ago50:41

50:41

This week on the Answers for Cancers podcast to mark sarcoma cancer awareness month we have 2 special episodes. On the second episode we are joined by Carol Haslam who kindly shares her experience of recieving a diagnosis of sarcoma. She also discusses the incredible role of Sarcoma Cancer Ireland who just recently recieved charity status. We would…

1
Sarcoma cancer with Dr Mark Doherty and Prof Charles Gillham 50:35

4h ago50:35

50:35

This week on the Answers for Cancers podcast to mark sarcoma cancer awareness month we have 2 special episodes. The first is with Dr Mark Doherty a medical oncologist at St Vincents hospital Dublin and Prof Charles Gillham a radiation oncologist at St. Lukes hospital Dublin. They join us to discuss this rare cancer and they explain the signs and sy…

1
The Fabulous Four! "48 Years" 51:12

4h ago51:12

51:12

We're BACK! When Ms. Midler returns to the cinema, we return to the pod! We are mostly podding on PATREON these days, but we decided to come back to the main stem to talk through The Fabulous Four starring BEtte Midler, Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullallely! Take a ride through over 48 years of friendship, weed gummies, weed pens, m…

1
America’s first female president? All eyes on Kamala Harris 30:04

12m ago30:04

30:04

This November, Americans will have the opportunity to elect their first female president. After securing enough support from her delegates, Vice President Kamala Harris looks set to take on former president and convicted felon Donald Trump in the next election. But will Americans vote her in? In this episode, Róisín Ingle is joined by Caitríona Per…

1
THE BOYS IN THE BAND w/ John Wascavage 3:53:02

14d ago3:53:02

3:53:02

"Who is she? Who was she? Who does she hope to be?" It's the finale of PROBLEMATIC(?) and we're going out with the Big Bang of Queer Theatre: THE BOYS IN THE BAND. And in order to talk about this momentous and still hotly-debated play, we had to bring out the big guns: John Wascavage!!! John and Matt talk about shared trauma, the glories of being m…

1
Kitty Ruskin: A year of casual sex 42:17

13m ago42:17

42:17

At the beginning of 2019, writer and journalist Kitty Ruskin was young, free, and single and eager to give her sex life a bit of a shake-up. Having previously shunned the idea of one-night stands and kissing complete strangers, Ruskin decided to embrace her sexuality and embark upon a year of no-strings, casual sex. Partly inspired by Sex and the C…

1
SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS w/ Jon Reilly 2:30:51

20d ago2:30:51

2:30:51

"Bless your beautiful hide..." It's a return of "Problematic(?)" but with a surprise twist! Broadway Breakdown is covering a MOVIE MUSICAL. And one that is TRICKY. Alum Jon Reilly (Life's But a Song) stops by to discuss this sexy, sexist, sexual movie and all the rough and tumble dancing and gender politics that go along with it. GRAB YOUR BIBLE KI…

1
Laura Dockrill: Love, longing & postpartum psychosis 45:48

19d ago45:48

45:48

Laura Dockrill was just 14 years old when she first set eyes on her husband, Maccabees guitarist Hugo White. The pair quickly began an intense relationship, exchanging carefully curated mixtapes and letters doused in Body Shop perfume. Despite a longing on both sides, the teenagers never let their friendship spill over into romance. It is this tale…

1
The American Musical w/ Ben West 2:05:41

4d ago2:05:41

2:05:41

Join the Broadway Breakdown Discord Channel and get in on the fun! Link: https://discord.gg/UTGVBprYtr This week Matt is joined by author and historian Ben West to talk about his new must-have book: The American Musical, Evolution of an Art Form! The two discuss the variety of genres in which the musical theatre has its origins, deep-cut songs, and…

1
Fiona McPhillips: When We Were Silent 30:28

14d ago30:28

30:28

In this episode, author and journalist Fiona McPhillips talks to Róisín Ingle about her new novel, When We Were Silent. It’s a thriller set in a Dublin convent school, where a culture of silence and abuse is rampant. The story was partly inspired by the 2020 podcast series about disgraced Irish swim coach George Gibney. In this wide-ranging convers…

1
CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL (and an Invitation!) 1:18:01

12d ago1:18:01

1:18:01

"Hal...it's no longer about CATS." Oooohhh boy! Matt went and saw CATS: THE JELLICLE BALL, the wild, crazy and invigorating new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Feline Fantasia! Listen up for Matt's chaotic thoughts as well as his time sitting with Cynthia Erivo! PLUS!!! An invite to Broadway Breakdown's Discord Channel! Invite Link: https://dis…

1
adrienne maree brown — On Radical Imagination and Moving Towards Life 1:20:13

1M ago1:20:13

1:20:13

The wonderful civil rights elder Vincent Harding liked to look around the world for what he called "live human signposts" — human beings who embody ways of seeing and becoming and who point the way forward to the world we want to inhabit. And adrienne maree brown, who has inspired worlds of social creativity with her notions of "pleasure activism" …

1
“The End of Poetry” by Ada Limón 1:43

15d ago1:43

1:43

An impassioned plea, a yearning for connection — the poem U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón wrote when she says all language failed her. Take in Ada's reading of her piece, “The End of Poetry” — and hear her read more of her work in the On Being episode, “To Be Made Whole.” Ada Limón is the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. She’s written six book…

1
Atul Gawande — On Mortality and Meaning 1:02:48

1M ago1:02:48

1:02:48

We are strange creatures. It is hard for us to speak about, or let in, the reality of frailty and death — the elemental fact of mortality itself. In this century, western medicine has gradually moved away from its understanding of death as a failure — where care stops with a terminal diagnosis. Hospice has moved, from something rare to something ex…

1
Ready For It? It’s our Taylor Swiftathon 1:09:41

21d ago1:09:41

1:09:41

The Queen of Pop, Taylor Swift, is finally back in Dublin this weekend, bringing her Eras tour to more than 150 thousand fans at the Aviva Stadium over three nights. To celebrate the singer's return, we’ve gathered a panel of Swifties to talk about her music, stardom, and her dedicated fanbase. Writer, DJ, and disability activist Louise Bruton give…

1
FOLLIES, TITANIC, Plays and An Idea 1:15:39

19d ago1:15:39

1:15:39

Matt saw FOLLIES! TITANIC! HOME! HERE THERE ARE BLUEBERRIES! And he's gonna talk about all 4! Plus a glorious 1-star review he got Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Matt Koplik

1
“Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” by Elizabeth Alexander 1:17

22d ago1:17

1:17

Today, a poem with a poignant question to live: “...and are we not of interest to each other?” Carry Elizabeth Alexander’s reading of her poem “Ars Poetica #100: I Believe” with you — and hear Elizabeth read more of her poetry in the On Being episode, “Words That Shimmer.” Elizabeth Alexander is a poet, author, and educator. Since 2018, she has ser…

1
Luis Alberto Urrea — On Our Belonging to Each Other 59:10

23d ago59:10

59:10

We humans have this drive to erect barriers between ourselves and others, Luis Alberto Urrea says, and yet this makes us a little crazy. He is an exuberant, wise, and refreshing companion into the deep meaning and the problem of borders — what they are really about, what we do with them, and what they do to us. The Mexican-American border was as cl…

1
Why engineering needs more women 36:44

28d ago36:44

36:44

Last year, just 23% of all engineering graduates in Ireland were women, while female engineers currently represent just 12% of the profession. Orlagh Costello, an engineer, coach, and speaker, is on a mission to change this and to encourage more women into this very male-dominated industry. Ahead of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23…

1
The Tony Awards Happened. Kinda. Let's Talk About It (w/ James Seol) 3:35:47

1M ago3:35:47

3:35:47

"Stop texting me..." The 2024 Tony Awards occurred. Some shows won and some lost. People performed and the TV cameras got waaayyy to close for comfort. And Matt's royally annoyed at Alicia Keys. So let's talk about it! Friend of the pod James Seol (KPOP, COME FROM AWAY) is back to discuss the WHOLE Get Down and to wade through some of your comments…

1
Ross Gay — On the Insistence of Joy 59:05

30d ago59:05

59:05

In our world of so much suffering, it can feel hard or wrong to invoke the word "joy." Yet joy has been one of the most insistent, recurrent rallying cries in almost every life-giving conversation that Krista has had across recent months and years, even and especially with people on the front lines of humanity's struggles. Ross Gay helps illuminate…

1
The Neuroscience of Manifesting: Sabina Brennan 38:19

1M ago38:19

38:19

According to psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Sabina Brennan, we all have the power to manifest our dreams into reality. However, it has nothing to do with wishful or magical thinking. Manifesting, she says, requires a change in the way we think and behave: it’s about learning how to harness the power of the brain. In her new book,The Neuroscienc…

1
Matt's London Trip w/ Mom 2:33:30

1M ago2:33:30

2:33:30

"Oi!" Hello again! Matt went to London! With his mom! And they saw some shows and did some things! Listen as the two discuss their London outings, plus their takes on OPERATION MINCEMEAT, GUYS AND DOLLS, STANDING AT SKY'S EDGE, and THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
Janine Benyus and Azita Ardakani Walton — On Nature's Wisdom for Humanity 1:16:20

1M ago1:16:20

1:16:20

In this all-new episode, Krista engages biomimicry pioneer Janine Benyus in a second, urgent conversation, alongside creative biomimicry practitioner Azita Ardakani Walton. Together they trace precise guidance and applied wisdom from the natural world for the civilizational callings before us now. What does nature have to teach us about healing fro…

1
Surviving the split: How to have a good divorce in Ireland 39:21

2M ago39:21

39:21

When it comes to getting divorced in Ireland, many couples end up going through the Irish courts to settle their separation agreements. This process often involves one side battling against the other and can, in some cases, take years to finalise, costing anywhere from twenty to sixty thousand euros. According to divorce expert and author Michelle …

1
The Tony Awards: A Celebration in Excellence w/ Eila Mell 48:08

1M ago48:08

48:08

The Tony Awards: A Celebration in Excellence by Eila Mell is out in bookstores now! Find out more about Broadway's biggest night with an order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Matt Koplik

1
Befriend Your Body: A Compassionate Body Scan 11:16

1M ago11:16

11:16

In a time of stress, uncertainty, and isolation, Christine Runyan turns our attention to what often evades our awareness — the response of our nervous systems. As part of On Being’s 2021 Midwinter Gathering, she offered this brief, practical, gently guided practice as an invitation to befriend your beleaguered body, to “blanket it with a little bit…

1
Christine Runyan — On Healing Our Distressed Nervous Systems 1:01:11

1M ago1:01:11

1:01:11

The years of pandemic and lockdown are still working powerfully on us from the inside. But we have trouble acknowledging this, much less metabolizing it. This conversation with Christine Runyan, which took place in the dark middle of those years, helps make sense of our present of still-unfolding epidemic distress — as individuals, as communities, …

1
Best of The Women’s Podcast: Caitlin Moran 53:19

2M ago53:19

53:19

A regular on The Women's Podcast, journalist and author Caitlin Moran was in Dublin recently as part of her latest book tour. As someone who regularly discusses the problems of girls and women in public, Moran has often been confronted with the question: “But what about men?”. Indeed, the statistics on male misery are grim: boys are falling behind …

1
2024 Tony Awards: Predicting the Winners (w/ The Theater Lovers) 2:37:02

2M ago2:37:02

2:37:02

Everyone is a winner. Except for those who aren't. It's almost June, which means it's almost Tony month, which means we have to get off our butts and start predicting some WINNERS! Friends of the pod Rachael Joyce and Will Anderson aka The Theater Lovers are BACK! And together, the Lovers and Matt try to figure out who exactly is gonna win this f*c…

1
“Joy is the Justice (We Give Ourselves)” by J. Drew Lanham 14:26

2M ago14:26

14:26

We are overjoyed to share this heart-stirring performance with you, which transpired when we invited the ornithologist/poet/former On Being guest J. Drew Lanham to offer some poetry at a live On Being event in January 2024. We could not have imagined the lightning in a bottle that unfolded — a live adaptation of the title poem that appears in Drew'…

1
Lyndsey Stonebridge and Lucas Johnson — On Love, Politics, and Violence (Channeling Hannah Arendt) 1:15:26

3M ago1:15:26

1:15:26

Here is a stunning sentence for you, written by Lyndsey Stonebridge, our guest this hour, channeling the 20th-century political thinker and journalist Hannah Arendt: "Loneliness is the bully that coerces us into giving up on democracy." This conversation is a kind of guide to generative shared deliberations we might be having with each other and ou…

1
Women in Politics: Battling the rising tide of abuse 1:00:09

2M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

The local and European elections are taking place in just over two weeks time, on Friday June 7th. Since the beginning of the campaign, there have been a number of worrying incidents where election candidates have faced intimidation, harassment and abuse while out canvassing or hanging up party posters. Green Party Councillor Janet Horner and Socia…

1
A Meandering Chat: Full of Gossip, Trauma and BROADWAY! (w/ Robert W. Schneider) 1:52:50

3M ago1:52:50

1:52:50

It was supposed to be a discussion about Tony Award Snubs...oops, "omissions." But leave it to BROADWAY BOUND'S Robert W. Schneider to keep Matt distracted with tons of Broadway gossip and a foray into Matt's past trauma. Enjoy the shortest episode in weeks :) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
New From Poetry Unbound: A Series on Conflict and the Human Condition 11:09

2M ago11:09

11:09

A taste of a special mini-season of Poetry Unbound — bringing contemplative curiosity and the life-nurturing tether of poetry to the very present matter of conflict in our world. In this first offering, Pádraig introduces the intriguing idea of poems as teachers and ponders Wisława Szymborska’s “A Word on Statistics," translated by Joanna Trzeciak.…

1
Colette Pichon Battle — On Knowing What We're Called To 1:02:38

2M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

There is an ecological transformation unfolding in the places we love and come from. On a front edge of this reality, which will affect us all, Colette Pichon Battle is a singular model of brilliance and graciousness of mind and spirit and action. And to be with her is to open to the way the stories we tell have blunted us to the courage we’re call…

1
Marian Keyes: My Favourite Mistake 1:01:08

3M ago1:01:08

1:01:08

Author, podcaster and fond friend of the show, Marian Keyes is back with her sixteenth novel ‘My Favourite Mistake’. It follows Anna Walsh, as she ditches her high-flying PR job and makes the move from the Big Apple to the wilds of Connemara. In this episode, Keyes talks to Róisín Ingle about abandoning the original idea for the book, in favour of …

1
The Art of Predicting the Tonys (w/ Sam Eckmann) 2:18:52

2M ago2:18:52

2:18:52

"It's an art..." Goldderby's Sam Eckmann stops by the Breakdown to discuss Tony trends, myths and what you need to take into account when making your predictions! DOLL OUT THE PUDDING! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Matt Koplik

1
Childfree by choice: The women who choose not to have kids 1:00:05

3M ago1:00:05

1:00:05

In this episode, author Caroline Magennis talks to Róisín Ingle about her new book Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women. It’s a look beyond the often divisive conversation around choosing not to have children, and offers an alternative message of hope and celebration. We also hear from Margaret O’Connor, a Limerick-based psychotherapist and prese…

1
Kate DiCamillo — On Nurturing Capacious Hearts 54:16

2M ago54:16

54:16

In her writing, it is Kate DiCamillo's gift to make bearable the fact that joy and sorrow live so close, side by side, in life as it is (if not as we wish it to be). In this conversation, along with good measures of raucous laughter and a few tears, Kate summons us to hearts "capacious enough to contain the complexities and mysteries of ourselves a…

1
Ranking Every Show This Broadway Season...'Cause F**k It, Why Not 4:11:10

2M ago4:11:10

4:11:10

Oh look...it's the longest episode in Broadway Breakdown history. Matt saw every show of the 2023-2024 Broadway season. Now he wants to rank them. Because what else is there to do now? Feel free to listen to this episode while crossing Atlantic. Or while stuck in a 12 hour traffic jam. Or waiting for your souffle to rise. And feel free to yell at M…

1
BONUS! Interview w/ MARY JANE's Susan Pourfar 48:40

2M ago48:40

48:40

Motherhood...Sisterhood...and Silent Broadway Contracts... We've got another lovely surprise for you! Award-winning actress Susan Pourfar stops by the Breakdown to discuss her journey with MTC's MARY JANE, from its production at NYTW to its Broadway premier with Rachel McAdams. Matt and Susan also discuss the performance Matt attended when an audie…

1
75: Beetlejuice & Batman Returns 1:19:43

2M ago1:19:43

1:19:43

It's Tim Burton (and Michael Keaton!) month here on the Costume Plot, so join us as we gab all about two of Burton's early films, Beetlejuice and Batman Returns. Featuring latex, piping, and child brides! Follow along with the visual analysis via these links! Beetlejuice: Instagram, Pinterest Batman Returns: Instagram, Pinterest Questions? Comments…

1
Wisdom, Solace, and Courage for 2024 2:58

3M ago2:58

2:58

A special two-month season of On Being starts May 9. Freshly curated conversations from across the On Being archive. Big new conversations and extra offerings. To be present to the suffering and sorrow of this world from a place of love. To accompany each other in this — and accompany the young. To honor the fragility of being human. To keep our ca…

1
Wallis Bird: 1000 years of female composers 59:51

3M ago59:51

59:51

It’s hard to believe the last time Wallis Bird was on the podcast was nearly five years ago in 2019. Since then, the Berlin-based musician has released two more albums, the latest of which, Visions of Venus, was released last month. It’s a creative collaboration with the German classical quintet Spark, and together they are showcasing 1000 years of…

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