Our podcast explores women’s relationships—from mother-daughter to leadership—and how they shape lives, aiming to support and empower women across all relationship experiences.
How's Your Ma Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Leanne Ryan & Orla Lynch
12 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇮🇪
Podcast Overview
Our podcast explores women’s relationships—from mother-daughter to leadership—and how they shape lives, aiming to support and empower women across all relationship experiences.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/29/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 9, 2026
How's Your Ma: Episode 11
<p> Leanne and Orla, taking stock. After a run of powerful conversations, they sit down to reflect on the guests who've been on the show, the feedback that's poured in from listeners, and the things those stories stirred up in themselves. They talk about the family who show up every day despite everything stacked against them, the healer who divides opinion, and the guest whose story left grown men ringing home in tears. From there the conversation turns personal and unguarded: fear and bravado, resting bitch face, imposter syndrome, growing up mixed-race in Ireland, a dad who survived more than he ever let on, and Leanne's first nervous steps into an Al-Anon meeting after years of unknowingly carrying someone else's addiction. It's a wide-ranging, funny, and raw episode about masking, healing, racism, grief, and choosing kindness — with a fair few tangents about concerts, getaway driving, and the Luas thrown in for good measure.</p><p><strong><br>Timecodes</strong></p><ul><li><strong>00:00</strong> – Intro: no guest this week, just Leanne and Orla reflecting on the podcast so far</li><li><strong>00:41</strong> – Listener feedback on Asha, Georgia and Mikey's family — positivity, sibling relationships, and "showing up" through struggle</li><li><strong>02:34</strong> – What it might really be like behind the positivity; wanting to be witnessed rather than performing okay</li><li><strong>03:44</strong> – Respecting guests' boundaries — "lived stories vs. told stories" and not being entitled to more</li><li><strong>04:06</strong> – Feedback on Jackie's episode — a husband's reaction, "a tower of strength"</li><li><strong>05:33</strong> – Why so many male listeners connect with episodes exploring female relationships and vulnerability</li><li><strong>06:38</strong> – Feedback on Mandy's episode — soul retrieval, skepticism, and curiosity</li><li><strong>07:33</strong> – Fear vs. impulsiveness — roller coasters, theme parks, and masking fear from the kids</li><li><strong>09:30</strong> – Bungee jumps, parachutes, and facing fears (mostly not)</li><li><strong>10:48</strong> – "Resting bitch face," body language, and being read by people who've been through trauma</li><li><strong>12:36</strong> – Imposter syndrome — growing up mixed-race in Ireland and not knowing where you fit</li><li><strong>16:15</strong> – Rising racism, a roadside incident, and a partner's first real brush with it</li><li><strong>17:16</strong> – Racism in school — teachers, bullying, and a brother called names</li><li><strong>17:53</strong> – Orla's dad mistaken for a "foreigner" moving into his own house</li><li><strong>20:12</strong> – Her dad's story — army service, resilience, and being "a man full of stories"</li><li><strong>21:52</strong> – Turning inherited pain into purpose — choosing to help other people</li><li><strong>23:18</strong> – On healing being a choice, and why not everyone owes their story</li><li><strong>23:43</strong> – Leanne on going to her first Al-Anon meeting</li><li><strong>26:32</strong> – Realising she was never fully healed — codependency and being "addicted to chaos"</li><li><strong>28:47</strong> – The letter that finally pushed her toward healing</li><li><strong>29:10</strong> – Nerves, courage, and finding her voice in the room</li><li><strong>31:46</strong> – How she found the meetings, and the "slap of reality"</li><li><strong>32:49</strong> – Encouraging others affected by someone else's addiction to just try a meeting</li><li><strong>33:31</strong> – On bravery, survival mode, and a story about ayahuasca and total transformation</li><li><strong>34:50</strong> – Breaking free of the boxes other people put you in</li><li><strong>36:16</strong> – Fear of "big things" — driving, crashes, and playful banter about bravery</li><li><strong>37:32</strong> – A running joke about robbing a bank and being the getaway driver</li><li><strong>38:14</strong> – Worry about kids on scooters and safety on the roads</li><li><strong>39:30</strong> – Lighter chat: Take That, Robbie Williams, and Gary Barlow live</li><li><strong>41:34</strong> – A chaotic Luas ride home from a Wolfe Tones gig, surrounded by Take That fans</li><li><strong>42:22</strong> – Football talk and TikTok crushes</li><li><strong>43:11</strong> – Safety concerns on the Luas — women being harassed and attacked</li><li><strong>44:29</strong> – A racist incident in town — "go back to where you came from"</li><li><strong>44:55</strong> – Letting go of caring what people think, and choosing not to judge</li><li><strong>45:37</strong> – Choosing kindness over resentment — "it's hard to be a bitch"</li><li><strong>46:27</strong> – Grief and anger after losing her dad and brother</li><li><strong>47:12</strong> – Coming full circle — why they started the podcast in the first place</li><li><strong>47:41</strong> – Closing thoughts on acknowledging our stories and helping others be themselves</li><li><strong>48:07</strong> – Masking grief as a mum, daughter, and sister</li><li><strong>49:42</strong> – The "double bind" — mixed signals kids pick up on, and how it shapes them</li><li><strong>50:34</strong> – The cultural double bind of never quite belonging</li><li><strong>51:09</strong> – Sign-off — be kind, be open, and be guide</li></ul>
July 2, 2026
How's Your Ma: Episode 10
<p>In this deeply moving episode, Orla and Leanne sit down with Mandy — known to many as "Cher Mandy" — a shamanic healer whose extraordinary life journey has taken her from the flats of Inchicore to the housing estates of Clondalkin, through grief, fear, addiction, and profound spiritual awakening.</p><p>Mandy opens up about growing up as the middle child in a family of nine, feeling unseen and at war with herself from a young age. She shares the heartbreak of watching her sister Nicola get caught up in addiction and drugs, the raw grief of losing her, and the precious final year they shared together. She talks candidly about becoming a teenage mother at 16, struggling with postnatal depression, and the years she spent trying to survive rather than truly live — caught between bodybuilding, partying, and numbing pain she didn't yet have the tools to understand.</p><p>From a Buddhist quote on a door that helped her manifest her first home, to a Reiki session on New Year's Eve that cracked everything open, Mandy traces the winding road that led her to shamanic healing — and to herself. She speaks with honesty and warmth about soul retrieval, ancestral wounds, past life healing, mediumship, and how her own lived experience now powers her work helping others release trauma, break generational cycles, and find their way home.</p><p>A raw, real, and deeply human episode. Not one to miss.</p><p><strong>Timecodes:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>0:00</strong> — Introductions: Meet Mandy, "Cher Mandy"</li><li><strong>0:53</strong> — Where to begin: Growing up one of nine children in Inchicore and Clondalkin</li><li><strong>2:37</strong> — Life as the middle child: feeling forgotten and at war with herself</li><li><strong>3:33</strong> — Family breakdown, tension, and learning to fight to survive</li><li><strong>6:12</strong> — Sister Nicola: addiction, loss, and the stolen soul</li><li><strong>8:28</strong> — Nicola's final days and the grief of letting go</li><li><strong>12:46</strong> — Becoming a teenage mother at 16: shock, isolation, and postnatal depression</li><li><strong>17:32</strong> — The search for space, peace, and belonging</li><li><strong>21:41</strong> — Spirituality enters: a Buddhist quote, a prayer, and getting her first home</li><li><strong>24:20</strong> — Joining the FCA and finding her fight</li><li><strong>27:11</strong> — Bodybuilding, anger, and trying to escape herself</li><li><strong>31:41</strong> — Love, loss, and looking for belonging in all the wrong places</li><li><strong>33:10</strong> — Childhood traumas: the scald, the haircut, and years of bullying</li><li><strong>35:18</strong> — Living in fear: a stalker, a threat to her son, and the moment she stood up</li><li><strong>37:49</strong> — Her first healing session: a spirit attachment and a turning point</li><li><strong>39:26</strong> — Getting into Reiki and beginning to heal</li><li><strong>41:22</strong> — A New Year's Eve call that changed everything</li><li><strong>42:05</strong> — Two years of isolation, meditation, and breakdown</li><li><strong>43:07</strong> — Meningitis, a full spiritual awakening, and a reset</li><li><strong>43:24</strong> — Getting sober and the relationship with alcohol</li><li><strong>45:23</strong> — Discovering mediumship and channelling messages</li><li><strong>49:35</strong> — Becoming a shamanic healer: soul retrieval explained</li><li><strong>52:16</strong> — Past life healing: the priestess, the barbed wire, and reclaiming her voice</li><li><strong>53:13</strong> — Ancestral healing and breaking generational cycles</li><li><strong>55:34</strong> — Returning a soul piece to her son Carl</li><li><strong>57:08</strong> — The twins arrive: trauma and joy collide on the same date</li><li><strong>58:32</strong> — How to find Mandy and what her events involve</li><li><strong>59:42</strong> — Understanding addiction as a search for wholeness</li><li><strong>1:01:05</strong> — Closing reflections: the soul screams until you listen</li><li><strong>1:01:46</strong> — Sign-off: walking through the fire to lead others through it</li></ul>
June 25, 2026
How's Your Ma: Episode 9 (Jackie support and survival pt2)
<p>In this raw and deeply moving second part of Jackie's story, Orla, Leanne and Jackie pick up where they left off — and what follows is one of the most honest and courageous conversations the pod has had.</p><p>Jackie takes us through the moment she discovered she was pregnant with Abby, and the immediate unravelling of Tony's mask — from "that's what we always wanted" to "I don't believe you're pregnant" within days. What should have been a time of joy became another chapter of coercive control, fear, and isolation, compounded by the devastating news at Jackie's 20-week scan that her baby had a serious heart condition. Abby was born with a complex congenital heart defect — her organs on the wrong side, her heart with only two chambers and a large hole between them — and was rushed straight to Crumlin Children's Hospital from birth. Jackie describes the terror of bringing a medically fragile baby home with a 50% chance of not making it to her first birthday, learning CPR at the hospital door, and doing it all largely alone while living in fear of Abby's father.</p><p>As Abby grew, so did the abuse — escalating to the night Tony picked Jackie up and threw her across the room in front of Abby, telling her he would have her killed. That was Jackie's light bulb moment. She talks about the court process, the safety orders that were just pieces of paper to him, the guards who didn't take her seriously, and the slow, painful road to finally getting out. She also opens up about eventually finding support through Aoibhneas domestic violence services, being diagnosed with PTSD, and what it felt like to finally have her experience validated.</p><p>Jackie also speaks about her mother — learning at her deathbed that she likely had autism, and the grief and guilt that came a year later when everything finally made sense. And she speaks about her father, whom she cared for despite everything, and who told her she wasn't his.</p><p>This is an episode about survival — not just Jackie's, but Abby's. Today, Abby has finished a PLC with nine distinctions, is clued in, strong, and thriving. And Jackie, living in a beautiful little cottage by the sea, is a very different woman — one who doesn't take shit, points out red flags, and has her hand out to anyone who needs it.</p><p>Her closing words to anyone still in it: Don't ignore the red flags. Don't be afraid to talk. Believe in the experience that you're having.</p><p><strong><br>Timecodes</strong></p><p><strong>00:00</strong> – Intro: Leanne and Orla welcome listeners back for Part 2 of Jackie's story</p><p><strong>00:25</strong> – Recap: picking up from Part 1, moving into Abby's arrival and life from there</p><p><strong>00:58</strong> – Jackie calls Tony the moment she finds out she's pregnant — and wonders to this day why she did</p><p><strong>01:19</strong> – Tony's reaction: "That's what we always wanted" — followed within days by "I don't believe you're pregnant"</p><p><strong>02:08</strong> – Why Jackie didn't leave: living in constant fear, the body going into autopilot every time he walked through the door</p><p><strong>02:51</strong> – The roller coaster of Tony's responses to the pregnancy; and Jackie's sister passing away in the middle of it all</p><p><strong>03:36</strong> – The 20-week scan: the nurse takes too long, asks Jackie to come back — and Jackie's gut knows immediately something is wrong</p><p><strong>04:48</strong> – Returning for the follow-up scan: brought into a different room, a specialist, a team — "There's something wrong with your baby"</p><p><strong>05:24</strong> – The diagnosis: a serious heart condition, possibly linked to Down syndrome — Jackie's response: "I don't care if my baby has Down syndrome, I need to know if she'll live"</p><p><strong>05:40</strong> – Tony's reaction on finding out it's a girl: visible disgust — his only priority was a boy</p><p><strong>06:32</strong> – Scans at Crumlin Children's Hospital throughout the pregnancy; the surreal terror of being in a children's hospital before Abby is even born</p><p><strong>07:13</strong> – The cardiologist's bleak prognosis: Abby's organs on the wrong side, liver midline, heart central, two chambers with a large hole between them</p><p><strong>08:05</strong> – Jackie hiding away during the pregnancy, talking to Abby every day, willing her to just get through</p><p><strong>08:41</strong> – Abby goes into distress a week before her due date; emergency C-section</p><p><strong>09:23</strong> – Abby is born — purple, a mop of jet black hair, gorgeous — and immediately taken to Crumlin</p><p><strong>09:44</strong> – Jackie, post-surgery and unable to walk, left alone in a hospital room while Abby fights for life; Tony's family never once makes contact</p><p><strong>10:41</strong> – A control call from Tony's ex while Jackie is lying there unable to move — she cuts it short</p><p><strong>11:32</strong> – The next morning: Jackie discharges herself against medical advice to get to Crumlin; the first time she gets to touch Abby</p><p><strong>12:21</strong> – Crumlin: emergency blessings, Prostin to keep Abby's arteries open, MRI scans</p><p><strong>12:53</strong> – Abby's first open-heart surgery at three days old; Jackie describes seeing her baby connected to tubes, unrecognisable</p><p><strong>13:33</strong> – The abuse never stopped during the pregnancy — always there under the surface; keeping Tony happy just to survive</p><p><strong>14:10</strong> – Tony thriving off Abby's illness for sympathy; Jackie realises she was confiding in the wrong person</p><p><strong>15:05</strong> – Taking Abby home from hospital: learning CPR at the door, terrified of the "what ifs", 50% chance of not making it to her first birthday</p><p><strong>16:05</strong> – Home for three weeks, then Abby's second surgery at ten months old; she flies through it</p><p><strong>17:03</strong> – The ongoing reality: regular hospital admissions, needle trauma, Abby's fear of procedures — and Jackie navigating it all</p><p><strong>18:13</strong> – Tony always around, never a couple, but Jackie never left Abby alone with him</p><p><strong>18:42</strong> – Abby starts school early on cardiologist advice; she thrives and loves it</p><p><strong>19:12</strong> – The abuse escalates; Jackie's entire focus is Abby, running on fear and survival</p><p><strong>19:47</strong> – The night everything changed: Tony picks Jackie up and throws her across the room in front of Abby, tells her he'll have her killed — his eyes go black</p><p><strong>21:08</strong> – The new layer of fear: not just him, but the threat of an unknown person; Jackie believes him completely — "his own mother said she knew"</p><p><strong>21:50</strong> – Installing cameras, seeing shadows in the grass, barely functioning; her aunt visits and raises the alarm to her uncle Pat</p><p><strong>23:20</strong> – The court case: Jackie can't go into detail legally but describes the experience as surreal, watching Tony lie with confidence in front of a judge</p><p><strong>24:42</strong> – Why Jackie still allowed contact: not wanting Abby alone with him unsupervised, and the terrifying reality of guardianship laws</p><p><strong>26:22</strong> – Tony fights for guardianship — not for access, not for Abby — just for control and the piece of paper</p><p><strong>27:25</strong> – The light bulb moment: going to the GP, starting antidepressants, trying to hold herself together for the court process</p><p><strong>28:34</strong> – Surviving the court case; the system failing her — safety orders that were meaningless to him</p><p><strong>29:44</strong> – Abby at 9 or 10, coming out the door begging not to be sent back; Jackie sends the email and says she is not going back — and Tony never comes looking</p><p><strong>31:01</strong> – To...</p>
12 total episodes available
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