Women in their Menopause and Perimenopause years have remained silent for too long. We are navigating unchartered waters  by speaking out as previous generations were mute on this massively taboo topic. This was echoed by a number of women attending a talk I gave in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford recently to a wonderful group from the Deise Womens Shed. It was great to be back in person talking all things Menopause. The lack of education  preparation and support for menopause is finally starting to  be addressed. The opening of three menopause clinics funded by the government is to b ..read more

I love talking about perimenopause and menopause. One sheet Throughout covid we were all on zoom or Micro soft teams delivering webinars and talks. So lucky to have had these platforms. However, since the first of March it has been wonderful to be back delivering at  in person events. The energy in the room is incomparable to zoom! I love the interaction that face to face meet ups bring. As menopause has been a taboo subject for too long,- the online platform suited many uncomfortable speaking openly. This is completely understandable however, as an educated and informed  society we ..read more

As most people who know me realise- I love talking about menopause. It was great to  join Clair McKenna and Andrea Gilligan on Newstalk talking about my book  “Midlife Women Rock: A Menopause Story for a New Generation” We discussed lots about perimenopause and menopause. In particular challenging the overwhelmingly negative narratives  synonymous with menopause for decades. My own research in Maynooth University, Ireland  in 2020 revealed that the negative bias in the language associated with this transition contributes hugely to symptomology. The “accepted” disempowering ..read more

Wonderful to start 2022 hearing that MIDLIFE WOMEN ROCK:A Menopause Story for a New Generation has made it into the USA. Huge thank you to all you MIDLIFE WOMEN ROCK  supporters across the Atlantic! The book is now on amazon and available to buy or order from The Book Centre in Waterford, Ireland. As menopause becomes mainstream menopausal women are moving from being invisible to invaluable assets in society and in the workplace. Let’s keep the conversation going. The post 1st researched Menopause book in Ireland appeared first on Midlife Women Rock Project ..read more

Overjoyed to have been nominated for a social Impact Ireland award in early December 2021. The Midlife Women Rock cafes continued throughout covid via zoom. To discover I had actually won for pivoting, supporting and continuing the menopause conversation in Ireland was very gratifying. Huge congrats to all of the awesome nominees and other winners. And to all who nominated the Midlife Women Rock cafes  a massive  thank you. Let’s keep talking… Every conversation is a stepping stone in breaking the massive disempowering taboo that has surrounded menopause for far too long. Reach out ..read more

Writing a book was not something on my bucket list. It was only after I started working with women navigating menopause that I realised the deficit in information was pervasive. Following the interviewing of 20 women in Ireland on their experiences and understandings of menopause and the subsequent  publication of “Silence, Taboo and Midlife Women” (my M.A. Thesis  in 2020)Ireland entered a third lockdown in January 2021.We were in lockdown for almost four months. This provided the catalyst for the writing of the book which was published and launched in October 2021-on the 18th to b ..read more

Buzzing to be back joining Karen Skidmore, Nicky Williams and Sam Palmer for the second Embrace Midlife and Menopause gathering at the end of October. Menopause awareness month has attracted increased media attention this year! Newspapers and magazines carried weekly coverage of this topic throughout the month. The shift from “invisibility” to becoming  seen as invaluable contributors in the workplace and in society was palpable in the contributions from the numerous speakers. Events such as “embrace” are adding to the growing collective voice surrounding menopause. A voice that was silen ..read more

It was great to join a fantastic line up of expert speakers in the U.K.  on the 8th of October. As international menopause awareness day approaches on the 18th of October, menopause has become a hot topic this month as a result of increased media attention. Information and education transforms women’s experience of this phase of life. Conferences like this help disseminate information. Menopause in the workplace is a subject gaining a lot more traction in the U.K. Many speakers outlined the increasing calls for more  support in this area. Brands collaborating around menopause Partne ..read more

  Midlife women and mental health is a subject that has  received little  coverage to date. It was wonderful to see the collaboration between st Patricks mental health services and the national women’s council last week. The women’s mental health network organised a hugely subscribed seminar on line discussing menopause, mental health and midlife. Dr Caoimhe Hartley,  Breeda Bermingham, Dr Cliona Loughnane, and Katherine o Keefe presented on the day.  Recording of seminar here    https://youtu.be/8t9yxZWudvA Mental Health rates for girls and women in Ireland ..read more

I recently completed writing a book on Midlife women and Menopause. It will be published over the coming months. Having researched menopause over the last three years I believe there is a need for a new story around this time in women’s lives. The old story has limited disempowered and disenfranchised menopausal women for decades. The silence and stigma has to be removed in order for the new story to emerge. The growing midlife women’s movement in the UK is gaining a lot of traction thanks to media coverage, politicians and  celebrities joining the menopause conversation. Societal and cu ..read more