Show Notes
Loneliness, and a withdrawal from the community organisations that keep older people connected, are among the biggest challenges facing older people in Ireland today, according to author and former TD Liz McManus. This week Liz joins Fergus to talk about her short story collection Tiny Bruises and a life that has taken in architecture, politics and writing.
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Comedy expert Brendan Balfe joins Terry and Fergus this week to explore what makes great comedy, share some of his favourite comedians and discuss his career, humour, and talent behind a truly good laugh.
Tony Murray and his son Conor join Fergus on this week's episode of Grey Matters to discuss what it means to be an older parent, and a sibling, of an adult with an intellectual disability, and why they believe the State’s approach to housing and care must change.
This week Grey Matters looks at their recent survey findings that 56% of women regularly mind grandchildren, compared with 37.8% of men, while 15.4% of women feel a lot of pressure to help with grandchildren, compared with just 1.4% of men. Returning guest Valerie Cox joins Terry and Fergus to react to the findings and to discuss what they say about the expectations placed on older women in Irish families.
What does ageism look like when you’re trying to find a new job? In this episode, Terry and Fergus are joined by careers expert Sarah Geraghty to explore the barriers older workers can face, from being “ghosted” after sending hundreds of applications to navigating AI screening tools and age-coded language in job adverts. Sarah shares practical advice on making your CV current and evidence-based, using your network to get in front of decision-makers, and recognising the transferable skills that come with experience. The conversation also looks at age bias in the workplace, from missed promotions to exclusion from training.
This week, Terry and Fergus sit down with one of Ireland's best literary agents, Jonathan Williams. They discuss how unpublished writers can get their books on shelves, writing advice and Jonathan's career working with some of the biggest authors in Ireland.