What’s making you laugh? The Women’s Podcast Question of the Week

Every week The Women’s Podcast asks listeners a question. To coincide with our upcoming ’craic’ episode , this week guest presenter Bernice Harrison wanted to know: “What is making you laugh?”

It could be a TV programme - comic actor and writer Sharon Horgan of Catastrophe features in next week’s episode - a book, a joke, or just some hilarious happening in your life recently that had you cracking up.

So what is making you LOL? Email your responses to thewomenspodcast@irishtimes.com or message us on Facebook and Twitter @itwomenspodcast

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Last week ’s money-related question prompted many listeners to get in touch. We asked - what are the financial concerns or worries that are keeping you up at night?

Emma in Dublin tweeted us to say she was buying a house that is in such a state of disrepair it needs gutting. “I have spent every penny securing the house however, with not a bean left to do any work on it. No money to replace that Trainspotting toilet. I will be delighted once it all goes through but that’s keeping me awake at nigth until it actually does”

Aoife, also in Dublin got in touch by email to says she also had housing concerns but of a different kind.

“My biggest financial worry is around security of housing. I’m renting in Dublin and watching the market absolutely skyrocket at a time when I’m also trying to save for a 20% deposit. This means every month €1200 (savings) and €650 (rent) leaves my account. If my currently reasonable landlord decides to increase my rent to what I’ve seen in other apartments locally, I’d be under massive financial pressure and would either have to move or reduce my savings…putting my ultimate goal of home ownership even further out of reach. That being said, I know I’m in a very lucky position of being able to save that much and having a stable and well-paid job. It feels like Dublin is turning into the Manhattan of Ireland - you need to be on massive wages to be able to afford to live here with any sort of quality of life.”

And finally we heard from Patricia an Irish woman who spends most of her time in the less damp environs of Cyprus.

She emailed to say: “I am a 60 year old, was self employed and only have a small private pension to be implemented when I am 65. I have savings but worry will I have enough to live on until then? Also, with increasing health care waiting lists and the price of private health care, that’s another worry for the future.”

This week's episode features a conversation between social scientist Catherine Hakim and Trinity student Hannah Beresford about whether women should use their 'erotic capital' to get ahead. There is also an interview with theatre legend Garry Hynes about the John B Keane classic Big Maggie and a celebration of Irish women in music.

The Women’s Podcast was recently named Best New Irish Podcast for 2015 by iTunes. Individual episodes can be downloaded from iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud and irishtimes.com