Insights into Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

The RiVeR Project Podcast Series, hosted by Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), is a key strand of initiatives exploring how Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is understood and addressed in Ireland, under the theme Insights into Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Featuring a wide constellation of voices—from frontline services and academic research to legal, policy, educational,  community-based perspectives and lived experience— The episodes engage critically with prevention, intervention, and systemic change, offering a trauma-informed and interdisciplinary resource for collective learning and response.

The episodes below offer a sequential exploration of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence  

 

RiVeR Project Podcast Series – Episode One

 

We are pleased to introduce the inaugural episode of the RiVeR Project Podcast Series at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), launched under the theme “Insight into Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.”

This episode features Dr. Edel Healy Executive Project Lead , DkIT President’s Office and Chair of the RiVeR Project Steering Committee. Dr. Healy reflects on the origins of the RiVeR Project, tracing its development from Ireland’s first accredited programme on domestic abuse to a nationally funded initiative advancing education, research, and community engagement. She outlines the project’s interdisciplinary framework, collaborative ethos, and expanding outputs—including micro-credentials, postgraduate programmes, and the creation of an All-Island Community of Practice.

Click below to watch and listen to Episode One 

 

🎵 Spotify – To watch and listen to Episode One of the RiVeR Project Podcast, please click here

 

 

 

RiVeR Project Podcast Series – Episode Two

We are pleased to present the second episode of the RiVeR Project Podcast Series at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

This episode features Dr. Kathleen Nallen, Project Lead for the RiVeR Project, who offers in-depth insights into its evolving educational and research-driven initiatives. Dr. Nallen discusses the redevelopment of the Level 8 certificate programme on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, the development of micro-credentials on coercive control and child-centred responses and the adaptation of ‘In Their Shoes’—an experiential learning resource—to an Irish based context. Emphasis is placed on governance structures and working groups, as well as the growing all-Island RiVeR Project Community of Practice who attend conferences and events hosted by the RiVeR Project.

 

Click below to watch and listen to Episode Two

 

 

🎵 Spotify – To watch and listen to Episode Two of the RiVeR Project Podcast, please click here

 

 

RiVeR Project Podcast Series – Episode Three

We are pleased to present the third episode of the RiVeR Project Podcast Series at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

This episode features Detective Sergeant Laura Sweeney from An Garda Síochána’s National Domestic Abuse Unit. Drawing from extensive frontline experience, Detective Sergeant Sweeney explores contemporary policing responses to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence. She addresses legislative developments—including coercive control and non-fatal strangulation—while highlighting the importance of trauma-informed practice, interagency collaboration, and victim-centred support in advancing justice and safety.

Click below to watch and listen to Episode Three

 

 

🎵 Spotify – To watch and listen to Episode Three of the RiVeR Project Podcast, please click here

 

 

RiVeR Project Podcast Series – Episode Four

We are pleased to present the fourth episode of the RiVeR Project Podcast Series at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

This episode features Dr. Michelle Walsh, CEO of Move Ireland, and Lisa Brown, Director of Client Services at Move Ireland. Together, they provide an insightful overview of the Choices programme—Move Ireland’s national behavioural intervention for individuals who perpetrate domestic abuse. The discussion explores the programme’s structure, trauma-informed therapeutic approach, and its integrated focus on risk management, safety planning, and partner support. Emphasis is placed on the need for early intervention, cross-sectoral collaboration, and a whole-of-society approach to addressing perpetration and safeguarding families.

Click below to watch and listen to Episode Four

 

 

🎵 Spotify – To watch and listen to Episode Four of the RiVeR Project Podcast, please click here

 

 

 

RiVeR Project Podcast Series – Episode Five

We are pleased to present the fifth episode of the RiVeR Project Podcast Series at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

This episode features Belinda Breagy, Manager of Rape Crisis North East (RCNE), alongside Senior Therapists Annmarie Kennedy and Mary Mooney. Together, they offer an in-depth account of RCNE’s trauma-informed services, supporting survivors of sexual violence across Louth, Meath, and Monaghan. The discussion highlights counselling, advocacy, and accompaniment services, while foregrounding the importance of emotional safety, survivor agency, and validation. The conversation also examines key legal frameworks—including the Domestic Violence Act, Coco’s Law, and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Acts—and their implications for frontline support, therapeutic practice, and victim empowerment.

Click below to watch and listen to Episode Five

 

 

🎵 Spotify – To watch and listen to Episode Five of the RiVeR Project Podcast, please click here

 

 

RiVeR Project Podcast Series – Episode Six

We are pleased to present the sixth episode of the RiVeR Project Podcast Series at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

This episode features Kathrina Bentley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)  of Men’s Aid Ireland. Drawing on extensive frontline expertise, Kathrina offers insight into the organisation’s work with male victims of domestic abuse. She discusses the origins of Men’s Aid, the stigma faced by male survivors, and the development of a trauma-informed, victim-centred support model that includes counselling, court accompaniment, outreach, and education. The episode also reflects on Men’s Aid’s strategic advocacy efforts, collaborative training initiatives, and the growing public recognition of male victimisation in domestic violence contexts.

Click below to watch and listen to Episode Six

 

🎵 Spotify – To watch and listen to Episode Six of the RiVeR Project Podcast, please click here