Galway schoolgirls chat with Pat Ingoldsby about the gender discrimination they see in society.
Pat Ingoldsby talks to primary school students Niamh, Mairéad, Gillian, Dawn, Deirdre, Barbara-Anne and Sinéad, from St Nicholas National School, Claddagh, County Galway.
Pat Ingoldsby wonders if any of the girls would like to be a nun and starts a debate about whether women should be Pope. Gillian would like to be a nun and Sinéad giggles,
I'd like to see a woman priest and a male nun.
Gillian believes in equality,
Women should be priests, and they should be popes, they’re just as good as men.
Playing devil's advocate, Pat Ingoldsby continues,
If I said to you women should stay at home, have babies, wash the dishes.
This opinion is resoundingly slated, with the girls mentioning they have a female Lord Mayor Angela Lupton. Pat Ingoldsby also mentions Aer Lingus has a female pilot but to date Iarnród Éireann train drivers are all male.
Continuing the argument, Pat Ingoldsby suggests women talk too much. The girls completely disagree. Mairéad points out,
My Dad is worse at talking than my Mam is.
This episode of 'Pat’s Pals’ was broadcast on 14 September 1989. The presenter is Pat Ingoldsby.
In addition to presenting children's programmes for RTÉ Television, Pat Ingoldsby has published several books of poetry for adults.
