Muireann O'Connell: I was told posting about my period on Instagram was 'inappropriate'

Nicole Glennon chats to well-known Irish women about ditching the shame attached to our periods 

Muireann O'Connell: I genuinely don’t know how [period] became a dirty word. 

I was 13 when I got my first period. We were at a basketball blitz that day, and I thought that I was farting all day. I didn’t know what was going on!

When I got home my mum said ‘Oh, God, it must be your period!’ She asked did I know what I was doing and I said I did and went upstairs to the bathroom. 

The next day my mother said, ‘are you having a bit of an issue? Are things leaking or things not working?’ It turned out I had been using panty liners, because I didn’t know there was a difference. I had no notion and I was coming up on 14.

I remember one day, about three or four years ago, I had a stain on a white skirt. I saw it and was like ‘oh god, I missed that’ but a person with me was REALLY embarrassed. I was like, there’s no reason to be embarrassed, it’s fine, I’ll change...

I think if people do get embarrassed by it, that’s their embarrassment, it’s not your embarrassment. 

And if someone is uncomfortable with talking about periods, it shouldn’t be up to you to stop yourself from talking about it.

I have posted about my period on my Instagram before and had responses that it was “inappropriate.” 

I genuinely don’t know how [period] became a dirty word. 

It is a natural bodily function that we should all understand. It shouldn’t be embarrassing or shameful in any way, shape or form.

• Ireland AM presenter Muireann O’Connell is one of eight women who shared her period story as part of our series on Period Shame. Read the full piece here.