Breda O'Brien

Last updated

Breda O'Brien
NationalityIrish
Alma mater Mater Dei Institute of Education
Occupation(s)Journalist, Teacher

Breda O'Brien (born 1962) is an Irish teacher and columnist, writing a weekly column for The Irish Times . O'Brien is a frequent spokesperson for Catholic-based views on political issues such as opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. She founded the Irish chapter of Feminists for Life in 1992. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in Dungarvan, County Waterford, O'Brien was educated at the Convent of Mercy, Dungarvan and later at the Mater Dei Institute of Education, Dublin, qualifying as a teacher.

Career

O'Brien taught English and Religion, at Muckross Park College, a public Catholic girls' school, between 1983 and 1987. She later returned to this post in 1992, and has remained there since. She has worked as a video producer and communications trainer in the Catholic Communications Centre (founded by the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference), Booterstown, Dublin from 1988 to 1991. She worked as a researcher for RTÉ from 1991 to 1992. Her career as a columnist began with The Sunday Business Post from 1997 to 2000 and continued with The Irish Times. [2]

O'Brien is a patron of the Iona Institute, a conservative Catholic pressure group, [3] and appears regularly in the Irish media as a contributor, supporting the teachings of the Catholic Church.

In her Irish Times column, she has expressed her opposition to abortion in all circumstances, including rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormality, [4] and to same-sex marriage. [5]

Her stance on civil partnerships has changed. Initially opposed to them in 2008, [6] [7] and 2010 [8] [9] by 2015, in the run up to the Irish marriage equality referendum, she claimed to be in support of them. [10] [11]

Marriage is already under assault in every way from heterosexuals. Do we wish to redefine it in an even more radical way? ... It is never pleasant to take a stance like this, and it must be a thousand times less pleasant to be the person who is told that important values like equality must take second place to the common good.

— Breda O'Brien, [6]

O'Brien, along with other members of the Iona Institute took legal action against RTE and Panti Bliss for being labelled as homophobes for campaigning against marriage equality. This was the impetus for Panti's Noble Call speech.

She is married, and has four children who have been home-schooled. [12] [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivana Bacik</span> Leader of the Irish Labour Party

Ivana Catherine Bacik is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Leader of the Labour Party since 24 March 2022 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since winning a by-election on 9 July 2021. Bacik previously served as Leader of the Labour Party in the Seanad from 2011 to 2021, and a Senator for the Dublin University constituency from 2007 to 2021. She previously served as Deputy leader of Seanad Éireann from 2011 to 2016.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Ireland since 16 November 2015. A referendum on 22 May 2015 amended the Constitution of Ireland to provide that marriage is recognised irrespective of the sex of the partners. The measure was signed into law by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, as the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland on 29 August 2015. The Marriage Act 2015, passed by the Oireachtas on 22 October 2015 and signed into law by the Presidential Commission on 29 October 2015, gave legislative effect to the amendment. Same-sex marriages in Ireland began being recognised from 16 November 2015, and the first marriage ceremonies of same-sex couples in Ireland occurred the following day. Ireland was the eighteenth country in the world and the eleventh in Europe to allow same-sex couples to marry nationwide.

Jim Walsh is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann between 1997 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marian Finucane</span> Irish radio presenter and chat show host (1950–2020)

Marian Finucane was an Irish broadcaster with RTÉ. Finucane began working with the national broadcaster in 1974, starting as a continuity announcer. She went on to host Women Today (1979–1983), the first Irish women's affairs radio programme presented and produced by women, as well as its successor, The Women's Programme (1983–1986); she was the first presenter of Liveline (1985–1999); and she also presented The Marian Finucane Show at weekend lunchtimes on RTÉ Radio 1 until her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panti</span> Irish drag queen and gay rights campaigner

Rory O'Neill, also known by his stage names Panti, Panti Bliss and Pandora Panti Bliss, is a drag queen and gay rights activist from Ballinrobe, County Mayo, Ireland.

Brenda Power is an Irish journalist, barrister and a radio and television broadcaster on Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) and Newstalk.

Crimecall is a television show broadcast once monthly on RTÉ. It is co-produced in Dublin, Ireland by Green Ink Ltd and 360 Production South Ltd. Since September 2023, the show is presented by journalist Carla O'Brien. It is a second RTÉ adaptation of German crime programme Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst, and its format matches that of its British derivative Crimewatch and re-enacts unsolved crimes.

David Quinn is an Irish social and religious commentator. From 1996 to 2003, he was the editor at The Irish Catholic. He served as the religious and social affairs correspondent for the Irish Independent from 2003 to 2005. He has often appeared on Irish current affairs programmes. Since 2007, Quinn has been the Director of the Iona Institute advocacy group. Quinn has campaigned against the liberalisation of Irish abortion laws, the introduction of same-sex marriage and the legalisation of assisted suicide. He is a member of the Dublin branch of Legatus, which promotes Catholic values in corporate business, for those who meet stringent qualification criteria. He was educated at St Paul's College, Raheny and studied at NIHE Dublin, graduating with a degree in Business Studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iona Institute</span> Irish conservative Catholic organisation

Lolek CLG, operating under the business name the Iona Institute, is an Irish, socially conservative organisation that advocates the advancement and promotion of the Christian religion and its social and moral values. It has been frequently described as a Catholic pressure group. Founded by columnist David Quinn, it was launched publicly in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rónán Mullen</span> Irish politician (born 1970)

Rónán Thomas Mullen is an Irish senator and former delegate to the Council of Europe. He is the leader of the Human Dignity Alliance, an anti-abortion political party formed in 2018. He was elected by the National University Seanad constituency in July 2007 and re-elected in 2011, 2016 and 2020. He has topped the poll in every NUI Seanad election since 2011. Mullen is a frequent media commentator on social and political topics. The first National University of Ireland senator appointed to the Council of Europe, he received international coverage for his role in defeating the controversial McCafferty Report which sought to limit the right to conscientious objection for medical staff in the case of abortions.

Patricia Rosarie Casey is an Irish psychiatrist, academic, journalist and conservative commentator on social issues. She is Professor of Psychiatry at University College Dublin and consultant psychiatrist at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin. She is known for her regular column with the Irish Independent newspaper, and her conservative views on a variety of social issues.

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) was an Irish LGBT rights group based in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1988 by Don Donnelly, Charles Kerrigan, Suzy Byrne, Kieran Rose and Christopher Robson. It focused on achieving change in legislation and social policy to achieve full equality and inclusion for lesbian, gay and bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Ireland, and protection from all forms of discrimination. Its board of directors were Margot Slattery (chair), Simon Nugent, Muriel Walls, Séamus Dooley and Dr. Fergus Ryan. In May 2017 it was announced that it would close.

Fintan Connolly is an Irish film director, screenwriter and producer living in Dublin. Much of his earlier work was in television documentaries which explored social issues in Ireland. He has also made films, including Flick (2000), Trouble with Sex (2005), Eliot & Me (2012) and Barber (2023) through his production company Fubar Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pro Life Campaign</span> Anti-abortion advocacy organisation

Pro Life Campaign (PLC) is an Irish anti-abortion advocacy organisation. Its primary spokesperson is Cora Sherlock. It is a non-denominational organisation which promotes anti-abortion views, and opposes abortion in all circumstances, including cases of rape and incest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Zappone</span> American-born Irish politician (b. 1953)

Katherine Zappone is an American-Irish independent politician who served as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from May 2016 to June 2020. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constituency from 2016 to 2020. She previously served as a Senator from 2011 to 2016, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland</span> 2015 amendment permitting same-sex marriage

The Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution Act 2015 amended the Constitution of Ireland to permit marriage to be contracted by two persons without distinction as to their sex. Prior to the enactment, the Constitution was assumed to contain an implicit prohibition on same-sex marriage in the Republic of Ireland. It was approved at a referendum on 22 May 2015 by 62% of voters on a turnout of 61%. This was the first time that a state legalised same-sex marriage through a popular vote. Two legal challenges regarding the conduct of the referendum were dismissed on 30 July by the Court of Appeal, and the bill was signed into law by the President of Ireland on 29 August. An amendment to the Marriage Act 2015 provided for marriages permitted by the new constitutional status. The act came into force on 16 November 2015; the first same-sex marriage ceremony was held on 17 November 2015.

Mothers and Fathers Matter (MFM) was a campaign group in Ireland which was formed in September 2014 to oppose the Children and Family Relationships Bill. MFM also opposed the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2015.

Cora Sherlock is a writer, blogger and campaigner in the Irish anti-abortion movement. She is deputy chairperson of the Pro Life Campaign. In 2014, she was included in BBC's 100 Women series.

Women Hurt is an Irish anti-abortion organisation for women who regret having an abortion. They campaign against change in the state's abortion law. They have appeared on TV debates about abortion, and participated in anti-abortion protests.

Maria Steen is an Irish conservative campaigner. She is a qualified architect and a barrister. She is a member of the Iona Institute, and campaigned against same-sex marriage, and abortion in Ireland in the mid-to-late 2010s.

References

  1. ↑ Cummins, Mary (24 September 1992). "'Feminists for Life' to lobby". The Irish Times. p. 4. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Bourke, Angela, ed. (2002). The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing: Irish Women's Writing and Traditions, Volume 5. NYU Press. ISBN   9780814799079.
  3. ↑ Kayla Hertz. ""Should we let mothers marry their daughters?" conservative Breda O'Brien asks on marriage referendum - IrishCentral.com". IrishCentral. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  4. ↑ O'Brien, Breda. "Despite some awful dilemmas, abortion is not an option". The Irish Times . Dublin. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  5. ↑ O'Brien, Breda (2 August 2003). "First casualty of sexuality debate is balance". The Irish Times. p. 12. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 O'Brien, Breda (12 July 2008). "Same-sex relationships no substitute for marriage". The Irish Times. p. 14. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  7. ↑ O'Brien, Breda (5 July 2008). "Activists using 'homophobia' label as bullying tactic". The Irish Times. p. 14. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  8. ↑ O'Brien, Breda (26 June 2010). "Upside-down world if church denied freedom of speech". The Irish Times. p. 14. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  9. ↑ O'Brien, Breda (6 February 2010). "Genuinely tolerant society will not be a cold house for religion". The Irish Times. p. 16. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  10. ↑ Ryan, Órla (22 January 2014). "'Should we allow mothers to marry their daughters?'". TheJournal.ie . Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Breda O'Brien - interviewed on the Marian Finucane Show". Marian Finucane Show. 22 February 2014. RTÉ Radio 1 . Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  12. ↑ O'Brien, Breda (9 August 2014). "Defending the right to home educate children". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Breda O'Brien". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 July 2016.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.