Death of Nell McCafferty

Gael23

The death has taken place over night of Nell McCafferty

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0821/1465962-nell-mccafferty/

FrancieBrady

Didn't always agree with her, but she was a stalwart and fearless defender of Irish rights and women's rights when they were thin on the ground. RIP Nell.

Avatar in the Post

Always liked to hear her opinion, and yes she had a withering, dry sense of humour.

She was regularly on Irish TV when I was growing up. I remember thinking, haven’t seen/heard from for a while. Seems like she never got over losing her partner. Sorry we’ll not hear her opinions again.

RIP

AndrewJRenko

She did amazing work on the Kerry Babies case, originally as a court reporter, then with her book - exposing the lies of the Gardai and their associates.

griffin100

She was an ever present voice on the TV and radio when I was a kid and I never liked listening to her. As I got older I realised the importance of her work, her writing and her commentary and what she contributed to Irish society. Remember, she railed against the system at a time when you couldn't buy a condom without a prescription, when rape in marriage did not exist in the eyes of the law, when husbands could commit their wife's on a whim. Her writing on the Kerry Babies Tribunal was really important. She leaves a legacy we should be grateful for.

cml387

Also worth mentioning her work for the Irish Times in the seventies covering the courts in her own inimitable style (until she peed off some worthy milord I seem to recall).

Sardonicat

RIP Nell. A hero of mine since I was a child.

gormdubhgorm

Nell certainly was a force of nature. She had an opinion on everything, whether she knew anything about it or not!

For example, I remember back in 1994 World Cup she was brought on a panel with Frank Stapleton (Footballer) she was generally being cantankerous. And shouted over him, leading to a fairly bemused looking Frank.

In later years I remember Nell appeared as a participant manager on “Celebrity Bainisteoir” Nell went into it expecting/hoping that the lads on the team would disrespect her because she was a woman. By the end of it she was honest enough to admit she was wrong and they were a nice bunch of lads. Even having a new appreciation of the male psyche.

The world will be a less colourful place. RIP Nell McCafferty.

Francis McM

Never had much time for her. On November 7, 1987, she declared on RTE that she supported the IRA. The next day the IRA murdered 11 Protestants in the Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen.

At least she admitted that she recognised with that bombing that the Provos was sectarian just like she herself was.

On a positive note, at least she done some positive work in helping secure contraception for women here south of the border when there was none generally available. But that would have come anyway.

Gael23

My biggest dislike of her was her mouth, she said exactly what she thought even when it wasn’t appropriate,topped off by the incident with Mary Harney in 2010.
Nonetheless this should not be allowed to overshadow what she done for women’s rights