Nell McCafferty
Encyclopedia
Nell McCafferty is an Irish
journalist
, playwright
, civil rights
campaigner and feminist. In her journalistic work she has written for The Irish Press
, The Irish Times
, Sunday Tribune
, Hot Press
and The Village Voice
.
McCafferty was born in Derry
, Northern Ireland
, to Hugh and Lily McCafferty, and spent her early years in the Bogside
section of Derry — a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city, which was home to the majority of its Catholic
population. Although her family were not wealthy, she had a comfortable upbringing and entered Queen's University Belfast (QUB), where she took a degree in Arts. After a brief spell as a substitute English teacher in Northern Ireland and a stint on an Israeli kibbutz
, she took up a post with The Irish Times
. It was her career in journalism, commentating on Northern Irish life and Republican
politics that brought her to public fame, and her outspoken attitudes on abortion, sexuality, feminism and contraception (in what was then a conservative nation) earned her a certain amount of notoriety.
In 1990, McCafferty won a Jacob's Award for her reports on the 1990 World Cup
for RTÉ Radio 1
's The Pat Kenny
Show. McCafferty lives in Ranelagh
, an area of Dublin. McCafferty published her autobiography, Nell, in 2004. In it, she explores her upbringing in a deeply sectarian and later war-riddled Derry, her relationship with her parents, her fears about being gay
, the joy of finding a domestic haven with the love of her life, the Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain
, and the pain of losing it.
In 2009, after the publication of the Murphy Report
into the abuse of children in the Dublin archdiocese, McCafferty confronted Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
asking him why the Catholic Church had not, as a "gesture of redemption", relinquished titles such as "Your Eminence" and "Your Grace."
Nell has recently courted controversy with a radio declaration that the Minister for Health Mary Harney is an alcoholic, a spat with Beaumont hospital over her treatment for a brain aneurysm, a nude photoshoot, and a public offer to euthanize with her stash of morphine any ailing friend who asks.
The Irish Times wrote that "Nell's distinctive voice, both written and spoken, has a powerful and provocative place in Irish society."
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
campaigner and feminist. In her journalistic work she has written for The Irish Press
The Irish Press
The Irish Press was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.-Foundation:...
, The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
, Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
and The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
.
McCafferty was born in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, to Hugh and Lily McCafferty, and spent her early years in the Bogside
Bogside
The Bogside is a neighbourhood outside the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. The area has been a focus point for many of the events of The Troubles, from the Battle of the Bogside and Bloody Sunday in the 1960s and 1970s...
section of Derry — a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city, which was home to the majority of its Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
population. Although her family were not wealthy, she had a comfortable upbringing and entered Queen's University Belfast (QUB), where she took a degree in Arts. After a brief spell as a substitute English teacher in Northern Ireland and a stint on an Israeli kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
, she took up a post with The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
. It was her career in journalism, commentating on Northern Irish life and Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
politics that brought her to public fame, and her outspoken attitudes on abortion, sexuality, feminism and contraception (in what was then a conservative nation) earned her a certain amount of notoriety.
In 1990, McCafferty won a Jacob's Award for her reports on the 1990 World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
for RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
's The Pat Kenny
Pat Kenny
Patrick "Pat" Kenny is an Irish broadcaster and former disc jockey and continuity announcer. He is employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is their highest paid presenter. He presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday morning between 10:00 and midday...
Show. McCafferty lives in Ranelagh
Ranelagh
Ranelagh is a residential area and urban village on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. It is in the postal district of Dublin 6. It is in the local government electoral area of Rathmines and the Dáil Constituency of Dublin South-East.-History:...
, an area of Dublin. McCafferty published her autobiography, Nell, in 2004. In it, she explores her upbringing in a deeply sectarian and later war-riddled Derry, her relationship with her parents, her fears about being gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, the joy of finding a domestic haven with the love of her life, the Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain
Nuala O'Faolain
Nuala O'Faolain was an Irish journalist, TV producer, book reviewer, teacher and author. She became internationally well-known for her two volumes of memoir, Are You Somebody? and Almost There; a novel, My Dream of You; and a history with commentary, The Story of Chicago May...
, and the pain of losing it.
In 2009, after the publication of the Murphy Report
Murphy Report
The Murphy Report is the brief name of the report of an investigation conducted by government of Ireland into the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin...
into the abuse of children in the Dublin archdiocese, McCafferty confronted Archbishop Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin
Diarmuid Martin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.-Early life and education:...
asking him why the Catholic Church had not, as a "gesture of redemption", relinquished titles such as "Your Eminence" and "Your Grace."
Nell has recently courted controversy with a radio declaration that the Minister for Health Mary Harney is an alcoholic, a spat with Beaumont hospital over her treatment for a brain aneurysm, a nude photoshoot, and a public offer to euthanize with her stash of morphine any ailing friend who asks.
The Irish Times wrote that "Nell's distinctive voice, both written and spoken, has a powerful and provocative place in Irish society."