Eileen Flynn

Eileen Flynn (1955 – 9 September 2008) was a teacher in New Ross, County Wexford, who was sacked for being pregnant while unmarried.[1][2]

Eileen Flynn taught English and history at the Holy Faith Convent in New Ross.[1] In August 1982 she was dismissed from her post. A letter sent to her by the school claimed that complaints had been made to the school by parents of pupils and said that she had rejected the schools norms of behaviour.[1]

She was living with her partner Richie Roche, the father of her child, who was separated from his wife. (Irish law did not recognise divorce at the time). Eventually, she married Roche in 1997.[3]

She took unfair dismissal cases to the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Circuit Court as well as to the High Court, eventually losing all cases.[4]

The dismissal was controversial at the time,[5][6] she was featured in the media[3] and was later referred to during Dáil[7] and Seanad debates, including that on the Employment Equality Bill.[8]

She died suddenly on 9 September 2008 and her funeral was held on 12 September 2008.[9]

Marguerite Bolger claims that such a case is still possible.[10] Eileen Flynn herself was referred to in the Seanad debates as saying that it would still be possible to dismiss her under the legislation being debated in 1997.[11] The case has been mentioned in discussion of church-state relations.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Eileen Flynn, teacher sacked in 1982, dies". The Irish Times. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  2. ↑ Hundreds bid farewell to Eileen Flynn Roche, New Ross Standard, 18 September 2008, retrieved 9 June 2009
  3. 1 2 "Councillor Joe Ryan on Eileen Flynn". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  4. ↑ Flynn v. Power [1985] IEHC 1 (8 March 1985)
  5. ↑ Justine McCarthy (14 September 2008). "The heroic legacy of Eileen Roche". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  6. ↑ Maeve Sheehan (14 September 2008). "Teacher who learned the hardest lesson". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  7. ↑ "Dáil Éireann – Volume 362 – 3 December 1985 Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. – Unfair Dismissals Act.". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  8. ↑ "Seanad Éireann – Volume 150 – 12 March 1997 Employment Equality Bill, 1996: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage.". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  9. ↑ "Death notice". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  10. ↑ Marguerite Bolger (23 October 2003). "Discrimination on Grounds of Religion: Theory and Practice (THE EUROPEAN NETWORK AGAINST RACISM CONFERENCE)" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  11. ↑ "Seanad Éireann – Volume 150 – 20 February 1997 Employment Equality Bill, 1996: Second Stage.". Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  12. ↑ "Should we lose faith". Irish Independent. 4 February 2006. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
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