Nora Bennis

Nora Bennis (b. 1941/1942)[1] is an Irish housewife and political activist from Limerick, who was a prominent advocate of traditional Catholic family values in the Republic of Ireland in the 1990s.[2]

Early and personal life

Bennis was born Nora Shinners, the daughter of Paul Shinners, a veteran of the Easter Rising and Fianna Fáil supporter who emigrated to England and returned to Limerick after marrying Margaret, with whom he had five children.[2] Aged 22, Nora married Gerry Bennis, who worked for Telecom Éireann and was prominent in Limerick GAA;[2] his brothers Richie and Phil both won a 1973 All-Ireland hurling medal.[3] Nora and Gerry had three daughters (Gráinne, Aéidín and Muirne) and an adopted son (Rory).[2] She has taught Irish dance.[4] Her daughter Muirne currently teaches Irish dance.

Early activism

Bennis began her activism after going to a 1990 conference in Brighton hoping to hear Mother Teresa, who did not attend.[2] She was impressed by speakers who criticised the "liberal agenda".[2] After the 1992 X case reopened Ireland's abortion debate, she started Women Working at Home and the Irish Mothers Working at Home Association, as a support network for housewives who felt isolated or ignored.[2][5] She criticised the Department of Education's sex education program as being values-free,[6] and its "Stay Safe" program of child sexual abuse awareness as undermining parental authority.[7]

In 1994 she became leader of the Solidarity Movement, an alliance of independent political candidates linked to the Family Solidarity pressure-group.[2] She stood as an independent in Munster in the 1994 European Parliament election, getting 5% of the first-preference vote.[8] This unexpectedly strong showing increased her media profile.[2] In 1995 the Solidarity Movement was part of the "No to Divorce" campaign, one of two coalitions which opposed the successful 1995 referendum to introduce divorce.[2] After the referendum, she founded the National Party, which was anti-abortion and proposed a £100 allowance for non-working mothers.[4] She stood for the party in Limerick East in the general elections of 1997 and 2002 and the 1998 by-election, with progressively smaller votes.[8]

2010s

Bennis is spokesperson for Catholic Democrats (The National Party) (previously named National Party and the Christian Democrats) and secretary of Mothers Alliance Ireland; both groups opposed the 2012 children's rights amendment.[9][10][11] She formed a group called Alliance of Parents Against the State, intended to co-ordinate opposition to the amendment.[12] She claimed the amendment would put children "in grave danger of being legally snatched by the State".[13]

Bennis was one of three substitutes for Catholic Democrats (The National Party) candidate Theresa Heaney in the South constituency in the 2014 European elections.[14] She was a candidate in the 2016 General Election in the Limerick City constituency, where she failed to be elected, being eliminated on the 2nd count with a total of 673 first-preference votes.[15][16][17]

References

  1. ↑ "You know who I am, and what I stand for". The Irish Times. 26 May 1997. Retrieved 9 November 2012. You can tell by the smile lines around her 56 year old eyes.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cummins, Mary (21 September 1995). "Seeking the return of Dev's dream". The Irish Times. p. 13. ; reprinted in
    • Cummins, Mary (1996-10-01). The best of About women. Marino. pp. 119–123. ISBN 9781860230479.
    • Deane, Seamus; Carpenter, Andrew; Williams, Jonathan (2002). Irish women's writing and traditions. The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing. Vol.5. NYU Press. pp. 277–9. ISBN 9780814799079. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  3. ↑ Woulfe, Jimmy (17 August 2007). "Limerick hurling fan dies of cancer on death row". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 July 2015. Nora Bennis, who is married to Richie Bennis’s brother, Gerry
  4. 1 2 Murdoch, Alan (27 May 1997). "'Rainbow' coalition narrows gap in run-up to Irish poll". The Independent (London). Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  5. ↑ Kennedy, Finola (2001). Cottage to crèche: family change in Ireland. Institute of Public Administration. ISBN 9781902448589.
  6. ↑ Inglis, Tom (1999-01-01). Lessons in Irish sexuality. University College Dublin Press. p. 117. ISBN 9781900621168.
  7. ↑ "Bennis leads national Solidarity campaign for family values". The Irish Times. 6 July 1994. p. 4. Retrieved 14 November 2012.(subscription required)
  8. 1 2 Took, Christopher; Seán Donnelly. "Nora Bennis". electionsireland. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  9. ↑ Griffin, Dan (6 November 2012). "No campaign bemoans lack of time and resources -". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  10. ↑ Reilly, Jerome (4 November 2012). "Neither-seen-nor-heard campaign is not giving up". Sunday Independent (Dublin). Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  11. ↑ Minihan, Mary (30 October 2012). "Who opposes children's referendum?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  12. ↑ Collins, Stephen (17 October 2012). "Yes campaign in pole position to carry proposal but turnout concerns persist". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  13. ↑ Bennis, Nora (2 November 2012). "Why I will vote no in children’s referendum". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  14. ↑ "EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2014 SOUTH CONSTITUENCY NOTICE OF POLL". Office of the Returning Officer. Cork: City Sheriff's Office. 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  15. ↑ http://www.catholicdemocrats.ie/
  16. ↑ http://irishelectionliterature.com/2016/02/23/leaflet-from-nora-bennis-catholic-democrats-limerick-city-ge16/
  17. ↑ http://www.rte.ie/news/election-2016/constituencies/limerick-city/
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