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BreakingNews.ie
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Clerical abuse survivor Michael O'Brien gave 'a voice to the voiceless', funeral hears
Abuse survivor and former Mayor of Clonmel, Michael O'Brien, gave 'a voice to the voiceless' and lived a life rich in service to others, his requiem mass has heard. Mr O'Brien of Oliver Plunkett Terrace in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, died on Tuesday at his daughter Geraldine's residence. Advertisement The 92-year-old was predeceased in 2022 by his wife, Mary. His granddaughter Jeanette Kelly told mourners at St Mary's Church in Irishtown that Michael had made an impact on the nation 'in a matter of minutes' in 2009 when he spoke on RTÉ about the abuse he had suffered at an industrial school. 'Those powerful words (on RTE's Questions and Answers) made a difference. As they get repeated on the airwaves over the last few days, they still ring true," she said. "Looking over the condolences, it is amazing how many lives he touched and how he gave a voice to those suffering and created hope. It is a powerful reminder that one voice can change everything.' Advertisement Jeanette, who was joined on the altar by her sister Sharon, who read a poem, said that her grandfather was very much a family man. She stated that her grandparents, Michael and Mary, loved to dance and were ballroom dancing champions. 'At all our weddings, they hit the dance floor. Now they would really show you what Dancing with the Stars was like. They would glide across any dance floor. I have no doubt that any judge would have given them the perfect ten. As kids, we loved standing on his feet trying to dance as good as they were around the sitting room.' Jeanette said that Tramore in Co Waterford was a 'slice of heaven' for her grandparents. Advertisement 'Their mobile (home). A home away from home where everybody was welcome. Dinners on a Sunday were his speciality. "The love of his life was (his wife) Mary, together for a lifetime until she passed in 2022. In his final days, he would ask us, 'Will she be waiting for me?' I'd like to think there is a mobile home up in the sky where it is always sunny because they were both sun worshippers. And they are back together, reunited and happy.' Meanwhile, Fr Billy Meehan, chief celebrant at the 10am mass, said Michael was above all else 'a community person.' 'He served as Mayor of Clonmel, and during that time, he served it with distinction. During his lifetime, he served in the O.N.E. and he did two stretches out in the Congo. That was part of his service to the country," Fr Meehan said. Advertisement "We all remember the night on 'Questions and Answers' when he told the story of his own life and the impact it had made. From that, he got a national profile. "When you stroll down through the condolences, you can see that people from all over the country were influenced by his presence that night and by the hope he gave to people. He was speaking out for people who had no voice. That was the great legacy that Michael left.' Offertory gifts included his People of the Year award, a golf club, a photo of his time as Mayor of Clonmel, the artwork of his great-grandchildren, a newspaper, a candle bearing the image of his 'beloved' wife Mary, and a packet of toffees. President Michael D Higgins was represented at the mass by his aide de camp, Captain Pat Fitzgerald. Advertisement Mr O'Brien is survived by his children Geraldine, Peter, Martin and Catriona, his sister, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family and his many friends. He was laid to rest at St Patrick's Cemetery. As a child Mr O'Brien spent eight years in St Joseph's Industrial School in Clonmel in Co Tipperary where he was raped and severely beaten. He spoke out following the publication of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse in 2009. On Questions and Answers, he told then-Government Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Noel Dempsey that he had attempted to end his own life after spending five days being questioned at the Commission. Mr O'Brien said that his account of being raped and beaten had been questioned at the Commission. 'They brought a man over from Rome, ninety odd years of age, to tell me I was telling lies, that I wasn't beaten for an hour non-stop by two of them from head to toe without a shred of cloth on my body.' He asked panel member Leo Varadkar to ask his leader to stop 'making a political football out of this.' 'You hurt us when you do that. You tear the shreds from inside our body. For God's sake, try and give us some peace and not continue hurting us.' Broadcaster John Bowman, who presented the show, said Mr O'Brien's words had 'a greater impact than any other contribution from the audience in the history of the programme.' If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .
Euronews
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
'I am less racist than Gandhi': Karla Sofía Gascón opens up about her controversial tweets
ADVERTISEMENT Thanks to her performance in the controversial but Cannes winning Emilia Pérez , Karla Sofía Gascón reached the pinnacle of her success. She won several awards, earned widespread recognition and became the first out transgender performer to be nominated for an Oscar. Euronews Culture even selected Gascón as one of our People of the Year . We wrote: "Her fearless turn makes her 2024's most unforgettable silver screen star, and having had the pleasure of meeting her at this year's European Film Awards , Gascón is as kind as she is talented, exuding remarkable movie star charisma and communicating infectious joy." However, it soon came crumbling down after a series of resurfaced tweets sent the actress to rock bottom. Gascón is unfiltered, unapologetic, "for better and for worse", as she herself acknowledges. After weeks of silence following the backlash, she reappeared in Madrid to present her new book: "Lo que queda de mí" ("What's left of me"). The actress from Alcobendas sat down with Euronews Culture and other media outlets to explain how she felt after being cancelled, whether she would handle it differently today, her absence from the Oscars red carpet , and how this book - that mixes reality and fiction - serves as her redemption. "It's a book that will move you, that talks about the struggle, about her identity, about crucial moments in her career", begins the description by the publisher of Almuzara, before handing the spotlight to the author herself. "I found myself in a very complicated situation" This is the first time she has published a book in Spain. It is based on a previous publication she made in Mexico and which has been updated with the latest events and reflections of her life. "This book is part of a very difficult moment in my life", she acknowledges in reference to the situation she had to deal with after several tweets from her past came to light. "I found myself in a very complicated situation, everything I had built in my life fell down." Karla Sofía Gascón in Emilia Pérez Credit: Pathé - Netflix Throughout the 500 pages, which she initially began writing in 2017, there are fictionalised episodes of her life. Gascón describes it as a "wonderful publication that tells many things about me, but the reader must discover which are true and which are not". She has chosen this format to move away from a conventional autobiography, with her editor stressing that she has an "extremely good" story and way of expressing herself. Gascón lays herself bare in this work, acknowledging that she recounts some of the most complicated moments of her life, some of them related to the high spheres of power in Mexico, where she built a successful acting career. This was a "marvellous" stage of her life, in which she ended up falling in love with a senator of the Republic and becoming involved in a "very complicated" relationship. Related Oscar favourite Karla Sofía Gascón faces backlash – Why are people turning against 'Emilia Pérez'? Karla Sofía Gascón receives Spanish Actors and Actresses Union award: 'I am a woman like any other' I am less racist than Gandhi and less of a Vox fan than Echenique. Karla Sofía Gascón Actress Aware of the controversy generated in recent weeks , she made a declaration of intent at a lunch we attended. "I'm going to give you the headline: I'm less racist than Gandhi and less Vox than Echenique". The remark spread like wildfire, making her a trending topic on social media within 24 hours. With this statement, she pushed back against the accusations levelled against her since past tweets came to light - statements which many have considered racist or ultra-conservative. ADVERTISEMENT "Hate can only be stopped with love and not with more hate," she says, assuring that she is now feeling much better after what happened and reiterating that she has been the victim of a coordinated attack. "Nobody has to forgive me for anything" Gascón is aware that her 2015 tweets have offended many, but she argues that they have been taken out of context, that some were manipulated, and that her views have evolved over time. She also claims she had no recollection of writing the tweets and that she had almost deleted her account days before they resurfaced because she did not agree with Elon Musk's views. "I didn't leave X because after being nominated for the Golden Globes as they gave me new rights to the account without paying", she says with a laugh. ADVERTISEMENT Despite the controversy, she insists that "no one has to forgive me anything, if anyone has felt offended by my statements, let them explain it to me," she adds. "I have seen so many people talk about me without knowing me, calling me a Vox lady, extreme right-wing or racist". Actor Karla Sofía Gascón looks on from her seat before the Oscars on Sunday, 2 March 2025. Credit: AP Photo The actress also addressed how the controversy affected her career and public perception. Even when she was nominated for an Oscar, she wasn't allowed on the red carpet. "I didn't even notice, they made me go somewhere else and then I realised I had jumped the carpet," she explains. "They wanted to turn me into a robot, into someone immaculate who represents I don't know who. I don't represent anyone but myself. If someone identifies with me, great, but I'm not perfect and I don't want to be. Art comes from human imperfection." Regarding the accusations of racism , Gascón emphasised her personal history. ADVERTISEMENT "I find it totally unfair to be labelled a racist, a word I have fought against all my life. I have spent my life supporting the causes of Black people, of other ethnic groups, and to be labelled as such is something that does not fit in my head". Gascón also suggested that there could be a deliberate intention behind the controversy. "Obviously, there is an intention to take four words out of context. They have chosen what they wanted to create - an image of me that I am not." Resilience and future Despite the damage suffered, the actress showed resilience and a focus on the future. ADVERTISEMENT "My fuel is the hate I receive," she says. "I turn it into something useful to overcome myself. I don't regret the silence I kept after the cancellation, it was a battle against myself that I won. This book has helped me to get my life back on track, to move forward." With "What's left of me", Gascón not only seeks to redeem herself, but also invites the reader to reflect on the concepts of truth, identity and personal struggle. "Life is like that... When you are at the top, something brings you down," she states. "But I still believe in humanity, and I have a responsibility to my daughter and to myself not to give up."
