Nell McCafferty
Irish writer (1944–2024)
Nell McCafferty (28 March 1944 – 21 August 2024) was an Irish journalist, playwright, civil rights campaigner and one of the founders of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement in 1970. She wrote for The Irish Press, The Irish Times, Sunday Tribune, Hot Press and The Village Voice. On 22 May 1971, along with over 40 other women, McCafferty was involved in the so-called "Contraceptive Train" episode, which travelled from Belfast in the North to Dublin, in an attempt to import prohibited "contraceptives" (in reality, mostly hundreds of packets of Aspirin painkillers) into the Irish Republic. It became an international embarrassment for the authorities; such an action potentially carried a prison sentence at the time.
Quotes
edit- We were touching a raw nerve. Women in Ireland wanted contraception. I mean, six children on average. Or maybe more.
- Cited in an article by Anthea McTeirnan "The 'contraceptive train' spawns a musical", The Irish Times (21 September 2015)
- Published in connection with The Train, by Arthur Riordan and Bill Whelan (music), was staged at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2015 and had short runs at the Abbey Theatre Dublin and The MAC Belfast in Spring 2017.
- It was massive that the crowd agreed with us because it was against the church. You just knew it resonated with women who thought "I needn’t get pregnant".
- It was never a condom train. We were never going to give control of our sexuality to men.
- Later comments (undated), as cited in "Nell McCafferty obituary: Irish journalist and rights campaigner", The Times (22 August 2024)
About McCafferty
edit- Her passion and wrath was not scattergun – it had a laser-like focus on calling out inequality and injustice. She suffered no fools but had a kindness and warmth for many.
- As one of the women who took the train in 1971, she set in train an unstoppable wave for equality and a changing of Ireland for the better. That change has not yet reached its conclusion but it would be nowhere if it wasn't for warriors like Nell.
In an Ireland trying to emerge from the shadows and find who it was, Nell McCafferty was one of the people who knew exactly who she was and wasn't afraid to enter every battle for gay and women's rights. We all owe her a great debt for this.
Nell McCafferty left Ireland a much better place than she found it and she played her part with spirit and style.- Simon Harris, Irish Taoiseach, as cited in "Irish journalist and feminist activist Nell McCafferty dies aged 80", Evening Standard (21 August 2024)
