Máirín de Burca
{{short description|Irish writer, journalist and activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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Máirín de Burca (born 1938) is an Irish writer, journalist and activist. She is particularly well known in her role with Mary Anderson, of forcing a change in Irish law to enable women to serve on juries.{{cite web|url=https://atheist.ie/2013/05/secular-sunday-72/|title=Profile: Máirín de Burca web|website=atheist.ie|access-date=2018-06-25|archive-date=2018-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161041/https://atheist.ie/2013/05/secular-sunday-72/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-juries-a-system-that-needs-to-adapt-1.3488145 |date=May 9, 2018 |title=The Irish Times view on juries: a system that needs to adapt |newspaper=Irish Times |access-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-date=May 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513075904/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-juries-a-system-that-needs-to-adapt-1.3488145 |url-status=live }}{{cite book|author=Angela Bourke|title=The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZ6W1LiIyYYC&pg=PA182|year=2002|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=978-0-8147-9907-9|pages=182–|access-date=2018-06-25|archive-date=2021-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923133921/https://books.google.com/books?id=qZ6W1LiIyYYC&pg=PA182|url-status=live}}
Activism
A leading Sinn Féin and Official Sinn Féin member (General Secretary for 11 years), de Burca was a founding member of the Irish Women's Liberation Movement in 1970. She was also a member of the Dublin Housing Action Committee, formed in May 1967, the Irish Voice on Vietnam, the Irish Anti-Apartheid movement, the Prisoner's Rights Organisation and Right to Die Ireland. As an activist she has been jailed for 3 months (for her anti-Vietnam War activities where she took down the flag and burnt it) and fined (for her attacks on Richard Nixon's car during a visit to Ireland) during 1970.{{Citation|title=Máirín de Búrca|url=https://www.facebook.com/ITWomensPodcast/videos/m%C3%A1ir%C3%ADn-de-b%C3%BArca/325390134672222/|language=en|access-date=2019-06-15|publisher=ITWomensPodcast|archive-date=2021-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923133918/https://www.facebook.com/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FITWomensPodcast%2Fvideos%2Fm%25C3%25A1ir%25C3%25ADn-de-b%25C3%25BArca%2F325390134672222%2F|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/nixons-forgotten-visit-to-be-recalled-in-documentary-132406.html |title=Nixon’s ‘forgotten visit’ to be recalled in documentary |first=Conall |last=O Fátharta |date=October 2, 2010 |newspaper=Irish Examiner |access-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161033/https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/nixons-forgotten-visit-to-be-recalled-in-documentary-132406.html |url-status=live }} In 1971 the Contraceptive Train was organised by the Irish Women's Liberation Movement. This was a train to Northern Ireland so that women could buy contraceptives and openly bring them back to the Republic. This subject was delicate and de Burca made the active decision not to go as she feared the reaction because she was not married at the time.{{Cite news |first=Rosita |last=Sweetman |date=July 2, 2011 |url=https://www.independent.ie/world-news/the-matriarch-who-served-up-stew-and-social-progress-26747770.html |title=The matriarch who served up stew and social progress |newspaper=Irish Independent |access-date=2018-06-26 |language=en |archive-date=2018-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118210643/https://www.independent.ie/world-news/the-matriarch-who-served-up-stew-and-social-progress-26747770.html |url-status=live }}
She was the Official Sinn Féin candidate at the 1973 general election for the Dublin North-Central constituency. She received 1,667 (4.8%) first-preference votes but was not elected.
She has been involved in a legal case which changed Irish law and Ireland.{{cite book|url=https://www.claruspress.ie/shop/legal-cases-that-changed-ireland/|title=Legal Cases that Changed Ireland|editor1=Professor Ivana Bacik|editor2=Dr Mary Rogan|isbn=978-1-905536-85-6|publisher=Clarus Press|date=2016|access-date=2018-06-25|archive-date=2018-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625133933/https://www.claruspress.ie/shop/legal-cases-that-changed-ireland/|url-status=live}} The two litigants were represented in court by Mary Robinson and Donal Barrington. That case allowed for the Juries Act 1976 which now allows any Irish citizen aged 18 or over who is registered to vote in general elections to be involved in a jury.{{cite news |date=April 16, 2013 |first=Ruadhan |last=Mac Cormaic |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/law-reform-proposals-merit-serious-consideration-1.1361244 |title=Law reform proposals merit serious consideration |newspaper=Irish Times |access-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-date=April 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418024214/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/law-reform-proposals-merit-serious-consideration-1.1361244 |url-status=live }}
Despite her activism, de Burca is considered a militant pacifist.{{cite book|author=Roy H. W. Johnston|title=Century of Endeavour: A Biographical and Autobiographical View of the Twentieth Century in Ireland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D07FBjetYM0C&pg=PA265|year=2004|publisher=Academica Press, LLC|isbn=978-1-930901-76-6|pages=265–|access-date=2018-06-25|archive-date=2021-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923133918/https://books.google.com/books?id=D07FBjetYM0C&pg=PA265|url-status=live}}
In 2017 de Burca was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Law by University College Dublin.{{cite web|url=http://www.ucd.ie/newsandopinion/news/2017/dec/08/honorarydegreesrecogniseoutstandingimpactoffiveindividuals/|title=Honorary degrees for activist, science leader, linguist, justice advocate and finance expert|date=December 8, 2017|publisher=University College Dublin|access-date=June 25, 2018|archive-date=June 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625185233/http://www.ucd.ie/newsandopinion/news/2017/dec/08/honorarydegreesrecogniseoutstandingimpactoffiveindividuals/|url-status=live}} A Supreme Court judge who found against her concluded his judgement by saying: "I admire Máirín de Búrca for her humanity and compassionate concern for the underprivileged, and admire her for her courage in sacrificing her liberty on their behalf."
Further reading
- [https://www.historyireland.com/volume-22/angry-protests-greet-de-valeras-last-address-oireachtas/ Dublin Housing Action Committee]
- [https://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/recording/kz0064 An informal meeting with Mairin de Burca of Sinn Fein / interviewed by Tim McGovern and Susan Anderson.]
- [https://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/recording/kz0019 Irish history in perspective / Mairin de Burca ; produced by Tim McGovern.]
- [http://www.100archive.com/project/women-to-blame Women To Blame]
- [http://nearfm.ie/podcast/?p=20895 The Better Side: Máirín de Burca]
- [https://www.rte.ie/archives/2015/0308/685174-international-womens-day/ Irish Women’s Movement 2000]
References
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Category:Irish socialist feminists