Tributes have been paid to respected feminist campaigner, journalist and author Nell McCaffrey, who passed away aged 80.
She died in the early hours of this morning at a nursing home in Co Donegal, it was confirmed.
In 1971, she was also part of a group of women who travelled from Dublin to Belfast on the so-called “contraceptive train” to buy contraceptives, defying Dublin customs by illegally bringing these contraceptives past the Connolly Station barrier, which was a landmark moment.
“suffered no fools”
Nell McCaffrey was a key player in campaigns and issues which received national and international attention which included Bloody Sunday, the Kerry Babies cases, as well as sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.
She also worked for several media outlets including The Irish Times, Hot Press, and The Sunday Tribune. She also was a regular panellist on radio and TV programmes. Such shows included Women Today.
In 2016, McCaffrey received an honorary doctorate of literature from University College Cork.
Tributes were also paid to McCaffrey following her death, including Taoiseach Simon Harris, who called her a “fierce, fearless and fiery” campaigner, “who suffered no fools”.
Nell McCaffrey was in a relationship with writer Nuala O’Faolain for over 15 years until they separated. She died in 2008.
