Nora Bennis

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title: "Nora Bennis" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1940-births", "2019-deaths", "housewives", "irish-roman-catholics", "irish-anti-abortion-activists", "irish-women-activists", "politicians-from-county-limerick", "candidates-in-dáil-elections"] description: "Irish housewife and political activist" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nora_Bennis" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Irish housewife and political activist ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Nora Bennis
image	Nora_Bennis.jpg
alt
caption	Bennis, 1990s
birth_name	Nora Shinners
birth_date
death_date
occupation
years_active	1992 to 2016
party	Catholic Democrats
::

| name = Nora Bennis | image = Nora_Bennis.jpg | alt = | caption = Bennis, 1990s | birth_name = Nora Shinners | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = | years_active = 1992 to 2016 | party = Catholic Democrats | known_for = | notable_works = Nora Bennis (11 November 1940 – 11 February 2019) was an Irish housewife and political activist from Limerick, who was a prominent advocate of traditional Catholic family values in the 1990s. ; reprinted in

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. Aged 22, Nora married Gerry Bennis, who worked for Telecom Éireann and was prominent in Limerick GAA; his brothers Richie and Phil both won a 1973 All-Ireland hurling medal. Nora and Gerry had three daughters and a son. She taught 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. She was impressed by speakers who criticised the "liberal agenda". 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. She criticised the Department of Education's sex education program as being values-free, and its "Stay Safe" program of child sexual abuse awareness as undermining parental authority.

In the mid 1990s, Bennis called for a boycott of a sex shop which had opened in Limerick, and staged a protest outside the shop where she led her supporters in saying the rosary.

In 1994 she became leader of the Solidarity Movement, an alliance of independent political candidates linked to the Family Solidarity pressure-group. She stood as an independent in Munster in the 1994 European Parliament election, getting 5% of the first-preference vote. This unexpectedly strong showing increased her media profile. 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. After the referendum, she founded the National Party, which was anti-abortion and proposed a £100 allowance for non-working mothers. She stood for the party in Limerick East in the general elections of 1997 and 2002 and the 1998 by-election, receiving progressively fewer votes.

2010s

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

Bennis was one of three substitutes for Catholic Democrats candidate Theresa Heaney in the South constituency in the 2014 European elections. She was a candidate in the 2016 general election in the Limerick City constituency, where she failed to be elected, receiving 1.4% of the first-preference vote.

Death

Bennis died in Limerick on 11 February 2019, aged 78.

References

References

1. (26 May 1997). "You know who I am, and what I stand for". [[The Irish Times]].
2. Woulfe, Jimmy. (17 August 2007). "Limerick hurling fan dies of cancer on death row". Irish Examiner.
3. Murdoch, Alan. (27 May 1997). "'Rainbow' coalition narrows gap in run-up to Irish poll". [[The Independent]].
4. Kennedy, Finola. (2001). "Cottage to crèche: family change in Ireland". Institute of Public Administration.
5. Inglis, Tom. (1999-01-01). "Lessons in Irish sexuality". University College Dublin Press.
6. (6 July 1994). "Bennis leads national Solidarity campaign for family values". The Irish Times.
7. Took, Christopher. "Nora Bennis". electionsireland.
8. Griffin, Dan. (6 November 2012). "No campaign bemoans lack of time and resources -". [[The Irish Times]].
9. Reilly, Jerome. (4 November 2012). "Neither-seen-nor-heard campaign is not giving up". [[Sunday Independent (Ireland).
10. Minihan, Mary. (30 October 2012). "Who opposes children's referendum?". [[The Irish Times]].
11. Collins, Stephen. (17 October 2012). "Yes campaign in pole position to carry proposal but turnout concerns persist". [[The Irish Times]].
12. Bennis, Nora. (2 November 2012). "Why I will vote no in children's referendum". [[Irish Examiner]].
13. (2014). "EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2014 SOUTH CONSTITUENCY NOTICE OF POLL". City Sheriff's Office.
14. "Catholic Democrats".
15. (23 February 2016). "Leaflet from Nora Bennis -Catholic Democrats -Limerick City #ge16".
16. "Limerick City".
17. Cathy Halloran. (11 February 2019). "Campaigner Nora Bennis dies in Limerick aged 78". RTÉ.

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