Nora Bennis

Nora Bennis (11 November 1940 – 11 February 2019)

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. Nora and Gerry had three daughters and a son.

Early activism Bennis began her activism after going to a 1990 conference in Brighton hoping to hear Mother Teresa, who did not attend. 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. They marched barefoot up and down Ellen Street with Rosary Beads in their hands This unexpectedly strong showing increased her media profile. 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.