Louise ONeill

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Louise O'Neill
Louise O'Neill: Sometimes people who are struggling can behave in ways that are hard to understand. What do we do when we are confronted by that?
Louise O'Neill
For most people recovery will be a series of false starts and empty promises
Louise O'Neill
The subculture came to prominence after a self-proclaimed ‘incel’ ploughed a van into a crowd of pedestrians in Toronto, killing 10 and wounding 14
Louise O'Neill
If the quantity of voice notes I send daily is anything to go by, I am developing an unhealthy dependence on them
Louise O'Neill
A retreat made me evaluate how much has changed in the last six years
From religion to politics to identity, this ‘othering’ of anyone who is different than us is insidious
From religion to politics to identity, this ‘othering’ of anyone who is different than us is insidious

There are quite a few things in my everyday life that can catapult me head-first into an indignant rage. People walking too slowly in front of me, writes Louise O'Neill.

Sat, 03 Feb, 2018

Are we all in agreement that New Year’s Eve is the worst night of the year?
Are we all in agreement that New Year’s Eve is the worst night of the year?

Are we all in agreement that New Year’s Eve is the worst night of the year? There’s too much pressure to have a good time, you can’t get a drink at the bar (oh, the humanity!), you have to pretend you know the words to Auld Lang Syne, and to add insult to injury, you are subjected to countless videos on Facebook of the ‘My Year in Ten Million Photos’ variety. No one cares, Aunty Maureen, get off social media.

Sat, 30 Dec, 2017

'You've to move forward, knowing someone hurt you and will never say they’re sorry'
'You've to move forward, knowing someone hurt you and will never say they’re sorry'

Much to the surprise of some readers of this column (thank you, strange man on the internet for telling me I was ‘permanently outraged’ and ‘exhausting’ — I truly believe we could have a future together. Call me), I’m not very confrontational.

Sat, 18 Nov, 2017

Not all men but far too many women
Not all men but far too many women

We wonder what their ulterior motives are and we give them close-lipped smiles and wish they would leave us alone, writes Louise O'Neill

Sat, 04 Nov, 2017

No matter how much time recovery takes, no matter how much energy — it is still easier than living with an addiction
No matter how much time recovery takes, no matter how much energy — it is still easier than living with an addiction

There are a few words that I use extensively in my daily life. Patriarchy. Misogyny. Feminism. Intersectionality. (I am great craic, please invite me to your parties.)

Sat, 22 Jul, 2017

Human rights that we take for granted can easily be taken away from us
Human rights that we take for granted can easily be taken away from us

How is it possible that this novel was written in 1985, and yet so little has changed in 15 years, asks Louise O’Neill.

Sat, 17 Jun, 2017

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you might miss it
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you might miss it

There has always been a certainty with Áine that no matter what happened we would always be connected, says Louise O’Neill.

Sat, 10 Jun, 2017

If you marry for money then you will end up earning every penny of it
If you marry for money then you will end up earning every penny of it

Being a trophy wife is not real power. Real power is never dependent on someone else’s mood and/or generosity, says Louise O’Neill.

Sat, 03 Jun, 2017

Men are not the ones who will be left holding the baby
Men are not the ones who will be left holding the baby

You might not like the idea of abortion. You might never like it. No one is ever going to force you to terminate your pregnancy.

Sat, 27 May, 2017

I am a writer, all my dreams have come true, but why do I not feel whole yet?
I am a writer, all my dreams have come true, but why do I not feel whole yet?

I spent this morning listing the reasons why I became a writer, says Louise O’Neill.

Sat, 06 May, 2017

I keep returning home to my childhood bed. I keep returning home to be happy
I keep returning home to my childhood bed. I keep returning home to be happy

On a recent Saturday night, I spent an hour lecturing some poor man about gender politics — it wasn’t my fault!

Sat, 15 Apr, 2017

I want to encourage teenage girls to take up more space in the world, not less
I want to encourage teenage girls to take up more space in the world, not less

Sometimes I get messages from people who want my opinion on a particular topic or event because, they say, I am ‘always right’.

Sat, 08 Apr, 2017

We are all women and, more importantly, we are all human
We are all women and, more importantly, we are all human

I ??shouldn’t be writing this column. The last thing the world needs right now is yet another cisgender woman sermonising about her views on the trans community.

Sat, 01 Apr, 2017

Thank you mum, for believing in me when I couldn’t even believe in myself
Thank you mum, for believing in me when I couldn’t even believe in myself

In a study released in 2013, scientists found that when they applied an electric shock to mice as they were exposed to the smell of cherry blossoms, the mice were, in time, trained to fear that scent. 

Sat, 25 Mar, 2017

Powerful men, accused of crimes against women, should fail at the box office
Powerful men, accused of crimes against women, should fail at the box office

Supposedly sexually harassing women in the work place and going on to win an Academy Award for best actor are perfect examples of rape culture, says Louise O’Neill.

Sun, 19 Mar, 2017

I enjoy my own company. It is only when I am alone that I know who I truly am.
I enjoy my own company. It is only when I am alone that I know who I truly am.

I can be sociable and outgoing but I require a great deal of time by myself in order to recharge, says Louise O’Neill.

Sat, 11 Mar, 2017

Mná na hÉireann, I am proud to be one of you
Mná na hÉireann, I am proud to be one of you

International Women’s Day is next Wednesday and I’m already wondering who will be the first person to ask me, ‘Well, when is International Men’s Day?’ 

Sat, 04 Mar, 2017

UL hoping to start campus-wide discussion on rape culture with Asking for It
UL hoping to start campus-wide discussion on rape culture with Asking for It

Best selling novel Asking for It by Louise O’Neill has been chosen for the University of Limerick’s 2017 One Campus, One Book project, to start a conversation about rape culture in Ireland.

Tue, 28 Feb, 2017

I believed that if only I was more beautiful, that somehow my life would be easier
I believed that if only I was more beautiful, that somehow my life would be easier

It made me reaffirm, once again, that I am more than my body, and that I deserve to be loved regardless of how attractive society deems me to be.

Sat, 25 Feb, 2017

Statistics suggest some boys are watching porn as young as eight years of age
Statistics suggest some boys are watching porn as young as eight years of age

If you’re not going to engage in those conversations with your son or daughter, are you really in a position to criticise them for turning to pornography for guidance?

Sat, 18 Feb, 2017

Just do the best you can today. You’re good enough just as you are.
Just do the best you can today. You’re good enough just as you are.

I spent my life pretending I was fine when I wasn’t, pretending that I never needed help when I felt utterly hopeless.

Sat, 11 Feb, 2017

Dear Sir... Readers' Views (26/01/17)
Dear Sir... Readers' Views (26/01/17)
Your letters, your views...

Thu, 26 Jan, 2017

Louise O'Neill: Maybe our outrage is the attention trolls so desperately crave
Louise O'Neill: Maybe our outrage is the attention trolls so desperately crave
I was recently asked by The Economist to be part of their Generation Prophet and write about the future of feminism. 

Sat, 14 Jan, 2017

I think of myself at 19, my bones so thick with grief that they feel too heavy to move.
I think of myself at 19, my bones so thick with grief that they feel too heavy to move.

I was at dinner with a group of women recently, all either authors or columnists, and we began to discuss the pressure that writers, female writers in particular, feel under to tell their story.

Sat, 10 Dec, 2016

'Be kind' tops Louise O'Neill's advice to her 16-year-old self
'Be kind' tops Louise O'Neill's advice to her 16-year-old self
My mother was always trying to give me advice but what the hell did she know? Quite a lot, as it turned out, and I wish I had listened to her sooner, writes Louise O’Neill.  

Sat, 26 Nov, 2016

We should find what we love and do as much of it as we can
We should find what we love and do as much of it as we can
I used to have very specific ideas about the concept of privacy, ie that I deserved it but I refused to afford this courtesy to those around me.

Sat, 19 Nov, 2016

Do men just instinctively dislike movies and TV shows that star women?
Do men just instinctively dislike movies and TV shows that star women?

White Girl isn’t the first female-centric movie to suffer negative feedback from male critics. 

Sat, 22 Oct, 2016

I no longer want to be famous but I do think about how I would like to be remembered
I no longer want to be famous but I do think about how I would like to be remembered

I try and use my platform to raise awareness for issues I think are important and hopefully I can be part of a movement that will enact real change in social policies and cultural norms.

Sat, 15 Oct, 2016

Amanda Knox committed the 'sin' of openly enjoying her sexuality
Amanda Knox committed the 'sin' of openly enjoying her sexuality

Succumbing to peer pressure, I watched the Amanda Knox documentary this week.

Sat, 08 Oct, 2016

I want you to give us a date for a referendum on repealing the eighth amendment Enda
I want you to give us a date for a referendum on repealing the eighth amendment Enda
“We are walking in the rain,” my friend Dave tweets, “to support thousands of women who have to face an ocean.”

Sat, 01 Oct, 2016

Virginity has been framed as something a girl must safeguard and hold on to as long as possible
Virginity has been framed as something a girl must safeguard and hold on to as long as possible
Girls need to understand that sex is normal and natural, not something that needs to be contained to protect their reputation.

Sat, 24 Sep, 2016

Pretence as an art form results in women accepting ill-treatment by others
Pretence as an art form results in women accepting ill-treatment by others

I refuse to pretend to be different to my true self in a misguided attempt to please others.

Sat, 17 Sep, 2016

Thin or fat, we are so much more than our appearance
Thin or fat, we are so much more than our appearance

Women are constantly encouraged to be thinner, to take up as little physical space in the world as possible.

Sat, 10 Sep, 2016

My name is Louise O’ Neill and I am a social media addict
My name is Louise O’ Neill and I am a social media addict
At the time of writing this column, I have 18 days left until I can reinstall the apps on my phone.

Sat, 03 Sep, 2016

When did trolling become so readily acceptable? And why do we continue to allow it to happen?
When did trolling become so readily acceptable? And why do we continue to allow it to happen?
I imagine that these trolls are waiting for me to make a mistake, to say or do something stupid that they can use to humiliate me with.

Sat, 27 Aug, 2016

To be a Rose was to have made it in life
To be a Rose was to have made it in life

Why do they insist on providing male escorts? Why do they think a woman in her twenties would need to be chaperoned?

Sat, 20 Aug, 2016

When someone describes me as ladylike, I am always deeply offended
When someone describes me as ladylike, I am always deeply offended

A few years ago, unable to get a taxi after a concert at the O2 arena in Dublin, my friends and I decided to walk back into town. 

Sat, 13 Aug, 2016

Our roles in a relationship should be determined by individual strengths and talents rather than gender
Our roles in a relationship should be determined by individual strengths and talents rather than gender
I would never attempt to speak for all women, because there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ woman.

Sat, 06 Aug, 2016

When you’re apologising for apologising, then you know you have a serious problem
When you’re apologising for apologising, then you know you have a serious problem

After a recent break-up where I had my heart broken for the first time, I sat in front of my therapist and sobbed solidly for an hour. 

Sat, 30 Jul, 2016

I knew I would be vilified if I started to talk about other women in crisis pregnancies
I knew I would be vilified if I started to talk about other women in crisis pregnancies
It’s time for Ireland to grow up and stop pretending that Irish women don’t have abortions. They do. They always have and they always will. 

Sat, 23 Jul, 2016

Apparently, having sex on the first date means you will be shunned
Apparently, having sex on the first date means you will be shunned
Having sex on the first date is nature’s way of weeding out assholes with a deeply engrained Madonna/whore complex.

Sat, 16 Jul, 2016

I can attempt to be charming and cute but underneath all of that, my bones are hewn from iron
I can attempt to be charming and cute but underneath all of that, my bones are hewn from iron

“Dear Louise, I was raped five years ago and I have been in counselling ever since. After reading your book, for the first time in five years I thought — maybe it was not my fault.”

Sat, 09 Jul, 2016

When we sang the rhyme ‘Eeny Meeny Minie Moe’ in playschool, I thought it was ‘knicker’
When we sang the rhyme ‘Eeny Meeny Minie Moe’ in playschool, I thought it was ‘knicker’
I see a lot of people shrugging off the idea of White Privilege as ‘PC bullshit’ but it’s very real. 

Sun, 05 Jun, 2016

It’s funny, isn’t it? The things you remember, and the things you forget
It’s funny, isn’t it? The things you remember, and the things you forget

Memory is a strange thing. It is unreliable, malleable, hauntingly transient, and yet we allow it to shape our present lives.

Sat, 14 May, 2016

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