Rose stage invader supports Cavan’s Paula

Seamus Enright

The man who dramatically gatecrashed Lisa Reilly's TV appearance at last year's Rose of Tralee, says he's supporting 2017 Cavan Rose in her bid to lift the title.

Fathers4Justice founder Matt O'Connor caused panic and an RTE black-out when he stormed the stage last year while Lisa from Ballinagh was being interviewed live by host Daithi O Se.
However the repentant Kerryman says he's 'absolutely, 100 per cent' behind this year's Cavan Rose, Paula McPartland.

“I'm a Kerryman but I'll be rooting for Cavan this year,†Matt told The Anglo-Celt. His comments emerge despite the fact the campaign group are planning a similar high-profile stunt to that which made international headlines in 2016.

London-based Mr O'Connor invaded the stage, bizarrely dressed as a priest and brandishing a sign reading ‘In the Name of the Father'. He was swiftly hauled to the ground and dragged backstage by security staff.

While contrite for the disruption his protest caused to Lisa's appearance, Mr O'Connor is wholly unapologetic given global exposure garnered by his campaign group from what continues to be one of the most widely watched annual television events.

In May 2006, female Fathers4Justice protestors took the BBC's National Lottery show off air as 11million people watched.

“Unfortunately it was [Lisa], but that's just the way things turned out,†O'Connor told The Anglo-Celt this week. “That was the opportunity that came at that particular moment. I mean we've upset the Queen, the Prime Minister, someone is always going to be upset somewhere, but [Lisa] dealt with it all with amazing grace, and went on to be absolutely fabulous. 

“We said our apologies and sent her a dozen roses afterwards for interrupting her experience. In one respect her name will always be more remembered than the Rose who actually won last year, all because of what happened.

“We are well known for our protests in the UK, at Buckingham Palace, the House of Commons and 10 Downing Street, as well as other high profile things. In Ireland the issues are just the same, with dads being separated from their kids, male suicide, all these issues are intertwined. [The protest] was our way of bringing that attention to Irish families.â€

O'Connor says this year's intended protest will be both “symbolic†and “peacefulâ€, with two women involved in the demonstration which will take place during the famous Kerry festival, which runs from August 16-22.

“I know as I'm from Kerry the Rose of Tralee is sacred ground so to speak, but I also knew that ultimately it's a beauty pageant, it's not a religious event.

“We've got two protestors attending this year. We can't obviously say anything more at this stage about those plans, but something will happen.â€

Asked if it will be another stage invasion, Mr O'Connor said: “I'm not saying anything. I can only tell you it won't be me involved this year. We've got two Irish female volunteers who are related to dads who can't see their children, and feel and speak very strongly about what is happening in that situation. So we'll see what happens, only to say that there's a plan in place.â€

Taboo

Believing there to be an estimated 220,000 separated fathers facing access with their families across the UK and Ireland, Mr O'Connor, who also unsuccessfully ran as a candidate in the London mayoral election for the English Democrats in 2008, likened the situation facing fathers in Ireland as akin to the “dark ages†and that speaking about such issues remains “tabooâ€.

“This is somebody's son, somebody's brother, nephew, father, there are sisters affected, mothers and aunts affected, grandparents who can't see their grandchildren. This why we've targeted the Rose of Tralee, because it is a family event, we are sounding the alarm about a really serious issue that's happening everyday under our noses, a major social issue that's concealed behind closed doors, and we need to talk about it more. So we'll keep talking, keep disrupting and doing what we can do raise what we feel is a real and serious social issue,†Mr O'Connor said.