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Bernie Dwyer – Early Life and Family
Bernie Dwyer, Irish journalist, filmmaker and activist, was born on the 14th of December 1943 in County Dublin, Ireland.Bernie Dwyer (journalist) Her father was Arthur Hannon, who worked as a clerk at the Dublin Corporation firm, and her mother was Mary Hannon, maiden name Fagan. Dwyer grew up in Galtymore Park, Drimnagh, County Dublin, and later spent the rest of her childhood in Sutton, Dublin when her family moved there. Dwyer left school early, working in a furniture store and doing modelling jobs instead, which later motivated her to return to education. . She eventually met David Dwyer or ‘Dave’ whom she married in 1967. Together they shared four children- a son named David, and three daughters named Christina, Julianna and Lisa Anne – also several grandchildren. During this time, she lived in Howth, County Dublin and worked as a pre-school teacher in St. Ita’s in Portrane, Dublin where she cared for children with intellectual disabilities. In 1981, Dwyer took up a position as a childcare worker for Women’s Aid on Harcourt Terrace, County Dublin. Women's Aid She gained new perspectives on life in her work and in 1983, aged 41, decided to return to learning, by embarking on a philosophy degree at Trinity College Dublin. In her second year of university, she was elected as a welfare officer for the college and deputy student union president, as well as representing Trinity College Dublin on the Women’s Rights Action Committee (WRAC). She took a year out from her degree to balance her duties with part time employment at the Waterstones bookstore on Dawson Street, County Dublin. Dwyer also served on the executive committee of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties in 1986, as well as taking roles at counselling services for unplanned pregnancies, such as the Open Line helpline. Irish Council for Civil Liberties.