Muireann O’Connell has revealed she was “astounded” by the public’s support – after sharing her experience of casual sexual assault
Earlier this year, the Ireland AM won praise for speaking out against public harassment and “casual sexual assault”.
The Limerick native prompted women and men across to the country to share their own experiences, after she recalled being inappropriately touched by a stranger while working on a photoshoot.
In a post shared on Instagram, Muireann revealed she was shooting for a magazine when “a complete stranger came up and pinched [her] arse”.
The TV personality admitted she froze when the incident occurred, and later felt like “a complete idiot for not running after him,” explaining: “I’m not in anyway traumatised by someone pinching my arse. When the right person does it, deeelightful! It was the response to it that got me. Be quiet, say nothing.”
“Everyone who was there was the exact same. They all said ‘did that actually happen?’ They were LOVELY and we moved on, cause I wanted to move on. But it’s weird, right… that powerlessness.”
“Something I think has happened to a lot of us but we don’t say anything…. I still don’t know what I’d do if it happened again but I’d like to think I’d at least roar at the f***er. I just wanted to say it out loud so we could perhaps all realise it’s ok to ROAR at the f***er.”
Credit: Luke O’Faolain
After opening up about the incident, the Ireland AM star was inundated with messages from people sharing their own experiences of public harassment.
Speaking exclusively to Goss.ie at our second annual Women of the Year Awards, Muireann opened up about how she felt about the outpouring of public support after sharing her experience.
“It was astounding actually, to be honest,” she admitted.
“[I’m astounded at] at how women, or people, who have been [sexually assaulted], how they internalise it and blame themselves for doing something wrong when the person who actually placed their hands upon you without consent just goes on about their day.”
Picture: Brian McEvoy
“And to realise that things have happened to people at a very early age, to people who are abused, right through to very small things that have stayed with them.”
“It’s not cool, and it just turns out that it’s affected absolutely everyone, and I’m talking about men here as well, regardless of sexual orientation.”
“It’s just not cool,” Muireann continued. “It’s nice to get it out, rather than internalising it and wondering what it is.”
“It was amazing that people responded in such a way and felt like they could talk about it.“
