Úna-Minh Kavanagh
Úna-Minh Kavanagh (Irish: Úna-Minh Caomhánach; born 1991), is a travel writer, journalist, and social media manager.
Úna-Minh Kavanagh | |
---|---|
Born | 1991 Vietnam |
Nationality | Irish |
Alma mater | Dublin City University |
Known for | #FrásaanLae (#Phrase of the day) and #WeAreIrish |
Notable work | ANSEO: An Unconventional Irish Memoir |
Biography
Úna-Minh Kavanagh was born in Vietnam in 1991 and three days later met her future mother Nóirín Kavanagh in Hanoi. Nóirín was a primary school teacher from Tralee, County Kerry. She was brought home to Ireland at six weeks. Kavanagh was raised there with her mother and grandfather, Paddy Kavanagh, where she learned Irish as her first language. She continued to study Irish in Dublin City University and earned a degree in Irish and Journalism.[1][2]
On 30 May 2013, in Dublin, Kavanagh was standing at Parnell Street when a boy, with a group of teenagers, grabbed her face and spat on her whilst calling her racial slurs, her response to this and other similar events in her life where she experienced racism inspired her to make an online Twitter campaign celebrating the diversity of Irish people, according to her book Anseo, the event was reported on by the media and her story went viral in Ireland.[1][3][4][5]
Kavanagh created a blog about travelling with her mother and has since also written a book about growing up as an Irish speaking person overcoming loss and racism as well as her love of the language.[6][7][8][9][2]
Kavanagh works as a freelance journalist and content creator. She has worked on TG4 and with the trade union Fórsa. Kavanagh also creates YouTube videos centered on travel vlogs and gaming videos which are both in the Irish language, videos are funded through Kavanagh's Patreon. She is now based in Dundalk. In 2020 Kavanagh joined the new independent Anti-Racism Committee.[9][10][11][12][13][2]
Bibliography
- ANSEO: An Unconventional Irish Memoir
References and sources
- "Céad míle fáilte?". Independent.ie. 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Equality, The Department of Justice and. "Action Plan Against Racism for Ireland to be drawn up by new independent Anti-Racism Committee". The Department of Justice and Equality.
- O'Connor, Amy (2020-01-23). "This Kerry woman was sick of being asked why she looked 'different' - so she set up a project about Irish diversity". The Daily Edge. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- "They called me a Chink and spat at me. No one helped". The Irish Times. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- O'Connell, Hugh (31 May 2013). "Young woman racially abused and spat on in Dublin city centre". The Journal. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Bowers, Shauna (2019-03-30). "Every day is mother's day as duo travel the world together". The Times. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- O Broin, Eoin (2013-03-21). "Anseo: a beautiful book interweaving family, race, Gaeilge and social media". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Loftus, Valerie (2020-01-23). "This Gaeilgeoir had the best response for a man who questioned her 'Irishness'". The Daily Edge. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Crean, Dermot (2019-10-15). "Úna-Minh Kavanagh To Launch First Book In Tralee Next Week". Tralee Today. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- "Anseo! Úna-Minh Kavanagh on being positive & saying no to racism". RTE.ie. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- O’Donoghue, Denise (2018-01-29). "Online Lives: Úna-Minh Kavanagh". irishexaminer.com. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Kinsella, Elaine (2019-11-06). "Kerry's most influential women at home and abroad". rsvp. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- Mc Goran, Peter (2019-11-27). "In the name of the Fada". Hot Press. Retrieved 2020-01-23 – via PressReader.