Mary Ellen Synon
Mary Ellen Synon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951 Virginia, Ireland |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, columnist |
| Known for | Frequent appearances on Irish radio current affairs shows; opposition to the European Union; proponent of laissez-faire capitalism |
Mary Ellen Synon (born 1951) is an Irish journalist known for her frequent appearances on Irish radio current affairs shows. Throughout her professional life, she has been a vocal opponent of the European Union and a proponent of laissez-faire capitalism.
Family background
Synon’s birthplace is Virginia. She is the daughter of John J. Synon (d.1972), an American journalist who collaborated with Goodwin J. Knight and George Wallace. In her youth, Synon encountered Wallace personally. Her paternal lineage traces back to the area near Doneraile, County Cork.
Education and career
Following her studies at Trinity College Dublin, Synon briefly worked for South Africa’s Daily News and various New York publications before joining The Daily Telegraph in London as a reporter. During her tenure at the Telegraph, she was affiliated with the Institute of Journalists, acted as a trade union representative and negotiator, and was awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to conduct nine months of research on the European Economic Community in Paris.
At the London office of the American television current affairs show 60 Minutes, Synon advanced from researcher to associate producer, working alongside correspondent Morley Safer and producer John Tiffin. Her contributions to 60 Minutes included reports from Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Ireland, France, Denmark, Germany, and the UK. Subsequently, she held roles as Dublin correspondent, Europe correspondent, and British correspondent for The Economist. Additionally, Synon has written columns for Ireland’s Sunday Business Post, Sunday Tribune, and Sunday Independent, while also contributing to The Irish Times, Irish Independent, and the Irish edition of the Sunday Times.
In 1995, Synon attracted significant media attention due to an affair with Rupert Pennant-Rea, then deputy governor of the Bank of England, which resulted in his resignation. She openly discussed the relationship, drawing tabloid coverage that dubbed it 'the Bonk of England' after she disclosed their liaison took place on the governor’s dressing room floor at the Bank. It was reported that Sir Eddie George, the governor at the time, had the carpet removed following this event. During the 1990s, Synon became a regular freelance columnist for Dublin's Sunday Independent.
Views
Synon has maintained a firm stance against socialism, labeling Marxism as "evil" and condemning the socialist regime of Salvador Allende in Chile as a front for Soviet interests. She expressed approval of Augusto Pinochet’s 1973 coup that deposed Allende, describing it as "a noble coup, General". Drawing on George G. Watson’s The Lost Literature of Socialism, she argued that there is "no polarity between Nazis and Marxists. They are the same people," equating Marxism with Fascism.
She has also been critical of Irish presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, characterizing Robinson as an "ambitious small-town lady lawyer" associated with what she called "the headquarters of moral corruption, the United Nations," while describing McAleese as "arrogant."
Synon has expressed admiration for American philosopher Ayn Rand, particularly emphasizing Rand’s perspectives on federal regulation in broadcasting.
In 2015, she spoke at the Bruges Group, where she criticized then-Prime Minister David Cameron for not doing enough to facilitate Britain's departure from the European Union. After the 2016 US presidential election, Synon voiced strong enthusiasm for Donald Trump’s win, stating she was "beyond thrilled."
Economist feature on Ireland
In January 1988, Synon collaborated with Frances Cairncross on an article for The Economist that depicted Ireland as a nation struggling with poverty and excessive bureaucracy. This portrayal elicited strong criticism from the Fianna Fáil administration and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, who contended that the article inflicted considerable harm on Ireland’s global image.
Remarks regarding Susan O'Keeffe
During the Beef Tribunal, when Irish journalist Susan O'Keeffe refused to disclose her sources, Synon ignited public controversy by stating in the Sunday Tribune that she would welcome seeing O'Keeffe detained in handcuffs. This statement was legally contested by O'Keeffe's legal representatives.
Travelling Community
In 1996, Synon asserted that the majority of rural offenses in Ireland were attributable to the travelling community, characterizing their lifestyle as "a life worse than the life of beasts." A Travellers Rights Group sought, without success, to bring charges against her under the Incitement to Hatred Act.
Paralympics commentary
Synon’s 2000 critique of the Sydney Paralympics described the event as "perverse," questioning the merit of athletic competitions involving individuals with disabilities. She suggested that disabled persons should "play to your competitive advantage," referencing Stephen Hawking as an example of circumventing inappropriate contests.
The piece was met with condemnation from the National Union of Journalists and became a subject of discussion within the Irish Senate. Senator Maurice Hayes, who was also director of Independent News & Media (publisher of the Sunday Independent), labeled the article as unjustifiable and offensive—opinions echoed by chairman Tony O'Reilly and his son Gavin O'Reilly. In the aftermath of the dispute, Synon departed from the newspaper.