Veronica Guerin: The Life and Death of a Crime Reporter

by Emily O'Reilly

On June 26, 1996, the Sunday Independent's crime reporter Veronica Guerin was shot dead by a motorcycle passenger as she waited at traffic lights on the outskirts of Dublin—the victim of her own crusading exposes of leading criminals. Her death profoundly shocked the country. The President attended her funeral, tributes were paid to her in parliament, and hundreds of bouquets of flowers were placed in her memory by members of the public. Within a month new anti-crime measures had been introduced and two of the leading murder suspects had fled the country. While Guerin was hailed as a heroine, the Sunday Independent denied any culpability in her death. Emily O'Reilly's book exposes the frightening moral bankruptcy of the media and the devastating consequences of this—for the individual and for society.

Genres: Biography, Crime

First published May 1, 1998

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you haven’t been to the Newsmuseum in Washington D.C., you should go. It’s a little expensive but it’s worth the price of admission just to look at old front pages. More relevant to the topic of this review, however, is a wall of remembrance type of a thing that lists reporters who were killed in the line of duty.

I’m always conflicted a bit about such terms being used to describe reporters. Perhaps it’s because we have access to 24 hours news that really doesn’t seem to say anything at all. There are differences too, like reporting on corruption in Russia and being poisoned for it as opposed to reporting in a war zone. It is also interesting seeing how gender affects how people look at the danger question. When Lara Logan was attacked, many people either directly said or implied that a mother should not be herself in a dangerous situation while when a male reporter gets severely injured in a road side bombing incident, no questions his right to be there even though he is a father.

So I am conflicted about reporters when they report from dangerous places because it is dangerous, but it isn’t quite like they are in the army. They have a little more (if not much more) choice. And we can talk about higher calling and gate keepers all we want. It’s a legitimate and true point, but who elected them to fulfill the position. I mean, do you watch some of these idiots? Why the hell do you break the news of a grandchild’s death to a woman on camera (something one local channel did years ago) and why did you stalk people?

Still a free press is the only way to go.

In many ways, it was refreshing to read O’Reilly’s work about Guerin’s murder. The book isn’t so much of pinning the murder on which Irish gangster did it, but on the media or the culture that that Irish Independent Media group embraced that enabled Guerin to work the way she did.

Honestly, bringing your son along, not good.

What is clear is that O’Reilly, despite her disapproval of some of Guerin’s methods, also admires Guerin. She focuses on the question of safety and of digging too much. She argues that the newspaper’s response to the previous two attacks on Guerin was inadequate, to say the least. That Guerin’s style of reporting (due it seems, in part, to a lack of training) also led to her have a simplistic view on those people she was dealing with.

Even today, many years after the event, the questions and problems that O’Reilly points to are still current and something we, as consumers of the news, deal with every damn day.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very stubborn but strong woman. Although she put herself in dangerous situations, she paded the way for female journalists that stood up for themselves. Quite an interesting life cut short before her time.

[Mandy Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the patriarchy. My second hand copy of 'Veronica Guerin' by Emily O'Reilly, has a picture of actress Cate Blanchett on the front and back, but no images of the Subject of the book or the Author.

Veronica Guerin was an untrained Irish journalist who used her own methods to research the the organised Criminals in Dublin. Guerin was a working mum with a little boy, so she often worked from home or took her boy out when she did surveillance and interviews. She was criticised for that.

Guerin named criminals and uncovered their rackets in the Sunday Independent newspaper, earning the men who owned it lots of money. But when the criminal men started taking pot shots at Veronica, the men who owned the newspaper didn't spend anything on security to protect her from them. She survived two murder attempts.

How interesting that the criminal men paid hitmen to shoot her in her vehicle at a traffic light in Dublin, when she didn't have her son with her. I hope that the men who run the newspapers do more to provide security for their workers, as well as child-care. Veronica Guerin was failed by her employers and by the Garda or Irish police. Rest in peace, brave woman.

I'm fine with Joel Shumacher casting the lovely Blanchett as Guerin in his film. But the men from Vintage Publishing should take a serious look at themselves when they design a book about a courageous, heroic woman who died for Freedom of Speech, and there's no picture of her, or the author, just the film star.

Feminism isn't just some trend to be ignored, it's about treating women equally to men, like treating People Of Colour the same as white people.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book regarding the life and death of an Irish journalist in 1996.
We explore why she was killed and who is to blame.

There is certainly a lot of finger pointing, from her Employer who insists she wanted to do the story. The Police who tried to protect her but she didn’t want, or her family who say she wanted to follow a story.

Veronica Guerin, a name you won’t forget, whether it’s for her sheer determination or absolute reckless disregard of her life and her family.

A 3 star read.

[Wendy Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t find this easy to read or very interesting. Perhaps it would have helped if I had heard of Veronica Guerlain.

[Pru Shady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating book that caused some controversy. An interesting perspective and well research opinion on true life events.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Veronica is a tough Irish reporter who seemed fearless at times. Excellent insight into Irish Crime in Dulin.