Máirín Eileen Johnston (born 1931) is an Irish author and feminist from The Liberties in Dublin, Ireland who worked to bring contraceptives into Dublin in 1971 with the Irish Women's Liberation Movement (IWLM).
[2] According to Rosita Sweetman, a member of the group, "Everything was going swimmingly until, of course, hot head Mary Kenny, yes, that Mary Kenny, lobbed a hand grenade into the mix by proclaiming no Irish politician – at that stage nearly all Irish politicians were male – would bring in legislation that disturbed the glorious benefits of the patriarchy," and "all hell broke loose.
[4] On 22 May 1971 Johnston and a group of more than 40 women, as well as her partner, son and daughter, travelled to Belfast by train to purchase contraceptives.
[4] A Japanese television crew followed them to purchase the contraceptives, and the women proceeded back through customs without losing any of the items they obtained in Belfast.
[4] A mural to honour Johnston was made by the artist Fink on the shop front of Norton's Greengrocer.