Born in Dover but raised in Ireland, she married a British diplomat, Ronald Higgins; they lived in Indonesia but the marriage was annulled.
O'Brien was a writer and politician who served as a government minister in the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament).
He was often criticized for his uncompromising opposition to "physical force Irish republicanism", and his actions to that end during Liam Cosgrave's tenure as Taoiseach were labelled as censorship by some.
That gifted and talkative community includes some of the most expert conmen and conwomen in the world and I believe you have been conned.
[1] Holland subsequently left The Observer and joined The Irish Times as their Northern Ireland correspondent.