Jason O'Toole (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Jason O'Toole is an Irish
author and journalist. He writes a weekly interview column, "The Jason O'Toole Interview", for the Irish Mail on Sunday and the Irish Daily Mail
. He is the former Senior Editor of the popular Irish publication, Hot Press
magazine.
(DCU).
, Brian Cowen: The Path to Power (published by Transworld, a division of Random House, in October 2008). O'Toole edited an anthology on new Irish fiction, entitled Off The Edge (2006), with an introduction by author Lee Dunne.
His latest book, a collection of his Hot Press journalism, was released in July 2009. It went straight into the top 10 best-sellers list in Ireland on its release; it includes the first ever interviews with some of Ireland's and UK's most notorious criminals and IRA figures, such as: John Gilligan, Paddy "Dutchy" Holland, Alan Bradley (aka Fat Puss), Paddy McCann (Ireland's longest serving prisoner for double murder), Ian Strachan (the Royal Blackmailer) and IRA bosses John Noonan and Gerry Kelly. The book was selected as part of the Be Inspired: Great Irish Book Week, and a chapter from it was included in the anthology Gems from Irish Publishing.
O'Toole also wrote The Last Days of Katy French (2009, Merlin), which the Irish Independent
wrote was “well written and non-judgmental”, adding that “maybe the book should be required reading on the Leaving Certificate curriculum”. Over 18 months after its release, the book surprisingly reentered the bestsellers charts at number 5 in non-fiction category in January 2011, according to the Nielsen figures published by the Sunday Independent on 22 January 2011.
O'Toole co-wrote The End of The Party with Bruce Arnold
, published in November 2011 by Gill and Macmillan.
Other controversial interviews O'Toole conducted for Hot Press include:
and comedian Karl McDermott.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
author and journalist. He writes a weekly interview column, "The Jason O'Toole Interview", for the Irish Mail on Sunday and the Irish Daily Mail
Irish Daily Mail
The Irish Daily Mail is a newspaper published in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by Associated Newspapers. The paper was launched in February 2006 with a launch strategy that included giving away free copies on the first day of circulation and low pricing subsequently....
. He is the former Senior Editor of the popular Irish publication, Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
magazine.
Education
Jason O'Toole earned a BA in Humanities and an MA in Political Communication from Dublin City UniversityDublin City University
Dublin City University is a university situated between Glasnevin, Santry, Ballymun and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland...
(DCU).
Books
O'Toole wrote the biography of the former TaoiseachTaoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, Brian Cowen: The Path to Power (published by Transworld, a division of Random House, in October 2008). O'Toole edited an anthology on new Irish fiction, entitled Off The Edge (2006), with an introduction by author Lee Dunne.
His latest book, a collection of his Hot Press journalism, was released in July 2009. It went straight into the top 10 best-sellers list in Ireland on its release; it includes the first ever interviews with some of Ireland's and UK's most notorious criminals and IRA figures, such as: John Gilligan, Paddy "Dutchy" Holland, Alan Bradley (aka Fat Puss), Paddy McCann (Ireland's longest serving prisoner for double murder), Ian Strachan (the Royal Blackmailer) and IRA bosses John Noonan and Gerry Kelly. The book was selected as part of the Be Inspired: Great Irish Book Week, and a chapter from it was included in the anthology Gems from Irish Publishing.
O'Toole also wrote The Last Days of Katy French (2009, Merlin), which the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
wrote was “well written and non-judgmental”, adding that “maybe the book should be required reading on the Leaving Certificate curriculum”. Over 18 months after its release, the book surprisingly reentered the bestsellers charts at number 5 in non-fiction category in January 2011, according to the Nielsen figures published by the Sunday Independent on 22 January 2011.
O'Toole co-wrote The End of The Party with Bruce Arnold
Bruce Arnold (author)
Bruce Arnold is an English-born journalist and author who has lived in Ireland since 1957. His main expertise is in the fields of literary criticism and art criticism....
, published in November 2011 by Gill and Macmillan.
Journalism
O'Toole's journalism has appeared in dozens of publications, including The Sunday Times, Empire magazine, The Mail on Sunday, Film Ireland, the Evening Herald, Irish Independent, La Republica, In Dublin, The People, The Daily Mail, "The Mirror", Enterprise, The Star on Sunday, The Dublin Quarterly, Playboy magazine and the Australian-based Irish Echo.Awards
O'Toole was one of six short-listed for the National Journalist of the Year Award for the inaugural NNI Journalism Awards in October 2011.Controversies
He has conducted many high profile controversial interviews with well-known and sometimes controversial Irish figures, including:- John Gilligan - Ireland's most infamous criminal spoke at length to O'Toole about his life of crime and the murder of crime journalist Veronica GuerinVeronica GuerinVeronica Guerin was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered on 26 June 1996 by drug lords, an event which, alongside the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe three weeks earlier, helped establish the Criminal Assets Bureau....
. After the publication of the interview, Hot Press was banned from Irish prisons. The Minister for Justice, Dermot AhernDermot AhernDermot Christopher Ahern is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency from 1987 to 2011...
, described the publication of the Hot Press magazine interview with the convicted criminal as “regrettable”. Ahern added he had been in contact with the head of the prison service and it was his understanding that O'Toole had signed in to the Midlands Prison as a visitor and did not reveal that he was going to carry out an interview. He was responding to criticism by Fine Gael's justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan who urged the minister to enforce rules to prevent further interviews being carried out: “It is an insult to victims of crime to allow convicted criminals to enjoy such privileges while serving time.”
- Brian CowenBrian CowenBrian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
- In his May 2007 interview with Jason O'Toole, former Minister for Health Brian Cowen admitted to smoking marijuana: "Anyone who went to the UCD bar in the ‘70s that didn’t get a whiff of marijuana would be telling you a lie. I would say there were a couple of occasions when it was passed around – and, unlike President Clinton, I did inhale! There wasn’t a whole lot in it really – (it was like) a Sweet Afton, as a 10-year-old, under a railway bridge on a rainy day, in small town Ireland in the late ‘60s. I certainly got more enjoyment out of a few pints." This provoked much criticism from opposition parties in the Dáil. Cowen later became Taoiseach following the resignation of Bertie Ahern. Cowen gave O'Toole his first major interview as Taoiseach, which appeared over two editions in Hot Press.
- Ian Paisley, Jr.Ian Paisley, Jr.Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Jr., MP is the Member of Parliament for North Antrim and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party and an author. He is the son of the DUP's founder and former leader, Ian Paisley.In 1990, he married Fiona, and they have four children...
- In May 2007, DUP's Ian Paisley, Jr., MLA, caused uproar in an interview O'Toole in Hot Press by publicly denouncing acts associated with homosexuality. This was the year before Iris RobinsonIris RobinsonIris Robinson is a former Northern Ireland Unionist politician. She is married to Peter Robinson, who is currently the First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly....
, wife of then-First Minister Peter RobinsonPeter Robinson (politician)Peter David Robinson is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party...
, made her thoughts on the issue. In an interview with Jason O'Toole, he said "I am pretty repulsed by gay and lesbianism. I think it is wrong. I think that those people harm themselves and - without caring about it - harm society. That doesn't mean to say that I hate them - I mean, I hate what they do". Dolores KellyDolores KellyCllr Dolores Kelly is a Social Democratic and Labour Party politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Upper Bann.Kelly attended the University of Ulster, Jordanstown....
, the SDLP equality spokesman called on the Northern Ireland Assembly to censure Mr Paisley, saying "Ian Paisley is a junior minister in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, the department which is charged with promoting equality and bringing forward the Single Equality Bill. Vulnerable groups who are potential victims of discrimination should be able to look to him for help, not attack". However, the DUP denied that Paisley Jr.'s comments were discriminatory.
- Charlie McCreevyCharlie McCreevyCharles "Charlie" McCreevy is a former Irish politician. He was the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2004–2010. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1977 and held the seat in Kildare until 2004 when he became Ireland's European Commissioner...
- A December 2008 interview with Irish European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy was the subject of news stories and other commentary in The Irish Independent, The Irish Star, The Irish Mail, The Irish Mirror, The Irish TimesThe Irish TimesThe Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
and the Mail On Sunday, among other papers. It was covered extensively on radio, on RTÉ NewsRTÉ NewsRTÉ News and Current Affairs , is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within the Republic of Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland - with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main...
and in other television including TV3's The Political Party. Internationally the interview was covered by the Wall Street Journal and the Morning Star, and the main news in Denmark featured it, as well as Das Journal in Austria, Diário Digital in Portugal and France's leading daily paper, Le MondeLe MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
. The interview, conducted once again by O'Toole (this time in Brussels), had McCreevy say that Ireland's decision to reject the Lisbon Treaty had to be respected by the rest of Europe. McCreevy also revealed that he was pro-choice when it came to matters of abortion.
- Katy FrenchKaty FrenchKaty Ellen French was an Irish socialite, model, writer, television personality and charity worker. According to the BBC, "in the space of less than two years, she had become one of Ireland's best-known models and socialites." She collapsed at a friend's house on 2 December 2007 and died on 6...
- In her last major interview before her tragic death in December 2007, French spoke to O'Toole about her life, her thoughts on drugs and death. The interview became a regular source of information for newspaper reports in the aftermath, and was revisited by O'Toole in the Hot Press Annual 2008 which went to press just as she died.
- The Royal Blackmail case - in April 2009, O'Toole conducted the first ever in-depth interview with Ian Strachan, who received five years for his involvement in the Royal Blackmail scandal of 2007.
- Patricia McKennaPatricia McKennaPatricia McKenna is an Irish independent politician. She served as a Green Party Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency from 1994 to 2004.-Background:...
- In an interview with O'Toole in May 2009, former Green Party MEP announced her decision to quit the party and run as an independent candidate in the Euo elections. McKenna gave a hugely controversial and provocative critique of the Green Party's performance since entering coalition with Fianna Fáil. McKenna was particularly scathing about the Green representatives in Government, dismissing the Greens in the Dáil as "nothing but hypocrites". She continued: "I feel embarrassed about being a member of the Green Party ... because of what we said in the past and the promises we made, which we failed to deliver on. I just knew that I couldn’t run under a Green Party ticket and pretend that everything was alright because I’d be lying."
Other controversial interviews O'Toole conducted for Hot Press include:
- Paul GogartyPaul GogartyPaul Nicholas Gogarty is a former Irish Green Party politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Mid West constituency from 2002 to 2011. He currently works as a media commentator and journalist.-Early and private life:...
TD. In an expletive-laden interview with O'Toole, the Dublin Mid West Green TD made comments on the price of power and his own doubts about the Coalition arrangement. He describes it in terms of the Greens lying “bollix naked” and being “screwed” by Fianna Fáil. - Tony GregoryTony GregoryTony Gregory was an Irish Independent politician and a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.-Early life:...
, the TD's last ever in-depth controversial interview was published days after his death in January 2009. In the final months of his battle with cancer, Gregory sat down with the author to discuss his life and career. Knowing it would be his final interview he was in a reflective frame of mind. - Dutchy Holland, gangster, last ever interview.
- Alan 'Fat Puss' Bradley. The alleged bank robber insisted he is not a ‘big player’ in crime in his only ever print interview with O'Toole. But the man dubbed "Fat Puss" was due in court in 2009 on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, with figures between €950,000 and €2 million being bandied about in the media.
- Paddy McCann, Ireland's longest serving political prisoner. McCann was jailed for the killing of two Gardaí during a bank raid in Roscommon in 1980. In this extraordinary interview, McCann confesses to ordering executions from behind bars.
- Richard BrutonRichard BrutonRichard Bruton is an Irish Fine Gael politician and has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin North Central constituency since 1982. He was appointed as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on 9 March 2011...
- in an August 2009 interview for Hot Press, which was one of O'Toole last interviews for the magazine, Richard Bruton admitted that his party leader was "wooden" when it came to sound bites. It prompted the media to speculate a leadership challenge - and prompted the bookies to slash odds on Bruton becoming FG party leader. - John Noonan, former IRA boss. Noonan, who played a pivotal role in the IRA’s military campaign in Northern Ireland, gave his only ever interview to the author. The article prompted over 100 Garda, according to the Sunday Times, to raid Noonan’s home and launch a CAB investigation into his activities. In the interview, Noonan said rumours of a CAB investigation into his finances were unfounded and claimed to run a licensed security company.
- Kieron "Wolfie" Ducie, gave his first major interview to O'Toole
- Giovanni Di Stefano, Italian personality
- Rosanna DavisonRosanna DavisonRosanna Diane Davison was the winner of the Miss World 2003 title. She is the daughter of musician Chris de Burgh. The song "For Rosanna" was written by her father in her honour for his 1986 album, Into The Light.-Education:Her primary education was at Aravon School, in Co...
, former Miss World. In a confessional interview, Davison discussed her sex life and her famous father’s affair with the nanny. She also talked in the interview about being married to her father in a previous life. - Mick PyroMick PyroMichael Tierney is an Irish musician. He is best known as the frontman of the Dublin funk rock band Republic of Loose. He has also partaken in other independent work with fellow Irish and international musicians and performed a duet with Sinéad O'Connor at the 2008 Meteor Awards when she revealed...
, lead singer of Republic of LooseRepublic of LooseRepublic of Loose are an Irish funk rock band from Dublin. Formed in 2001, the band currently consists of lead vocalist Mick Pyro, bass guitarist and vocalist Benjamin Loose, keyboardist Darragh, guitarists and vocalists Dave Pyro and Darach O' Laoire and drummers and percussionists Andre Lopes... - Declan GanleyDeclan GanleyDeclan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
, Chairperson of Libertas - Bobby StoreyBobby StoreyRobert "Big Bobby" Storey is an Irish republican from Belfast, Northern Ireland.He spent in total 20 years in jail, almost all on remand charges. He also played a key role in the Maze prison escape, which was the biggest prison break in British penal history.-Early life:The family was originally...
- O'Toole conducted the first in-depth interview with Bobby Storey, alleged to be the IRA's Director of Intelligence, in June 2009. - Jonathan Rhys Meyers - the interview, which directly preceded the death of his mother, had Rhys Meyers reflecting on his problems with drinking, his spells in rehab and discussing life as a movie star; the actor was arrested in Dublin Airport only hours after this interview was conducted.
- Mary O'RourkeMary O'RourkeMary O'Rourke is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She is a former Teachta Dála for the Longford–Westmeath and Westmeath constituencies. She served as Minister for Education , Minister for Health and Minister for Public Enterprise...
, former Fianna Fáil deputy leader, told O'Toole how orgasms are no longer a part of her life since her husband died.< - Gerry KellyGerry KellyGerard "Gerry" Kelly is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998...
, ex-IRA. In his first ever in-depth interview, Kelly gave O’Toole an extraordinary frank account of his time with the IRA.
"The Jason O'Toole Interview"
O'Toole's weekly interview in the Irish Daily Mail and the Irish Mail on Sunday has included several exclusive and controversial interviews, including:- Phil LynottPhil LynottPhilip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
's mother revealed for the first time ever in an interview with O'Toole that she had lied in her autobiography about having 'only' one son. In a 10 page article she explained that she had two other children that she gave up for adoption. - Senator and gay activist David Norris, a presidential hopeful in the 2011 election, revealed to O'Toole that he had slept with women but it wasn't his "brand of coca cola".
- Libertas's Declan GanleyDeclan GanleyDeclan James Ganley is a British-born Irish citizen, entrepreneur, businessman and political activist. He is founder and chairman of a political party, Libertas with pan-European ambitions...
revealed in a Dec 2010 interview with O'Toole that he "wasn't ruling out" re-entering the political fray - Rock musician Leanne HarteLeanne HarteLeanne Harte is an Irish musician, composer, singer and songwriter. Harte has been fronting her own band since she was in her mid-teens and first rose to prominence after an appearance on RTÉ at the age of sixteen...
came out as a lesbianLesbianLesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
in an interview with O'Toole published in June 2010
Political interviews
Other political interviews O'Toole has conducted for Hot Press include:- Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny
- Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness
- Former PD leader Ciaran Cannon
- Fianna Fáil's Seanad leader Donnie Cassidy
- Green Party leaders John Gormley and Trevor Sargent
- Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore and its former leader, Pat Rabbitte
- Ex-Workers' Party president Tomas Mac Giolla
- SDLP leader Mark Durkan
- Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche; Senator Eoghan Harris; Minister Eamon O'Cuiv
Publishing
O'Toole is senior editor/publisher of Killynon House Books. The imprint has published a dozen books as well as books by Jackie Hayden, Bruce Arnold, Neville Thompson, TS O'RourkeTS O'Rourke
TS O’Rourke is an Irish author.His novels include:*Ganglands .)*Death Call ....
and comedian Karl McDermott.