Mary Ann O'Brien (born 8 September 1960) is an Irish businesswoman and former politician. She is the founder and chairman of Lily O'Brien's Chocolates and in 1997, she founded the Jack and Jill Foundation with her husband Jonathan Irwin, to provide home health care to severely sick babies. It was set up as a direct response to their experience of caring at home for their son Jack, born with severe brain damage in 1996. O'Brien's family background is in

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

- her father

Phonsie O'Brien Alphonsus Septimus 'Phonsie' O'Brien (15 Sep 1929 – 5 July 2016) was an Irish jockey and racehorse trainer. He was the youngest of a combined seven sons born in Churchtown, County Cork to the two marriages of Dan O'Brien, and full-brother of r ...

and uncle

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Post''. In ...

were both notable racehorse trainers. In May 2011, she was nominated by the Taoiseach

Enda Kenny Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017, Leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2017, Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 2017, Leader of the Opposition fro ...

to the 24th Seanad. At the launch of

Renua Renua Ireland, commonly called Renua, is a fringe list of political parties in the Republic of Ireland, political party in Ireland. The party was launched on 13 March 2015, with former Fine Gael Teachta Dála, TD Lucinda Creighton as founding le ...

in March 2015, O'Brien was announced as a party candidate. O'Brien clarified that she would remain independent while a Senator and join Renua to stand at the 2016 general election. However, O'Brien did not contest the 2016 general election.

References

1960 births Living people Independent members of Seanad Éireann Politicians from County Waterford 20th-century Irish businesswomen Members of the 24th Seanad 21st-century women members of Seanad Éireann Renua Ireland politicians Nominated members of Seanad Éireann 21st-century Irish businesswomen {{Ireland-senator-stub