A LIMERICK woman who was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year after being a victim to a horrific violent attack has been named Woman of the Year by Goss.ie.
Natasha O’Brien became a household name across the country earlier this year when she publicly spoke out about the sentence received by former soldier Cathal Crotty, from Ardnacrusha, after he assaulted her in Limerick City in 2022 and later bragged about it on social media.
Crotty punched Ms O’Brien at least six times, knocking her unconscious, later bragging about the assault to his friends, writing “two to put her down, two to put her out”.
The former soldier was given a fully-suspended three-year jail sentence, which prompted Ms O’Brien to speak publicly about what she saw as injustice in the Irish legal system.
This week, the brave Ms O’Brien was awarded the title of Goss.ie’s Woman of the Year at the Women of the Year Awards.
The Limerick woman said that she “can’t wrap my head around” the win.
“I don’t feel like this is for me, this Woman of the Year, this is not me. I feel like I’m merely a vessel. I’m merely just a voice for so many women, all women,” Ms O’Brien said.
“I’m trying to put myself forward and say what needs to be said and push those boundaries and push for evolution and change, because we all deserve it.”
Goss.ie Founder and CEO Alexandra Ryan said: “Thanks to this young woman, hundreds and thousands of people in Ireland took to the streets and marched in her name, demanding better from our justice system, better from our government, and better from men.
