Sarah Holmes is an Irish anti-transgender activist. Holmes is a volunteer with anti-trans hate group Genspect and has presented at their conferences. Holmes is also reportedly a member of The Countess, an Irish sex segregationist organization founded by Genspect member Laoise de Brun.
Background
Sarah J. Holmes is from Wicklow and has three children.
Anti-transgender activism
In 2020, Holmes was upset after seeing an HSE health information document that used the term âpeople with a cervix.â According to Genspect, Holmes, called in to RTĂ Radio One show Liveline as “Sarah Anderson” to complain.
In 2022, Ireland’s National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) proposed a curriculum that aimed to help students “appreciate that sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are core parts of human identity and that each is experienced along a spectrum.” Via The Times:
Sarah Holmes, a mother of three from Wicklow who made a submission objecting to the proposed change during the NCCAâs public consultation, is pleased that the learning outcome has been removed.
She said teaching that gender identity and gender expression were experienced on a spectrum was a ânewâ and âradicalâ concept to introduce to junior cycle students.
The proposed learning outcome risked causing âwidespread confusionâ among pupils, she said, adding: âThis ideology appears to have been taken on in schools without any debate and without parental knowledge.â
According to Genspect, in June 2022, Holmes “was denied entry to the NWCIâs Annual General Meeting (AGM) despite holding a valid ticket. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) later ruled in favor of the NWCI.”
In 2023 Holmes appeared on a Genspect panel about how the Irish education system teaches about gender. Participants were Laoise UĂ Aodha de BrĂșn, Stella O’Malley, Iseult White, Estelle Birdy, and Colette Colfer.
In October 2023, Holmes wrote a letter to the editor of The Irish Examiner:
Activists have to be held to account
Iâm delighted to see Mick Clifford highlighting the authoritarian rule which gender activists have over our public bodies and politicians. As someone who attended the âlet women speakâ event this month Iâve seen first hand the abuse and fear activists deployed to attempt to silence women speaking up on this issue. Many of us contacted the gardaĂ in advance due to the threats of violence and thankfully they did a fantastic job keeping us safe. People speaking up on this topic are risking their careers and their personal safety. Itâs high time the activists are held to account for their underhand tactics. – Sarah Holmes, Newcastle, Co Wicklow
In 2024, Holmes was MC for an event held by Wicklow Women 4 Women:
The Wicklow Women 4 Women held a public event in the Glenview Hotel in Bray County Wicklow. MC on the night was Wicklow Women 4 Women member Sarah Holmes. Guest speakers for the Event Laoise de Brun: journalist and barrister at law the founder and CEO of the Countess.i.e. and Colum Kenny journalist: barrister, and historian. who is Emeritus Professor at Dublin City University explain why a NoNo vote tomorrow is so important. No is not a vote against change. No is a vote to say that we deserve better. Erasing women, mothers and the reality of the work we do erases how much of a burden we carry. The Wicklow Women 4 Women held a public event in the Glenview Hotel in Bray County Wicklow in the east coast of Ireland to discuss why it is so vital to keep the Wording of Woman in the Irish Constitution. Wicklow Women 4 Women are a Collective of Local Women who met in 2022 at a conference organised by Women’s Space Ireland. Who were determined to start an open discussion locally about topics that were being silenced by the mainstream media. We also felt a real need for support and solidarity in dealing with the threats to women’s rights and the lack of child safeguarding that the push for acceptance of gender ideology entails. So far we’ve had two very successful public information evenings. One about changes to the SPHE curriculum, and more recently about the upcoming referendum.
References
Bourke, Stephen (November 13, 2023). National Womenâs Council entitled to refuse entry to trans policy protester over âsubstantial risk of criminal and disorderly conduct.â Workplace Relations Commission found NWCI entitled to bar protestors to protect other attendees from âpotentially explosive situation.â The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/11/13/national-womens-council-entitled-to-refuse-entry-to-trans-policy-protester-over-substantial-risk-of-criminal-and-disorderly-conduct/
Lee, Nicole (November 13, 2023). Anti-trans protestor loses discrimination case against National Womenâs Council. gcn https://gcn.ie/anti-trans-protestor-loses-case-against-national-womens-council/
OâDonoghue, Patrick (November 5, 2023). âNo biasâ by National Womenâs Council in transgender row: Dispute led to heated debates on Joe Duffyâs Liveline RTE show. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/no-bias-by-national-womens-council-in-transgender-row-0d50lt0ww
OâDonoghue, Patrick (February 26, 2023). Spectrum idea is dropped from Irelandâs gender learning plan for schools. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/spectrum-idea-is-dropped-from-irelands-gender-learning-plan-for-schools-zcdmwhcf3
O’Sullivan, Jerry (March 10, 2023). Should Gender Identity Be Discussed in Schools? Kerry Today https://www.radiokerry.ie/podcasts/kerry-today/should-gender-identity-be-discussed-in-schools-march-10th-2023-321386
Staff report (September 17, 2020). Controversy over HSEâs removal of word âwomanâ from cervical cancer information. BreakingNews.ie https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/controversy-over-hses-removal-of-word-woman-from-cervical-cancer-information-1018234.html
Selected anti-trans writing by Holmes
Holmes, Sarah; Morrison, Sara (April 29, 2025). Bathbombs and Body Politics: How Corporate Activism Markets Medical Transition to Kids. Genspect https://genspect.org/bathbombs-and-body-politics-how-corporate-activism-markets-medical-transition-to-kids/
Holmes, Sarah (November 5, 2023). Irish Woman who was Refused Entry to NWCâs Annual Meeting has Lost her Discrimination Case. Genspect https://genspect.org/irish-woman-who-was-refused-entry-to-nwcs-annual-meeting-has-lost-her-discrimination-case/
Holmes, Sarah (October 2, 2023). letter to the editor: Activists have to be held to account. The Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/yourview/arid-41238220.html
Media
Gender: A Wider Lens with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, and Sarah Holmes (November 24, 2023). EP 143: The Battle Over the Word Woman with Sarah Holmes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWhDjtGXYFM
Genspect with Stella O’Malley, Laoise UĂ Aodha de BrĂșn, Stella O’Malley, Iseult White, Estelle Birdy, and Colette Colfer (June 16, 2023). The Bigger Picture Conference: Gender Ideology in Irish Education Moderated by Stella O’Malley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNPsZf0fvs8
Newstalk Breakfast with Sarah Holmes (April 6. 2023). A book described as âhighly sexualâ is to be removed from the sex education curriculum. https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-newstalk-breakfast/a-book-described-as-highly-sexual-is-to-be-removed-from-the-sex-education-curriculum
Resources
X/Twitter (x.com)
Substack (substack.com)