{{short description|Irish writer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person | name = Olaf Tyaransen | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|2|10|df=y}} | birth_place = Dublin, Ireland | education = Coláiste Éinde, Threadneedle Road, Galway | occupation = Music journalist }} '''Olaf Tyaransen''' (born 10 February 1971) is an Irish former journalist and contributing editor with Dublin's ''Hot Press'' magazine.<ref name="Keena20251008"/><ref name="NiAodha2018">{{cite news |last1=Ní Aodha |first1=Gráinne |title=Hot Press writer takes leave from magazine after denying allegations |url=https://www.thejournal.ie/hot-press-olaf-tyaransen-3868825-Feb2018 |access-date=8 October 2025 |work=TheJournal.ie |date=23 February 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
==Career== Tyaransen was born in Dublin on 10 February 1971.<ref name="1blist">"{{Cite web |url=http://www.iblist.com/author18392.htm |title=Author Information: Olaf Tyaransen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324201830/http://www.iblist.com/author18392.htm |archive-date=2012-03-24 |url-status=dead|publisher=iblist.com}}</ref> His family moved to Galway in 1977,<ref name="S">Lendennie, Jessie. "Salmon: a journey in poetry, 1981-2007". Salmon Publishing, 2006. 458. {{ISBN|1-903392-57-8}}</ref> where he attended Coláiste Éinde on Threadneedle Road. He contributed film reviews to the local free ''Galway Advertiser'' in 1988, and edited another local freesheet called ''The Word''. He began writing for Dublin's ''Hot Press'' magazine in 1991. His first book, the poetry collection ''The Consequences of Slaughtering Butterflies'', was published by Salmon Poetry in 1992.<ref name="S" /> In 2000, he released ''The Story Of O'' (which he described as "an accidental autobiography"), which was published by Hot Press.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.galwayindependent.com/profiles/profiles/olaf-tyaransen-%11-journalist/ |title=Olaf Tyaransen - Journalist |date=2010-12-29 |website=Galway Independent |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108090051/https://www.galwayindependent.com/profiles/profiles/olaf-tyaransen-%11-journalist/ |archive-date=2011-01-08 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2001, Tyaransen visited Ukraine to report on the phenomenon of internet bridal agencies. The resulting report was published in ''Sex Lines'' (2002), published by Hot Press.<ref name="S"/>
Tyaransen is a campaigner for the legalisation of drugs,<ref name="1blist" /> and regularly writes on this subject and engages in radio, television and university debates. In 1997 he formed the Cannabis Legalisation Party with UCC law lecturer Tim Murphy, and stood in the Irish general election as a candidate for the Dublin constituency of Dún Laoghaire.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/1997/0527/97052700070.html |title=Appeal by 'legal cannabis' party |date=1997-05-05 |website=Irish Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022234456/https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/1997/0527/97052700070.html |archive-date=2012-10-22}}</ref> He polled just 348 first preference votes, but said his intention was to make a point.<ref>Tyaransen, Olaf. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100528112040/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/the-ozone-bronze-age-booze-2183896.html The O-Zone: Bronze age booze]". ''Irish Herald'', 18 May 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2011.</ref> The Cannabis Legalisation Party has since disbanded and he is not affiliated with any other political party.
==Sexual assault allegation==
In late 2017, Laura Lee, a sex worker and sex workers' rights campaigner, made a complaint to the Garda Síochána that Tyaransen had sexually assaulted her in 2014 when they met for a ''Hot Press'' interview.<ref name="Keena20251008"/> In February 2018, Lee died by suicide;<ref name="Keena20251008"/><ref name=times>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/tributes-paid-to-campaigner-laura-lee-after-her-sudden-death-1.3386504 |title=Tributes paid to campaigner Laura Lee after her sudden death |last=Edwards |first=Elaine |date=9 February 2018 |newspaper=The Irish Times |accessdate=5 July 2025}}</ref> two weeks later, her allegation was reported on Medium.com by Brooke Magnanti and widely repeated online.<ref name="Keena20251008"/> Tyaransen said he had consensual sex with Lee and sued Magnanti, Twitter, and Broadsheet.ie for defamation.<ref name="Keena20251008"/><ref>"[https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-daily-mail/20180224/281616715854341 Journalist to sue blogger over online claims of sex assault]". ''Daily Mail'', 24 August 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2025</ref><ref name="thejournalFeb2019">"[https://www.thejournal.ie/olaf-tyaransen-high-court-twitter-broadsheet-4498114-Feb2019 Hot Press writer launches legal proceedings against Broadsheet.ie and Twitter]". ''TheJournal.ie'', 17 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2025</ref> Several of those who had repeated the allegations deleted them and issued apologies.<ref name="thejournalFeb2019"/>
Tyaransen claims the allegations ruined his career.<ref name="Keena20251008">{{cite news |last1=Keena |first1=Colm |title=Legal threats by lawyer and magazine editor halt Irish journalist’s book on #MeToo claim |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2025/10/08/legal-threats-by-lawyer-and-magazine-editor-halt-journalists-book-on-metoo-claim/ |access-date=8 October 2025 |work=The Irish Times |date=8 October 2025 |language=en}}</ref> He stopped writing for ''Hot Press'' by mutual agreement although, according to him, the magazine continued to pay him for two years.<ref name="Keena20251008"/><ref name="NiAodha2018"/><ref name="thejournalFeb2019"/> He wrote an account presenting the events as an unjust cancellation by dogpiling misuse of the #MeToo movement.<ref name="Keena20251008"/> His book was due to be published in autumn 2025 as ''Me & #MeToo: A true story based on a false story'',<ref name="Keena20251008"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Goring |first1=Rosemary |title=10 books to read this autumn, from autobiographies to hot new novels |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/25415487.10-books-read-autumn-autobiographies-hot-new-novels/ |access-date=8 October 2025 |work=The Herald |date=1 September 2025 |location=Glasgow |language=en}}</ref> but has been deferred to 2026 by the publishers<ref>{{cite web |title=''Me & #MeToo: A True Story Based on a False Story'' by Olaf Tyaransen |quote=Published: 27/08/2026 |url=https://www.waterstones.com/book/me-and-metoo/olaf-tyaransen/9781785634222 |website=Waterstones }}</ref> after threats of defamation proceedings from ''Hot Press'', its editor Niall Stokes, and a solicitor who had advised Laura Lee.<ref name="Keena20251008"/> Responding to Tyaransen's admission of having had sex with Lee after interviewing her, the developers of a sex-worker safety app commented that "journalists should maintain clear professional boundaries with the people they interview".<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Statement by Ugly Mugs Ireland |url=https://uglymugs.ie/article/public-statement-by-ugly-mugs-ireland |website=UglyMugs |access-date=24 October 2025 |date=23 October 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|1}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyaransen, Olaf}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:The Herald (Ireland) people Category:Hot Press people Category:Irish male writers Category:People educated at Coláiste Éinde Category:Writers from County Dublin Category:Writers from County Galway Category:Sunday Independent (Ireland) people Category:20th-century Irish journalists Category:21st-century Irish journalists Category:21st-century Irish male journalists