MS Nora Bennis fanatical conservative or altruistic Christian? Imbued with a deep aversion to today's politicians, who she believes are inflicting their "liberal, left wing policies" on Irish society, she strode this week on to the public stage with her own congregation of followers, the new National Party.
Purposeful Ms Bennis, petite and well groomed, has ambitions to rattle political cages in Limerick East and elsewhere and to reshape a nation which is increasingly undermined by what she calls the liberal cult
At a rather shambolic launch of the National Party in Dublin on Monday, she failed to produce any policy paper she leaned heavily on criticism, but was vague on strategy.
But the dearth of policy did nothing to discourage public interest in her new party, and its' inauguration has generated a flood of inquiries to her home in Limerick and to the media. She will contest the next general election in Limerick, with National Party candidates in 19 other constituencies.
In Ms Bennis's eyes, Ireland today presents a lamentable Armageddon like vista. The moral fibre of society is breaking down with rampant unemployment and rising crime. Family life and communities are disintegrating. Fear and suspicion have replaced good neighbourliness, and doors once on the latch are now locked and bolted.
"It is our aim to put in place a programme which will solve these problems and they are solvable a programme that will provide goals and dreams, together with a practical common sense way of delivering it within a reasonable time frame," she says.
But in spite of the dreams and reveries of a more gratifying Ireland which run through Ms Bennis's thinking, those who know her describe a woman with ambition that is far from ephemeral.
After securing 18,000 first preference votes in Munster in the European elections, she is aware she can tilt the balance of power in her own constituency and appeal to the traditional voters of other constituencies.
Amid speculation that Mr Peadar Clohessy, of the Progressive Democrats, might not contest the next election, Fianna Fail was supremely confident that Mr Willie O'Dea would bring a running mate back to Leinster House from Limerick East. The presence of Ms Bennis is irritating that assumption.
"She is anti everything, including flooding. But she is far more political than people give her credit for and wants to make a breakthrough in politics. She can harness the conservative, Catholic constituency that voted against divorce, says one local source.
Others describe her as a witty woman of great warmth and compassion, virtues illustrated by the fact that she writes regularly to a prisoner on death row in the US.
Born Nora Shinners into a Fianna Fail family in the working class district of Janesboro, Limerick city, she married into the hurling rich Bean is family from Patrickswell.
She and her husband, Gerard, a former chairman of the Limerick County Board have three daughters and a son. She was a successful Irish dancing teacher and now describes her self as a full time housewife.
"Society shaped my ideas. School, home, and society generally all play a part," she says.
In spite of her high profile role in the anti abortion campaign of 1983 and the anti divorce lobby of later years, Ms Bennis deeply resents the media casting her as a type of anti sex, regressive fundamentalist.
"Why," she pleads, "are the media paranoid about sex? I find it most peculiar that journalists are hung up on sexual issues. It is an awful pity that people home in on one area because I am concerned about many other issues.
"Maybe it is because I am pro life but that is not just antiabortion it means advocating a good standard of living for people, proper houses, jobs, safety for the elderly."
In recent days, she has identified strongly with the controversial views of Ms Angela McNamara, that the new breed of tough, assertive women evokes violence in men. There is no doubt in her mind that radical feminism is oppressing men, and if any group is continually oppressed it will react".
Ms Bennis refuses to believe her crusade for a traditional Ireland is already lost with the introduction of divorce, the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the dissemination of abortion information. She would, of course, hold another pro life referendum if ever in power, but there are other fish to fry before that day dawns.
The National Party a "progressive party with no wish to return to the good or bad old days" is on the march. Look out, ye lefties in Dail Eireann.