Alternative health promoter Barbara O’Neill faces coordinated opposition from medical experts in Ireland, the UK, and Australia ahead of a scheduled speaking tour featuring four days of events in Ireland beginning next week, The Journal reported.
Letters Sent to Irish Venues Over Medical Claims
Physicians and scientists sent warning letters to the venues hosting O’Neill’s upcoming appearances, stating that her events will likely spread medical misinformation. The letters bear the signatures of more than a dozen doctors and researchers, including scientist David Robert Grimes, doctor Gary McGowan, University College Cork professor of human nutrition and dietetics Aoife Ryan, and Trinity College Dublin school of medicine head Colin Doherty.
O’Neill is scheduled to deliver three days of talks at a conference center near the border between Meath and Dublin. A religious group promoting Bible-based health principles is hosting that event, titled A Journey of Healing with Barbara O’Neill. The program includes scheduled presentations on cancer, the true cause of disease, and “rewiring the brain”. Organizers also advertised a separate one-day event at a hotel in Ballybofey, Donegal, with O’Neill appearing to be the only speaker for both engagements.
Australian commission bans O’Neill for dangerous health claims
Part of the pushback originates from a 2019 inquiry by the Australian Health Care Complaints Commission that slapped a lifelong ban on O’Neill, barring her from offering any health services, such as educational programs along with psychological or alternative medicine treatments. The commission found that O’Neill made “dubious and dangerous health claims regarding infant nutrition, causes and treatment of cancer, antibiotics and vaccinations that are not evidence-based or supported by mainstream medicine.”
“Sadly, O’Neill’s followers believe her to be a martyr, sacrificing herself for their health in the face of the evil monolith of modern medicine,” Dr. McGowan told The Journal. He noted further that numerous remedies she promotes, including her ‘Wild Yam Cream’, carry a higher price tag than the affordable pharmaceuticals she routinely bashes.
Medical professionals challenge O’Neill claims about cancer cures
The joint letter from Irish, UK, and Australian medical professionals highlights specific statements made by O’Neill that contradict clinical evidence. Based on the informational packet delivered to the locations, O’Neill asserts that she has the ability to heal cancer, that cancer constitutes a fungus, and that dietary habits alone can eradicate it.
“All these claims are utterly false and deeply harmful,” the letter states. “Worse again, O’Neill consistently urges patients to abandon effective therapies like chemotherapy, scaremongering patients about medical treatment and engendering mistrust in healthcare teams.” The Journal contacted Barbara O’Neill for comment, but received no response prior to publication.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tour and Medical Warnings
Which venues are hosting Barbara O’Neill’s upcoming events in Ireland?
The events are scheduled at a conference center near the Meath-Dublin border for a three-day program called A Journey of Healing with Barbara O’Neill, and at a hotel in Ballybofey, Donegal, for a separate one-day appearance.
Who signed the warning letters sent to the event venues?
Scientist David Robert Grimes, doctor Gary McGowan, University College Cork professor Aoife Ryan, and Trinity College Dublin school of medicine head Colin Doherty are among more than a dozen medical professionals and researchers who signed the letters.
What specific prohibition did Australian regulators place on O’Neill?
In 2019, the Australian Health Care Complaints Commission permanently prohibited O’Neill from providing any health services, citing “dubious and dangerous health claims regarding infant nutrition, causes and treatment of cancer, antibiotics and vaccinations”.
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