The Irish 2018 Abortion Referendum: Why the good guys lost!The 8th amendment of the Irish Constitution: “The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.” This famous, much loved, clause in the Irish constitution was repealed on the 25th of May 2018, allowing the passage of one of the most liberal abortion laws in Europe in a traditionally pro-life country. This book seeks to answer the conundrum of why this happened, in particular why there was such a large Yes vote overturning decades of pro-life activism in the country. It centres on the questions of media bias, feminism, anticlericalism, and the subtle but serious political effects of the rise of atheism in modern Ireland. |
Contents
PREFACE | 4 |
CHAPTER 2 | 25 |
CHAPTER 3 | 34 |
CHAPTER 4 | 53 |
CHAPTER 5 | 66 |
CHAPTER 6 | 95 |
CHAPTER 7 | 109 |
APPENDIX | 116 |
APPENDIX | 129 |
Common terms and phrases
8th amendment abortion laws actually anti-clerical anyway arguments Arts Council atheism baby believe Brehon Law canvass Catholic Church Citizens constitution Cosgrave Costello course Dáil debate discrimination Dublin Eighth Amendment election example facebook fact favour feminism feminist Fianna Fáil Fine Gael foetus funded Gael Galway groups Guinness Hospital human rights Irish Examiner Irish Independent Irish media issue John Waters journalists large number leader legalisation legislation liberal Magdalen Laundries Martin’s McAleese Micheál Martin Minister modern Ireland modern Irish mother newspaper NWCI Oireachtas opinion organisations person Pobal politicians pregnancy pro-choice pro-life campaigners pro-life movement pro-life side Protestant rape recent referendum religion religious repeal the 8th Republic of Ireland RTÉ Save the 8th Savita schools Sinn Féin society speech story suicidal Supreme Court talk Taoiseach termination unborn child Valera Vatican woman women X-case Yes campaign Yes side Yes vote