Ireland

So I went to the Tuam Babies meeting to have my say, and then I realised I shouldn’t have one

I guess most of you already know the background to this. (For those unfamiliar with this story, be assured of its international significance. Check out, for example, this New York Times feature. Or this BBC Podcast. Or just go read Wikipedia.) I’m from Tuam. This whole issue disturbs me on […]

In two minutes, these (British) Gogglebox viewers produced a more cogent analysis of the Irish referendum result than the entire mainstream Irish media have managed in seven days

https://twitter.com/tvcritics/status/1002672832357203968 Every single talking point is spot on. Not just accurate, but highly relevant too. I know it’s edited, but come on — these folks are just sitting around watching TV! In a foreign country! (Kudos to @tvcritics for posting this video on Twitter.)

Those oh-so-convincing anti-repeal arguments re-capped (Greatest Hits version)

In the Irish abortion referendum, the ‘No’ side — those campaigning against the repeal of Ireland’s archaic Constitutional abortion ban — certainly had their work cut out. The way the Constitution was worded meant they had to persuade the Irish electorate to defend all of the following: (a) forcing raped pubescent teens to […]

It’s official: Ireland’s abortion ban repealed by popular vote

For: 1,429,981 (66.4%) Against: 723,632 (33.6%) Ireland votes ‘YES’. Careful, logical, critical contributions carried the day, outweighing the fake news, grim posters, emotional manipulation, attempts at foreign influence, church persuasion, alt-right hectoring, and brain-dead dogmatic pseudo-morality. We focused on the facts and the evidence. We relied on experience and expertise. […]

This. Just this.

From the Guardian’s live results coverage: 11:07 Andanappa Yalagi, the father of Savita Halappanavar, who died of sepsis in Galway in 2012 after being denied an abortion during a protracted miscarriage, said he was “very happy today”. Speaking to Harriet Sherwood by phone from his home in Karnataka, in south-west India, Yalagi […]

Looks like I should have gone to press with my “populist landslide” prediction. Exit poll suggests Ireland has well and truly CRUSHED its abortion ban!

  Ha! Polls closed 10 minutes ago. The Irish Times, our paper of record, has conducted an exit poll. Get a load of this baby: WOWZERS! I had told folks to expect a decisive margin, but I had been pegging it at 60:40… Of course this is just an exit […]