AIBU to say well done Ireland!

[onalongsabbatical]

AIBU to say well done Ireland! I feel immensely moved. A real sign of positive and enlightened change on this planet of ours where so much is awful. You lovely people. Let’s have a thread of celebration – all welcome, of course. Dissent will be discussed if necessary. But, for the moment I want to cheer. Hurrah!

[Dulra]

Was so relieved when the exit polls came through last night I thought I would be a nervous wreck during the count today the gap is so wide no need for nerves . I made the trip to ealing for a termination 21 years ago and I'm very glad my daughters growing up now will never need to make that trip if they find themselves in similar circumstances

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

An Irish friend of mine is currently living in a small village in Ireland caring for her DM. She says where she's living the priest is still god. Describes it as "like Father Ted only sinister".

[Newyorkhereicome]

RavenWings
The UK cant do anything about NI. It is its own country in that respect.


No it isn't it is in the UK honestly how are people so ignorant about this

[Repealthe8th]

Dulra

[Dulra]

An Irish friend of mine is currently living in a small village in Ireland caring for her DM. She says where she's living the priest is still god. Describes it as "like Father Ted only sinister".
I think your friend is likely to be exaggerating

[Ohmydayslove]

Brilliant result me dss dds abd dh we’re cheering last night at the exit polls.

Great that it was so overwhelming too.

[Ohmydayslove]

Sprinkles

Thankyou for explaining the NI situation. I wasn’t quite sure about it. Fingers crossed that too will be changed soon.

It’s a great day for women

[Mollie85]

Fantastic result for Irish women who should have long had the autonomy to decide what to do with their own bodies.

I’m from a place where abortions became legal only 21 years ago, despite being a British crown dependency (Channel Islands) which was some 30 years after the “mainland” had passed the law (I believe but correct me if I am wrong).

My best friend and I took our first ever plane journey, aged 16/17, to Southampton for a “shopping weekend away” because her boyfriend had told her he didn’t want to use a condom and she was too naive / afraid to push the issue. We had no idea what we were doing / where we were going and she was terrified.

It absolutely broke her and having to be away from home to do it made the experience a lot worse. She only found the strength to tell her mother some five years ago.

Having also lived in Ireland for some years in the mid 2000’s, I’ve known of women who’ve had to make similar trips.

So yes to progression, albeit it’s a shame it’s so late.

[AngeloMysterioso]

These results coming through are amazing! Turnout 2% higher than for the same sex marriage ref. Absolutely incredible.

[Mueslibox]

What’s the best way to campaign in NI.

[itstimeforanamechange]

I'm delighted for Ireland. Thank goodness.

But annoyed that Northern Irish women do not enjoy the same rights. At least they can just get on a train instead of a plane or boat now. I was shocked to read in the Times today that NI police go through post looking for abortion pills. Do they really have nothing better to do?

[RavenWings]

No it isn't it is in the UK honestly how are people so ignorant about this

You understand that I wasn't saying that myself, right? I was quoting another poster.

[Sprinklesinmyelbow]

It makes me sick that NI women might have to travel to the south and pay for a termination. They are U.K. taxpayers and should have the right to the same free medical treatment the mainland do.

Some years ago an “abortion ship” was sailing the waters just outside Irish legal territory to help women out. I hope it, or anything similar, is needed again for nI women

[Ohmydayslove]

It’s an utter disgrace isn’t it! Makes me very

itstime smacks of the handmaids tale. Disgusting invasion of women’s lives

[JaneJeffer]

I wonder what part of Ireland all these priest fearing people live in? I don't know any of them.

[Loonoon]

All the people saying that they didn't think the Irish would vote for Repeal because of religious convictions - I am Irish and Catholic (live in the UK) and I supported Repeal the eighth. I wouldn't have an abortion myself but I fully support other women who might want or need one to have safe legal access to a termination in their own country.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

Jane I posted on another referendum thread about an Irish friend who is living in a village in Ireland caring for her frail DM. She describes it as being "like Father Ted only sinister". Providing details might be outing, but I was by what she told me.

[JaneJeffer]

That sounds very scary Prawn but I personally find it hard to believe.

[TheBogWitchIsBack]

As an irish person I know I have a tendency to play up the stereotypes when it suits me, sometimes it's just self deprecating humour.

Perhaps it's true, maybe your friend lives in some remote, rural village where it is like that that.
The Ireland I know is much more secular now.

[Sprinklesinmyelbow]

Also That image could just be a memory from only 10, 5 years ago. The change has been rapid

[glitterfarts]

Fantastic result for Irish women and well done to the general public acknowledging that a woman's body should be under her own control.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

My friend is living in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere and it's all happening now. She told me all about it when she was back over New Year.

[FlyingElbows]

My husband's family are of the Priest fearing variety and they're in Donegal. My fil puts holy water in the car and round the boundaries of the property. He goes nowhere without his rosary beads. It's the only place I've ever seen a priest get out a gold Mercedes, go in to a shop and buy a lottery ticket! You couldn't get more Father Ted. I absolutely accept that they're in the minority. The younger generation are certainly more culturally Catholic but the adherence to the old ways is still there.

[Moonkissedlegs]

It's true about the 'cultural Catholic' thing though. I am 2nd gen Irish living in England and was brought up Catholic, but I now have zero belief in God or any of that. English DH is staunchly atheist.

I got married in a Catholic church, had my kids baptised, not because I believe in it, but because in my family that is what you do.

I was going to mass for a while while the kids were young, we were thinking about schools etc(as it now happens they don't go to a Catholic school), and quite enjoyed the sense of community etc but was getting a bit lax with it, largely because of the abuse scandals, the Tuam babies thing, and the abortion issue: I was struggling to reconcile it.

The final nail in the coffin for me was during mass one week when this woman, who was quite active in the church, youngish, a couple of kids my age stood up and gave an anti abortion talk. I was horrified and was looking around to see other people's reactions. I never went back after that. DH totally doesn't get it, and is like 'what do you expect, that is the Catholic stance on it' but when you are a 'cultural catholic' these things can be tricky. A couple of my friends said the exact same about anti abortion campaigning at their churches too.

[Sprinklesinmyelbow]

I’m second generation too and i think that’s really different (and same for Indians/ Pakistanis) our parents left in the 60s/70s when Ireland was a very very different place and in many cases have continued to mirror that lifestyle in the U.K. Ireland is different now, but our parents haven’t kept up. They’ve just stayed in their bubble