Eoin O’Faogáin, writing in the Bogman’s Cannon, addresses the experiences of three generations of women in his family in relation to the church and women’s rights in Ireland.

On Saturday, over 25 thousand people across every imaginable demographic came out in Dublin to march for the right to bodily autonomy. They came out demand an end to a legislative legacy that deems 50% of our citizens as second-class and exports 4,000 women a year across the sea. They came out to reject the continued narrative of shame that exists around abortion. They came out to drag us into the 21st century.

The desperation in the tone of voice of the Catholic Church and its coalition of martyrs is obvious. It reached farcical levels during last year’s marriage equality campaign and continues today in the debate around the 8th amendment. A video published over the weekend makes direct comparisons between women accessing abortion and Hitler.

The arguments coming from the Sherlocks, the “Pro-Life” Campaign, IONA and Youth Defence are increasingly erratic. But of course they are.

These are institutions who have been afforded a lifetime of silent obedience. In that context, how frightening it must be to see public opinion turn away from you so sharply, so profoundly. How frightening it must be that people have found the courage to share their lived experiences and refuse to be shamed.

Repeal the Faith

Photo: Ellen Russell