Ireland overturns abortion ban in landslide vote


Dublin, May 27 (DC): Ireland voted by a landslide to ditch its strict abortion laws in a landmark referendum hailed by Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Saturday as a "quiet revolution", triggering scenes of jubilation in Dublin.

Final results showed more than 66 percent of voters in what has been a traditionally staunchly Catholic country backed repealing the constitutional ban on terminations.

Hugging, celebrating, singing and cheering wildly, thousands crammed into the courtyard of Dublin Castle, where the official result was declared, chanting "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Wonderful, wonderful, today is wonderful!" said Eileen Shields, wearing a sticker reading "We made history".

She said she was ostracised by her friends and the Church when she got pregnant outside of marriage as a teenager 46 years ago.

"I'm here because I'm 65 and in 1972 Ireland wasn't a nice place to be when you were 18 and pregnant and on your own," she told AFP.

Wearing "Repeal" tops and "Yes" badges, the crowds celebrated as the verdict was announced, waving Irish flags and placards reading "Thank you", with love hearts on.

At Dublin's RDS count centre, 40-year-old nurse Ruth Bowie wept at the results.

She told AFP: "I had to leave my country to get the healthcare that I needed when I was told that my baby wouldn't survive outside the womb and I've told my story over and over again just in the hope that this day would come -- and it's finally come."

The final results of Friday's referendum showed 66.4 percent voted for removing the constitutional ban, while 33.6 voted against.

The turnout was 64 percent.
Among the 40 constituencies, the pro-choice vote peaked at 78 percent in Dublin Bay South, while rural Donegal was the only one to vote against abortion, by 52 percent.

"A quiet revolution has taken place, a great act of democracy," Varadkar tweeted.

He told cheering crowds at Dublin Castle: "The people have spoken.

"They are saying this is a country where we trust women and respect their choices.

"Thank you so much for making today possible."

His government proposes allowing abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances.

Varadkar said he wanted the law in force by the end of the year and Health Minister Simon Harris told AFP that the cabinet would meet on Tuesday to approve the drafting of legislation.

Crumbling church influence

The referendum comes three months before a visit to Ireland by Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families.

The result is another hammer blow to the Roman Catholic Church's authority in Ireland, coming three years after referendum voters backed legalising same-sex marriage by 62 percent.

Roscommon-Galway, the only constituency to reject same-sex marriage, voted for change this time by 57 percent.

The Church's influence has crumbled in recent years, triggered by a series of child sex abuse scandals.

An exit poll for The Irish Times newspaper suggested 70 percent of women and 65 percent of men voted to overturn the ban.

People over 65 voted 60 percent against. However, all other age groups backed the proposal, with support at 87 percent among voters aged 18 to 24.

Ailbhe Smyth, 71, co-director of the official Together for Yes campaign, said real-life testimonies from women affected by the law had helped swing the vote.

"The stories, the experiences, women's voices, women's and couples, it was a central part of our strategy," she told reporters.

The Love Both official pro-life campaign said regardless of the result, "our work will continue to protect unborn babies and their mothers".

"Our campaign does not end with the referendum, but when the government properly supports the mother and child," it said.

Abortion is still banned in some 20 countries worldwide, while others have highly restrictive laws in place. In the European Union, predominantly Catholic Malta is the only country with a total ban.

170,000 terminations abroad

Ireland introduced a constitutional ban on abortion following a 1983 referendum. Terminating a pregnancy carries a 14-year maximum jail term.

The law was tweaked in 2013 to allow terminations if the mother's life is at risk.

The ban has led to thousands of women travelling each year to neighbouring Britain, where terminations are legal, or increasingly turning to abortion pills sold online.

Since 1983, around 170,000 Irish women have gone abroad for terminations.

"It's mad that there would have been people flying in to vote and a number of women in that airport waiting to leave to go and have an abortion," said art director Aoife Murray, 27, who said the referendum outcome left her in tears of relief.

In the UK, abortion is legal on the British mainland, but remains outlawed in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein's party leaders from both sides of the border held up a placard at Dublin Castle reading: "The North is next".

  

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Comment on this article

  • alex, mangalore

    Mon, May 28 2018

    Very sad day in the history of Ireland ,first they legalize gay marriages ,appoint a gay as a PM and now legalize abortion . All 3 things aren't acceptable to God .

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Manju, Mumbai

    Sun, May 27 2018

    What was the reason behind Galileo ‘s death?

    Ans: God in Heaven and his holy book ( belief system).

    What is. Heaven ?

    Ans: Heaven is place where you will reach after death without body.

    DisAgree [2] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUITH, Bahrain

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Now, St. Patrick in heaven might be VERY UNHAPPY on what Ireland is doing now. Let's see on what will happen to their economy, society, and stability, if there comes a divine intervention and wrath unto them.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Satya, Mangalore

    Sun, May 27 2018

    It is very easy to pontificate Henry. Do you approve of what happened to Savita Hallapanavar?

    Do you know what is going through the mind of a victim of rape or incest who is pregnant?

    I too do not approve of abortions on flimsy grounds when they are misused like female foeticide or through sheer carelessness, where an innocent life is taken for nothing. This is nothing but murder, but in genuine cases a mother and if she is invalid her doctors or family should have the choice of taking a right decision.

    Recently in a Central American country a minor girl who was raped underwent an abortion and now she has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Do you think this is fair on the girl?

    DisAgree [1] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Manju, Mumbai

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Christianity is shrinking in European countries.
    Since beginning this organized religion ( belief system) is alway against Science.

    DisAgree [4] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Chris, Tel Aviv

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Mathew 20:16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Whatever written must be fulfilled .

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jude, Belmannu

    Sun, May 27 2018

    But Hinduism is with science vedic age we running flights with out petrol.we using missiles atomic bomb.still in india lot people converting to other religion.even the fastest growing religion in india is islam.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Antonio DSilva, Kuwait

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Manju, Mumbai

    You are definitely not one who has been blessed to know of the living God.

    Christianity is not about numbers......many are called but few are chosen......... this 'shrinking' that you refer to is an accepted fact of Christianity, it was bound to happen.

    Imagine one who does not respect life of an unborn fetus what humanity do you expect of this person. The woman is the fetus's world, her womb its security, its nourishment its everything, and yet this protector of the fetus turns out to be it' s murderer.

    Abortion is COLD BLOODED MURDER.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Antonio DSilva, Kuwait

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Another of life's fort brought down by people who believe that another's life will impede their LIBERATED lives.

    I am grateful to my mother for letting me be; I pray God bless her abundantly! of course my father too!

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Satya, Mangalore

    Sun, May 27 2018

    The people of Ireland have decided and it is their victory. Many people have however got it wrong. The amendment does not allow blanket abortions. There are certain clauses and a doctor can object to an abortion on ethical grounds. However, the new law will see to it that unfortunate cases like Savita Hallapanavar will not happen again. Savita Happapanavar case was due to medical over reach as there were provisions under which the doctors could have acted in time and saved her life, but they were either, ignorant, scared, lacked clarity or simply arrogant and careless. The new amendments will change all that and bring in clarity where the doctors can now apply the law correctly and do what is right for both mother and child. It also gives a woman the right for self determination.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sun, May 27 2018

    India can also overturn Liars ...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Sun, May 27 2018

    They did that in may 2014...

    DisAgree [7] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Bigger Liars in May 2019 ...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Bengaluru/Katapadi

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Abortion should not be made legal which is nothing but killing the child before birth.

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Let people enjoy their life... why do you bother?

    DisAgree [9] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Stan, Udupi/Dubai

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Abortions should never be made legal. Its nothing but cold blooded murder.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Do you have child rape victims in your mind when you said this ? And, drunkard husbands too, who refuse to use contraceptives ? How do you expect women to raise their children in such cases and what health status do you expect in such children ?

    DisAgree [6] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Antonio DSilva, Kuwait

    Sun, May 27 2018

    God had foreseen this day and thus he had said to Adam and Eve;
    You may not eat of the tree of knowledge both good and evil.

    Unfortunately Satan convinced Eve to have Adam eat this fruit and that is the result of what you see today and every day yet to come.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Sun, May 27 2018

    European countries are not great since people have limited freedom... And it took so long to decide something... But India is great where we have overnight judicial system and next morning we have new rule 😁

    DisAgree [10] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jenifer, Mangalore

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Sri,

    Overnight rule change is only for fuel hike. Just look at the news next to this one - a SIX month pregnant woman is raped.

    How many years since Nirbhaya is overnight to you ??

    DisAgree [1] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Sun, May 27 2018

    I respect your concern! For all criminal matters fast track courts should be there.... I hope SC too give justice promptly...

    Regarding fuel price, even I have concern 😁
    I think government should do something quickly like bringing it under gst umbrella and they should consider recovering losses from managing income tax slabs.... Government can make income more than fifty thousand taxable at 3% ? Like that way

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bharath Kumar, Manipal

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Sri elder

    Why your goberment was sleeping last 4 years to bring petrol price under gst ????

    DisAgree Agree [6] Report Abuse

  • Upendra, Manipal

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Jenifer

    When people become ‘elder’ they will loose memory as well

    DisAgree [1] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Harold D'cunha, Mangalore, India.

    Sun, May 27 2018

    Upendra, Manipal
    I heard when people become 'elder' they will be full of knowledge. But I do agree, 'elder' too loose memory. You are right . Aaap sahee hai.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Report Abuse


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Title: Ireland overturns abortion ban in landslide vote



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