This research paper summarizes and analyzes the religious, social, political and legal conflict in Ireland over abortion rights. In the Irish Republic, some progress has been made by women's groups, especially since 1992, to achieve greater control over their own fertility and a lessening of active opposition by the state to abortion. This struggle assumed importance principally as a result of the gradual modernization of the country and generational attitudinal changes, which have been reflected in court decisions, a realignment of the political parties and in public opinion polls and national referenda. However, the outlook for abortion reform in the immediate future remains uncertain because of the traditional and powerful opposition of the Catholic Church, the medical profession and their political allies to the legalization of abortion. Over the longer run, the forces of social and political change in Ireland may facilitate limited liberalization. A special situation exists in Northern Ireland where progress on abortion reform must await a political settlement.
Women were active in the Irish independence movement. The 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic promised equal rights for all citizens. Nevertheless, since 1922 and until very recently, a combination of forces-the backward state of the economy, the dominance of Irish politics by the conservative Fianna Fail Party and the entrenched opposition of the Catholic Church to social reforms in matters of family morality have frustrated the attempts of women's groups to reduce state interference in the area of reproductive rights. Ninety three percent of the population is Roman Catholic. The Church's anachronistic view of the role of women has dominated the body politic. That view is that divorce, contraception (other than the rhythm method) and abortion are immoral. The role of women is as a mother and unpaid homemaker and "female sexuality was only legitimately expressed fo...