The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act 1995 removed the ban on divorce from the Irish Constitution. It was the second attempt at removing the ban; the first in 1986, ended with a substantive victory for the no-divorce campaigners.
By the 1980s, most other Western countries had not only introduced divorce, but had altered divorce laws to include no-fault based divorce and provided for equality in the distribution of property following divorce. Ireland therefore stood apart. When the first referendum to remove the ban was proposed, it followed many years of vigorous campaigning on women’s rights in other Western countries and in Ireland, various women’s organisations had been established including the Council for the Status of Women (an umbrella organisation for women’s groups. Now called the National Women’s Council of Ireland). One would imagine therefore that women would have argued forcefully in favour of divorce in Ireland. However, this was not the case. In fact, the majority of women voted against removing the ban in 1986.
By the time of the second proposal in 1995, societal attitudes towards women were changing and while the proposal passed only by the narrowest of margins in the end, the victory demonstrates, in a microcosmic sense, that the position and status of women in modern Ireland had changed forever.
by Mayomick
24 comments
And of men. This affected men and women equally. Men couldn’t get divorced either.
That’s such a close vote holy shit
Those were the days of William Binchy and David Quinn lecturing to us all how terrible divorce would be and how our little Catholic country was such a shining light to the rest of the world.
I drove through a rainstorm that night to vote Yes.
The past was insane.
Man it’s crazy to think how close that was. I wonder how many people who voted no and are still around still feel the same way
One little fascist shit in particular was high up in this campaign, who then proceeded to divorce a number of years later.
In a lot of cases bye bye daddy would have been for the best
It was a long and nasty campaign. At the last march a woman with an American accent spat in my face, literally, and said, ‘Irish women want what you’re selling’. I thought the ones I know do.
Wife Swapping Sodomites!
Almost half the people against. That is shocking.
dafuq 😳
As much as I disagree with the sentiment you have admit that that’s pretty fucking funny.
*24 November 1995
*Legalised
*Favour
My great aunt was almost arrested for following people into the voting booths and loudly berating them if she thought they were going to vote yes. Back then, the local priest could have said floors were sinful and little old women would have been sticking themselves to the ceilings in their droves.
Turned out well for everyone.
First time I voted was in that!
That many people were against divorce here in the mid 90s?!? Disgusting. That’s not that long ago. But people will swear there are noooo problems now
The absolute misery families were put through before divorce was horrible..
My parents were pretty much first in the Queue.
My mother never got over the shame from the church, my father on the other hand had a ball !
If you dont want a divorce, dont get one. Its not difficult.
And if your spouse wants one and you dont, that’s just tough luck
Yeah, this is unbelievable story! I was quite shocked once I found out about this chapter of Irish history. I mean Poland was pretty hardcore catholic, but this is another level ..
I’m glad it changed for the better! It seems Poland is following same footsteps!
I remember this day, it was the first ever day I got a 99 as my mum was asked to mind one from my brothers class. Turns out she had been campaining for the yes side as her husband was just not very nice to her at all.
As a thank you and how happy she was she took us all down to the shop for a 99, which I had never had before. Also tried to skateboard for the first time guy from my brothers class had one, saw him skate into a curb and go flying off it.
That’s the advertising board on Wexford St beside Mega Bikes
I know an Irish guy, in the music business (an engineer/technician, not an artist), who flew home from NYC just so he could vote ‘No’ in the more recent marriage referendum. An absolute bell-end. Loves Jesus though, so he’ll be grand.
One of its most prominent critics condemned the idea of divcorce in Ireland and shockingly changed his mind when he needed one
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