Abortion has long been a divisive issue in the once stridently Catholic country. A complete ban was only lifted in 2013, when terminations were allowed in cases where the mother’s life was in danger. If Ireland votes in favour of repeal, the government has said it will introduce legislation permitting unrestricted abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The religious right in Ireland, particularly lay Catholic groups, see the referendum as their last chance to roll back 25 years of social liberal change. In 2015 Ireland voted by a huge majority to legalise same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in the world to do so by popular vote.

Source: The Guardian March 28, 2018 16:25 UTC