Irish hold large rally to keep their nation ‘abortion-free’

Dublin, Ireland, Jul 6, 2009 / 18:03 pm

On Saturday thousands of Irish pro-life advocates attended a Rally for Life in Dublin’s city center urging that Ireland be kept "abortion-free."

The Irish pro-life group Youth Defence reported to CNA that the All-Ireland Rally was organized by pro-life groups in both North and South such as Youth Defence, the Life Institute, and Precious Life. Preserving Ireland’s abortion-free status was the theme for the day’s activities.

Speakers at the Rally at Ireland’s Parliament Buildings included Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute who told the gathered crowd "We will not falter and we will not fail, not while our children’s lives depend on it. We will stand together, work together, and pray together and we will keep Ireland abortion-free.

The Cajun Rock band L’Angelus also performed at the beginning of the Rally for Life and at the Celebrate Life event that evening. Norma McCorvey, the American plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court pro-abortion decision Roe v. Wade, told the Celebrate Life event that she was now seeking to overturn her case that made abortion legal across the United States.

Dr. Eoghan de Faoite described the Rally for Life, reporting that there were face-painting and balloons for children, music and banners on display and "a really enthusiastic crowd."

"It was superb to see just how many people came out to support the right-to-life and to Keep Ireland Abortion-free," he added.

Other threats to the pro-life cause have been growing in Ireland.

"We’re dealing with an attempt by the Department of Health in the north to introduce abortion on broad grounds by attempting to introduce new so-called abortion guidelines," said Bernie Smyth of the organization Precious Life, who organized buses to the Rally in Dublin.

Dr. De Faoite said there is a push for embryo research at University College Cork and an abortion case is being sponsored by the Irish Family Planning Association before the European Court of Justice.

"The majority of people in this country are pro-life," he remarked. "But we need to make sure our voices are heard, since together we are the voice for the voiceless."