Sometimes I feel like Ireland’s reputation is unfairly overshadowed by our history. Conservative, grey, under the thumb of the church. And yes, there is a truth to that. But there is also a truth to this. Yesterday’s 2015 March for Choice was huge. The sun shone. Women took to the stage and shared their stories.
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The history of pro-choice in Ireland has often been difficult. I remember a few short years ago: countless winter vigils for our dead. Standing huddled in the cold and the dark. We wouldn’t stop until Savita had something resembling justice. Seem times it feels like we’re always responding. Yet another tragedy. Yet another woman dead. Or locked up until her pregnancy is done. We’re always on the defensive. Continue reading “Dublin’s 2015 March for Choice: in pictures.”→
It’s only two hours until Ireland’s third annual March for Choice. Which means, by the way, that if you’re local and you somehow haven’t heard of it until now, I strongly recommend getting your walking boots on, like, now.
I’ve been finding it incredibly difficult to find words to talk about Ireland an abortion recently. Not something that’s been a problem in the past, but sometimes things get too overwhelmingly godawful to look at, you know? There’s a level of anger, sadness and helplessness in the face of overwhelming inertia that sometimes gets too hard to bear.
Luckily, the ever-eloquent Danielle has put things far more clearly and succinctly than I can manage right now.
When our rights are denied in our own country, we depend on our neighbours.
Yesterday in Dublin was a beautiful day: a 24-hour, sunshine-filled break from the rains which had been pouring down on us all the rest of the week. More importantly, it was a truly historic occasion; it was the first time people in their thousands had gathered together in our capital city to celebrate being pro-choice together, and to call for the provision of safe, legal and accessible abortion to be made available to people living on the island of Ireland in their own countries.
Campus.ie talk about the march, the impending report, and Ireland’s many abortion-related referenda.
And, of course, can’t leave out my own review over at Feminist Ire with my experiences and pics.
Videos
Choice Ireland spokesperson Sinead Ahern speaks for Generation X and gives a background on how Irish women have been successively failed by our state:
TD Clare Daly speaking after the march:
The march passing by Stephen’s Green.
My AMAZING BFF and bromiga extraordinaire Ariel speaking about the LGBTQ and pro-choice movements, how queer women need to speak up about abortion, and recognition of the fact that it ain’t just women who need abortions:
Mara Clarke, the “American who lives in London and helps women in Ireland and Northern Ireland get abortions”, talking about the Abortion Support Network.
Trade Union TV’s excellent report:
Anyone have anything I’ve missed? I’m updating this post as I find more, so do check back.
But before you go, and if you click on nothing else, go to the Abortion Support Network and do what you can to donate or let others know about them! What they do is so important and makes lifelong differences to Irish women.
We were genuinely and collectively in awe at our numbers, here on O’Connell street. For the first time in my life, I felt that we might get somewhere with this. That we might really have some power to change things. Living in Ireland, it’s hard to truly explain what a truly big deal this is. How much of a revelation.
The Irish state needs to face up to its responsibility for the many thousands of women who have travelled overseas for abortions. It has a long-standing habit of brushing inconvenient women under the carpet- years ago to be incarcerated in Magdalene laundries, now on Ryanair flights to Britain. At yesterday’s march we came together to say that we are no longer going to accept this. We’re sick of being silenced and of our choices villified and shamed. We’re not going to accept being caricatured as heartless murderers anymore. We care deeply for the rights and well-being of all of us, for everyone in this country’s right to self-determination. And we’re not going to be quiet anymore.
For more, and for tons of pics from the march, head over to Feminist Ire!
