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Sasko Lazarov via Photocall Ireland

Irish stars are calling for the 8th Amendment to be repealed

More than 240 artists have already joined the campaign.

A CAMPAIGN HAS been launched by artists calling for the repeal of the 8th amendment.

Cillian Murphy, Marian Keyes, John Banville, Edna O’Brien, Christy Moore, Anne Enright, Colm Tóibín and Neil Jordan are among the more than 240 artists who have joined the campaign by the signing this statement.

The amendment was introduced in 1983 and it acknowledges the right to life of the unborn, equating it with the mother’s right to life.

Speaking at the social media launch of the Artists’ Campaign to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, Alice Maher said:

We are calling on our politicians to do their job and to legislate for the people who elected them and for the people who will go out to vote at the next election and to be very clear and make no mistake about it, we will be voting for those who have the courage to right this wrong.

The campaign was set up by a group of artists earlier this year and they say that the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

It is calling on all artists working in architecture, dance, music, literature, theatre, film, television and visual arts to input their names.

photo (10)

The artists involved say they hope their campaign will become broader. “We hope that other sectors of Irish society will also call for the repeal of this detrimental Amendment.”

In a statement the artists say, “The eighth amendment undermines the status of the Irish constitution. It is a key source of Ireland’s failure to reach international human rights standards and of the state’s failure to meet its obligations to vindicate women’s human rights.”

A poll commissioned by Amnesty International has shown 81% of people in Ireland are in favour of widening the grounds for legal abortion access.

Read: Enda won’t commit to abortion referendum>

Read: Abortion strikes fear into so many politicians, but it hasn’t gone away you know…>

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153 Comments
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    Mute charliekingston
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:19 AM

    How much of these monies have been sourced by the Catholic church? Surely an old convent or two should be sold to somewhat make amends. Shatter has requested such funding, yet it appears not a penny has been shared. Why is the tax-payer paying for the sins of the Catholic church?

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:30 AM

    Because Bertie and his cronies were such good Catholics.

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    Mute GATHERINGYOURMONEY14
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 9:56 AM

    Granted Joseph.
    But as my mother says
    The rest of the feckers in Leinster house over the year had a mouth on them as well and they said feck all about this travesty.
    Imagine some of today’s fine leaders used to drive by slave camps everyday on their way into the Dail and think nothing wrong of it.
    The Magdelane Laundry closed in 1996.

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    Mute GATHERINGYOURMONEY14
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 9:58 AM

    The “last” Magdelane Laundry closed in 1996.

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    Mute GATHERINGYOURMONEY14
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 10:00 AM

    Anyway.
    As recent events have illustrated, Ireland’s fine leaders think nothing of abusing/enslaving their people in one way or another.

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    Mute Jay Coleman
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:11 AM

    Money will never replace what the establishment took from them.

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:03 AM

    Pittance

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    Mute scaldbag
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:19 AM

    Paddy power got most of my mums compo already.

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    Mute Jon Q
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 9:03 AM

    I am not sure if there is anything I hate more than the catholic church for what it did to those children. Not only is what happened devastating, but those who covered it up and facilitated its continuance for so long are as bad as the abusers themselves. Those that then choose to recognise and support such an institution today really make me wonder what is wrong with them. Why would/could anybody support an organisation that did this to innocent children!? What is wrong with people? You people really do make me feel ill.

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    Mute Beabad Bishop
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 12:47 PM

    I concur with everything you say John Q . The disconcerting thing is that a catholic task force of laypeople and clergy has been set up to
    Spread disinformation and lies about the extent of the abuse. Their mantra is to Deny ! Deny ! Deny ! At all costs any accusations against the church irrespective of the truth or source of the information. On the flip side there seems to be other groups of clergy mainly in the states who have set up support groups for clergy whistle blowers. http://www.catholicwhistleblowers.com

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    Mute Maddie Cowser
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:31 AM

    Didn’t these women have families too?

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    Mute Trevor Beacom
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 7:43 AM

    We’re all angry here at the state paying for church sins which is fair enough but the irish press also know as the journal gives the Church sinners a constant platform to spout their moral shite through their two spin offs, the immigrant council of ireland and the migrant council who in turn produced the mens development network. So for every one story such as the horrors that these woman suffered the irish press will act as an online broadsheet to spread the good shepherds words

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    Mute Joe The Man
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 8:21 AM

    Actually, you are full of shite!

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    Mute Anita OGalligan
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 1:11 PM

    The RCC should be made to pay? Look at the wealth that it has, The RCC can afford to pay..
    I’m sickened and apaulled by what went on and the cover up of these poor children and Adults.

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    Mute BabsByte
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 12:53 PM

    @Trevor Beacom, What are you on about?! The immigrant council of ireland and The migrant council have nothing to do with the good sheperd magdeline laundry..?
    You are entitled to your opinion about those two councils but they serve a genuine and legitimate purpose; just because you disagree with that purpose why must you spread your shite talk in unrelated articles?

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    Mute Trevor Beacom
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 8:09 PM

    And your name is?

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    Mute BabsByte
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    Apr 24th 2014, 5:32 PM

    My name is irrelevant. Why do you ask, will knowing my name help you to explain your previous comment?

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    Mute Trevor Beacom
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    Apr 24th 2014, 8:11 PM

    You know only too well the links between the groups. Pretending that they dont exist is silly. Every eci and mci article which appear here I will publish proof of the links

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    Mute Shame Of Ireland
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    Apr 30th 2014, 8:26 AM

    Still no one is asking why were the London Women’s Group Given €250,000 at the Commissioning of the Quirke Report!
    Was this to seek endorsement of the Macalese Report and ensure Compliance with the Quirke findings on Redress?
    Shatter certainly compromised this situation by doing this!

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    Mute Andrew Murray
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    Apr 25th 2014, 6:02 PM

    My mother spent a couple of years in the Magdalene Laundry in Limerick as well as her entire childhood in the Irish state workhouses and they are telling her that they cannot find her records.

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    Mute Paddy Hannigan
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    Apr 23rd 2014, 4:12 PM

    Wait for the vaccine test programmes that were run in these places to come into the spotlight. Humam medical trails without informed consent. That is going to cost.

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    Mute Shame Of Ireland
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    Apr 30th 2014, 8:34 AM

    Sadly the Commission into Child Abuse was stopped from investigating this by the Welcome Trust now part of GSK. There will be no report or Compensation on this.
    The Government commissioned a Report that washed the Religious Whiter than a Magdalene Laundry Sheet!
    They got the Report they paid for absolving the Nuns and phasing the burden squarely on the State and Tax Payer AGAIN!

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