Iona Institute Director, David Quinn, appeared on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk yesterday. He and Senator Gerard Craughwell debated whether or not the Good Friday ban on alcohol sales should be lifted. David argued that in many European countries there are customs and laws that place restrictions on various forming of trading, especially Sunday...
The 8th amendment has saved thousands of lives, particularly of those who are disabled. Let’s consider the specific case of babies with Down Syndrome, also known as trisomy 21. In England and Wales ninety percent of those who are diagnosed before birth with Down Syndrome are aborted and there is a growing concern that these appalling...
Maria Steen of The Iona Institute was on RTE’s Claire Byrne Live last night to debate whether or not denominational schools should be allowed to select pupils on the basis of the religion of the school when there are too many applications for the number of available places at the school. The debate can be...
The Vintners’ group and the restaurateurs are campaigning once again to bring an end to the ban on selling alcohol on Good Friday. ‘It’s archaic’, they say. ‘It upsets the tourists’. They even claim (wrongly) that the Vatican sells alcohol on Good Friday. In this briefing note we deal with their arguments one by one. We...
In October, the Citizens’ Assembly invited the general public to submit written opinions and contribute to the discussion on the 8th amendment to the Constitution, which is the pro-life amendment. The response from concerned citizens has surprised the organisers for two reasons: for the huge number of submissions and for the fact that a clear majority of...
The Citizens’ Assembly deliberations into the issue of abortion and the 8th amendment are well underway. The Iona Institute made a submission to the Assembly. It concentrates on setting out the reasons why we should not hold a referendum to repeal something as fundamental as the right to life of the unborn. The submission is...
The principle of bodily autonomy was addressed by two speakers during last weekend’s session of the Citizens’ Assembly, which is still discussing the abortion issue. The two speakers took very different views on the issue. One speaker looked at the person as a pure individual, the other as a person in relationship with others. Dr...
At a packed meeting of The Iona Institute last month, First Things editor, R. R. Reno discussed the topic, ‘American Christians in the Age of Trump’. He set the American election against wider trends, in particular a growing rejection of globalisation and a rejection of the attempts by global elites to detach us from ideas...
If you give birth you are a mother and if you are pregnant you are an expectant mother? Well, not anymore, according to the British Medical Association. Now you are a ‘pregnant person’. A new booklet issued by the BMA and aimed at promoting ‘inclusive’ and non-offensive language in the workplace claims that “A large...
First Things editor, R.R. Reno, was a guest of The Iona Institute this week. Among other things, he appeared on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk yesterday where he explained why he converted to Catholicism, what First Things magazine is, and what were the concerns that caused many Americans to vote for Trump, including many...
