Thomil's Random Ramblings

Ireland has come a long way, there's no other way to say it. From an impoverished state, nominally independent but actually little more than a lackey to the Roman Catholic Church, it has developed into a modern, pluralistic, and in many ways emancipated society. Great strides have been made, as last year's marriage referendum clearly shows that. However, much still needs to be done, for example in the education sector, where the church still gets its claws on unsuspecting young minds. However, at the moment, a bigger battlefield awaits, and that battlefield will be hotly contested.  What the hell is that idiot blabbering about, you ask? Well, lets look at the Irish constitution. Article 40 of the constitution lays out the fundamental rights of all citizens or residents of the Republic of Ireland. Section 3 of this article reads as follows: "The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees...

Well, it looks as if my publication plans for this blog have literally been turned on their head. I had originally planned to publish an already finished article on the redevelopment for the Capitol Cineplex in Cork this week, followed by my trip report on Dublin sometime in the following week. However, an event that I stumbled into on Dublin’s O’Connell Street has changed all that, and those articles will have to wait a little while longer. It was the kick-off for Amnesty International’s campaign for a yes vote to marriage equality in the upcoming referendum on May 22nd. It is a sign of the times that Ireland, a country that until the 1990s wasn't far removed from being the catholic counterpart to the Islamic Republic of Iran, has moved so far ahead in such a short time that this referendum is actually possible at all. Still, as remarkable as that fact may be, there is still a long way to go.  But back to the event on O’Connell Street for the time being. I had spe...