People celebrate as the final vote of the referendum on same-sex marriage is announced, in Dublin Castle, Ireland.
Credit: Aidan Crawley

In less than three decades, the Catholic Church has lost its grip on the Irish, says Paul Vallely.

London – In 1987, the plain people of Ireland were asked in a referendum whether or not they wanted divorce to be made legal in their country. They overwhelmingly voted No. Hardly surprising, everyone said, since Ireland was the most Catholic country in Europe. No more.

This week’s massive vote in favour of legalising gay marriage in the same country charted the profound transformation undergone by Irish society in a single generation.

In less than three decades, the Catholic Church has lost its grip on the Irish. From being one of Europe’s most socially conservative societies, Ireland has become the first country in the world to approve same-sex marriage – one of the modern world’s defining issues – not from the legislation of a parliamentary elite, but […]