Our hard-won freedoms can be swept away in the blink of an eye

A tendency to defer to the Catholic Church held back our social progress in the past. We must be alert to the danger of putting figures in authority, such as developers, bankers or the PAC, on a pedestal now

In a few days, the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its establishment and meet to honour the commitment of its founding members.

The IFPA has been at the forefront of every advance in reproductive rights and health in Ireland since 1969. To its seven brave founders – four men and three women – the Ireland of 2019 would surely now seem like another country.

Founded two years ...