Both sides step it up in divorce debate

June 1986

Both sides in the divorce debate stepped up their campaigns this week as offices were opened in Wexford and special bank accounts started as part of a major fundraising effort.

Meanwhile, the Wexford branch of the Workers Party began their campaign for a Yes vote in the referendum with the distribution of leaflets to households in the four main towns.

The Divorce Action Group opened their campaign headquarters in Walker’s Mall, Wexford, and members of the public are urged to drop in for information on the matter.

Fundraising has also begun and an account has been opened at AIB, North Main Street, Wexford. A benefit gig will also be held in The Shambles lounge next Friday night at 9 p.m.

Tonight (Thursday) a public meeting organised by the DAG will be held in The Talbot Hotel, starting at 8 p.m. It will be addressed by Fine Gael TD Monica Barnes; Labour Party Senator, Brendan Howlin; Chairwoman of DAG, Jean Tansey; and Workers Party councillor from Bray, Liz McManus.

The Wexford Anti-Divorce Campaign have opened their headquarters at Custom House Quay, Wexford, and anyone wishing to volunteer their services in asked to contact Mrs Phil O’Rourke or any committee member.

A bank account at AIB has also been set up. Flag Days have been organised for 23rd, 24th and 25th of June. The county co-ordinating committee also has a bank account at AIB.

At a recent meeting in Enniscorthy, it was agreed by the Anti-Divorce Campaign to lobby the five Wexford TDs on the issue and to urged them to support the No campaign.

Launching the Workers Party campaign for a Yes vote, Corporation member and Constituency Chairman, Michael Enright, said their campaign would complement and support the work of the Divorce Action Group.

He said nearly 10,000 leaflets would be distributed to homes in the main towns and party members would later return to canvass the residents. He called on all other political parties that favoured divorce to take an active role in the campaign and to get their members out canvassing.

Civil divorce is a civil right, he said, and it was wrong to deny that right to Irish citizens because of religious beliefs.

(Note: on the same page where the above news report appeared, also appeared an advertisement placed by the Anti-Divorce Campaign. It simply stated: ‘For God’s sake – Vote NO’).