When I decided to go to Ireland, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I had studied Irish history more than the average American student. I knew about ancient Celtic culture, the Norman invasion, and the struggles between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Heck, I even bought a guidebook to better acquaint me with the contemporary culture. These bits and pieces of information formed an idea in my mind of what Ireland would be like and how I would have to adjust to life there. I expected to find myself submerged in a predominantly Catholic, predominantly conservative society. I figured that I probably shouldn’t mention that I’m a Lutheran, or else face discrimination and animosity. My mother even urged me to pack more conservative clothing in my suitcase so I wouldn’t stand out so clearly as an outsider.
Not that I expected to be living in an entirely tame environment, per say: I heartily looked forward to a rich pub life, full of burly old Irish men drinking their Guinness, singing traditional songs before calling it a night. Despite this, I was convinced I would be living in a less cosmopolitan, more traditional society, and was fully ready to embrace the experience.
Boy, was I wrong.
Truth be told, the reality of life in the city centre of Dublin stands in stark opposition to my expectations. The streets are empty on Sunday mornings not because everyone is inside the churches, but because they are nursing a hangover from the night before. Adult shops sit in shopping strips on main roads between restaurants and small clothing stores. A girl stumbles down on Dame Street at midnight, wearing a skirt so short that you could see where the sun don't shine, as she tries to pull up her tube top, since it fell down about 30 seconds ago, exposing her chest to downtown Dublin. Is this the conservative society that everyone cautioned me about?!
While Ireland is perceived as a socially conservative and religious society on an international scale, the Catholic Church has lost much of its clout in urban areas such as Dublin, especially with the younger generation. Statistically, Dublin has the highest church attendance in all of Western Europe, with 63 percent* of the total Irish population attending church at least once a month in 2005. However, this is a notable 20 percent* decrease since 1990. The revelation of the Catholic Church sex scandals shock many of the Irish's confidence in the Church as an institution of morality. No where is this more evident than in Dublin, where church attendance has dropped to 42 percent.* As Brian Kenny, 39, quoted to USA Today back in 2005 about his experience of religion in Dublin, "I don't go to church, and I don't know one person who does. Fifteen years ago, I didn't know one person who didn't."
This melds well of my experience of religion in Dublin, which is to say, none. Since I have been here, I have not met one person who gets up to go to Mass on Sunday, nor have I been engaged in any religious debate, which I'm accustomed to at home. According to the Irish students I've met, religion is part of family life and their identity as an Irishmen, but not a part of their personal life.
This is not to say that there is a sudden separation of church and state in Ireland, and that the rest of the world has simply not noticed. The Church's influence remains strong in the more rural areas of Ireland and as an institution for education and healthcare. In the rural areas such as Co. Donegal, church attendance is still as high as 78 percent.* Also, education has been run by the Church since before Ireland won its independence, and the majority of Irish parents (60 percent)* approve of this denominational education. However, the Church uses education as a vehicle for socialization, since admittance into Catholic schools (which often are the most academically rigorous) require the child is baptized. As a result, one could say that the Church is able to exert its influence over society through the institutions of education and healthcare.
This influence is not challenged because the vast majority of the population, whether practicing or not, identifies themselves as Catholic, and thus there has never been a need for separation of church and state. The Church's involvement in Irish politics has helped to maintain the appearance of a conservative social society in the law books until very recently, when traditional morality has begun to be challenged. For example, divorce became legal in 1986, and homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993. This doesn't mean there are still major social issues facing the conservative tradition of Irish society. Abortion is still illegal, although backdoor access to the United Kingdom where it is legal prevents this from being too great an issue. The greatest conservative opposition faces the LGBTQA community, where Ireland refuses to recognize transgender operations and is the only country in European Union that refuses to do so.
All in all, it is obvious that the moral influence of the Catholic Church is decreasing in Ireland as a whole yet remains an essential part of the cultural identity of the country. As a result, an interesting dichotomy of social conservatism and urban cosmopolitan life crops up in a city like Dublin. As a young foreigner roving the streets, I can see the Catholic tradition everywhere I go, from the beautiful cathedrals to Bible verses engraved over the archways of buildings. Yet, the experience of Dublin for me is like that of any other cosmopolitan, secular city. It is truly remarkable to be able to see the two sides of Dublin and to experience the collision of a traditional society with social liberalism all with a pint in hand.
Cheers!
Diane
Boy, was I wrong.
Truth be told, the reality of life in the city centre of Dublin stands in stark opposition to my expectations. The streets are empty on Sunday mornings not because everyone is inside the churches, but because they are nursing a hangover from the night before. Adult shops sit in shopping strips on main roads between restaurants and small clothing stores. A girl stumbles down on Dame Street at midnight, wearing a skirt so short that you could see where the sun don't shine, as she tries to pull up her tube top, since it fell down about 30 seconds ago, exposing her chest to downtown Dublin. Is this the conservative society that everyone cautioned me about?!
While Ireland is perceived as a socially conservative and religious society on an international scale, the Catholic Church has lost much of its clout in urban areas such as Dublin, especially with the younger generation. Statistically, Dublin has the highest church attendance in all of Western Europe, with 63 percent* of the total Irish population attending church at least once a month in 2005. However, this is a notable 20 percent* decrease since 1990. The revelation of the Catholic Church sex scandals shock many of the Irish's confidence in the Church as an institution of morality. No where is this more evident than in Dublin, where church attendance has dropped to 42 percent.* As Brian Kenny, 39, quoted to USA Today back in 2005 about his experience of religion in Dublin, "I don't go to church, and I don't know one person who does. Fifteen years ago, I didn't know one person who didn't."
This melds well of my experience of religion in Dublin, which is to say, none. Since I have been here, I have not met one person who gets up to go to Mass on Sunday, nor have I been engaged in any religious debate, which I'm accustomed to at home. According to the Irish students I've met, religion is part of family life and their identity as an Irishmen, but not a part of their personal life.
This is not to say that there is a sudden separation of church and state in Ireland, and that the rest of the world has simply not noticed. The Church's influence remains strong in the more rural areas of Ireland and as an institution for education and healthcare. In the rural areas such as Co. Donegal, church attendance is still as high as 78 percent.* Also, education has been run by the Church since before Ireland won its independence, and the majority of Irish parents (60 percent)* approve of this denominational education. However, the Church uses education as a vehicle for socialization, since admittance into Catholic schools (which often are the most academically rigorous) require the child is baptized. As a result, one could say that the Church is able to exert its influence over society through the institutions of education and healthcare.
This influence is not challenged because the vast majority of the population, whether practicing or not, identifies themselves as Catholic, and thus there has never been a need for separation of church and state. The Church's involvement in Irish politics has helped to maintain the appearance of a conservative social society in the law books until very recently, when traditional morality has begun to be challenged. For example, divorce became legal in 1986, and homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993. This doesn't mean there are still major social issues facing the conservative tradition of Irish society. Abortion is still illegal, although backdoor access to the United Kingdom where it is legal prevents this from being too great an issue. The greatest conservative opposition faces the LGBTQA community, where Ireland refuses to recognize transgender operations and is the only country in European Union that refuses to do so.
All in all, it is obvious that the moral influence of the Catholic Church is decreasing in Ireland as a whole yet remains an essential part of the cultural identity of the country. As a result, an interesting dichotomy of social conservatism and urban cosmopolitan life crops up in a city like Dublin. As a young foreigner roving the streets, I can see the Catholic tradition everywhere I go, from the beautiful cathedrals to Bible verses engraved over the archways of buildings. Yet, the experience of Dublin for me is like that of any other cosmopolitan, secular city. It is truly remarkable to be able to see the two sides of Dublin and to experience the collision of a traditional society with social liberalism all with a pint in hand.
Cheers!
Diane
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