Shaking off the shadows of Catholic Ireland

For much of Ireland’s history, the Catholic Church held enormous influence over Irish society, especially in education. As Anouk Drouillet notes, the latter is key to shaping societal values, identity, and the way people see themselves and others.

School — Religion — Ireland

With the death of Pope Francis in April, it’s a moment to reflect on how the Church shaped the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Ireland, particularly through schools. Christianity was brought to Ireland around the fifth century. Soon after, St Patrick arrived, solidifying the faith’s presence on the island. In late medieval and early modern Ireland, male homosexuality and bisexuality were tolerated among the Gaelic upper class (poets, kings, and chieftains). Evidence of this is found in Gaelic poetry.

However, this tolerance faded. Homosexuality became criminalised with the 1634 Act for the Punishment of the Vice of Buggery. Later, the Labouchere Amendment of 1885 further criminalised same-sex relationships, famously leading to Oscar Wilde’s conviction in England.

Under British colonisation, in 1830, the Church started assuming control of schools, which became its primary means of influence. After Ireland gained independence in 1922, Catholicism remained deeply embedded in national identity. Although the first Constitution did not privilege the Catholic Church, the 1937 Constitution did, giving it a special status. From that point, the State played a minimal role in school governance.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, Irish society began moving towards secularism. But it was only in December 1972 that the clause granting the Church a special position was removed. Yet, Catholic control remained strong, with over 90 per cent of primary schools and 70 per cent of secondary schools run by the Church. The Department of Education used to consider Church input when reforming curricula. For instance, a proposed AIDS education programme for the 1989 school year was withdrawn after fierce opposition from bishops. During the AIDS crisis, Catholic influence meant HIV and sexuality were rarely discussed in schools, aggravating the epidemic.

Change came slowly in the 1990s and early 2000s. Teaching colleges were merged into universities, and the Teaching Council was created. These shifts reflected the Church’s declining moral authority, accelerated by scandals (sexual abuse, the Magdalene Laundries, mother-and-baby homes, and industrial schools). Economic growth, media liberalisation, and activism also played key roles.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1993, not as a reflection of Irish values, but after a European Court of Human Rights ruling in Norris v. Ireland (1988), pushed by LGBTQ+ activists. At that time, fewer than 20 per cent of Irish people supported homosexuality, and support for same-sex marriage was even lower. But it shifted quickly, as in 2015, Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, despite Church resistance. The speed of change within one generation reflected the Church’s waning influence and a newfound freedom for LGBTQ+ people to live openly.

Today, Ireland is seen as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries in the world. But Catholic legacy lingers. According to the Belong To Irish School Climate Survey 2022, 69 per cent of LGBTQ+ students still hear homophobic remarks from peers, and 58 per cent from school staff. Negative messaging often begins as early as four years old. Danny (20), who went to a Catholic school, told me that “calling someone gay was seen as a lighthearted insult,” it was very common, especially in the changing room.

Loneliness is also widespread. In the same survey, 58 per cent of queer-identifying students reported feeling lonely at school, compared to just 14 per cent of straight students. For Danny, loneliness was linked to his sexuality, since he couldn’t be completely himself around people. Alice (26), who went to an all-girls Catholic secondary school, also felt at the time that she “would not fit in, people would not get it” if she came out. Many grow up internalising shame and fear from religion. While Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) is taught from junior infants to sixth year, same-sex relationships were rarely mentioned for many, leaving LGBTQ+ youth invisible in the curriculum.

According to Danny, “It was always based around the narrative of heterosexual relationships”. Alice made the same observation, as discussion around LGBTQ+ sexuality “would have been against the religious ethos of the school”. Moreover, teachers lacked education on the subject, but they “could have acknowledged the existence of LGBTQ+ people, which would have helped me better understand myself,” said Danny. For Alice, too, the main issue was the “lack of visibility, or understanding”.

There is still a long way to go before Irish schools are free from the shadow of religious doctrine, but things are getting better. Acknowledging that weight is the first step towards ensuring young LGBTQ+ people grow up free from shame, knowing they are not alone. And as Alice said, “I definitely feel like it is gone in a better direction.” Indeed, her school now displays Pride flags for Stand Up Awareness Week.