Irish Abortion Debate Reflects Growing Church-state Tensions
BY : Sarah Parvini
Ireland’s stringent abortion laws made it impossible for one mother to end her pregnancy. She refused to give birth to a child who had no chance of surviving outside the womb.
READ MORE / The Washington Post
Muslims Find a Welcoming Home in Famously Catholic Ireland
BY : Megan O'Neil
Perhaps because of its strong religious background, the nation has been more accepting of Islam than many of its European neighbors.
READ MORE / The Atlantic
A New Protestant Beginning for the Irish Language in Belfast
BY : Aaron Schrank
MULTIMEDIA: The Irish language used to be a symbol of Catholic nationalism. But it’s gradually becoming de-politicized, morphing into just another minority language in need of saving.
READ MORE / PRI's The World
Should Paramilitary Murals in Belfast Be Repainted?
BY : Tricia Tongco and Shweta Saraswat
Neighborhood walls have become the latest battleground in the city's struggle over how to commemorate its violent past.
READ MORE / The Atlantic
About The Project
USC Annenberg’s J585 Reporting on Religion course focused on post-Catholic Ireland. Reporting in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, students mastered each country’s distinctive culture and history as well as their shared heritage. During the stay in Dublin, some explored how social institutions, formerly linked to Catholicism, fared in the new environment. Others examined how the Church’s decline affected other religions. In Belfast, students investigated the legacy of the Troubles, the ethno-religious conflict that lasted from the late 1960s to 1998. How was the conflict remembered and represented in art, tourism and politics? How do former antagonists find common ground? This year’s partnerships with KPCC and Global Post enabled student work to reach new audiences.