Behind the Headlines: No place like home?

Recorded February 13, 2024.

The upcoming referendums to amend the Irish constitution propose to introduce a wider definition of family and remove the text on the role of women in the home. As interested parties set out their cases for and against the suggested changes, a recent Irish Times column has argued that the editing out of the word ‘home’ is not accidental. But what is the Irish home? Is it a place of caring and belonging? Are women still perceived to be at its centre? And who is excluded by the identification of home with family? In this Behind the Headlines, we discuss the referendum proposals and the meanings of 'home' in contemporary Ireland.

Speakers:

Tom Clonan, Senator, University of Dublin Panel

Rachael Walsh, Associate Professor and Fellow at the School of Law (TCD)

Lindsey Earner-Byrne, Professor of Contemporary Irish History, School of Histories and Humanities (TCD)

Claire O’Connell, Board Member of LGBT Ireland, steering group member of the Assisted Human Reproduction Coalition and the LGBT+ Parenting Alliance on Assisted Human Reproduction