Legalising Abortion‏

We are happy to publish this letter in relation to Mullingar Advertiser editorial on abortion.

Dear Editor,



Legalising Abortion


The paper’s editorial of 21 May sought to regard the advertising of an abortion clinic as an advance for women’s rights, and as a reversal for the (Catholic) Church.


There are several things wrong with this.

It is highly questionable as to whether the availability of abortion is to the advantage of women, or of men, or of either.


Secondly, the reality is that abortion is the taking of a human life, ie, the life of an unborn child. The right to life is a human rights issue. There is no right to take the life of another.


It is totally misleading to represent abortion as a religious "taboo", as if all we had to do was to dismiss such a notion. We are, in fact, fortunate in having the Church, virtually alone amongst international organisations, speak unambiguously on the taking of human life.


Further, it is incredible that the Advertiser knows so little about what has happened in its own bailiwick.


Killucan is a small village, some 6 kilometers from Mullingar. It was there, in December 2003, that the (former) Midland Health Board (MHB) sought, and obtained, a judge’s approval for the taking of the life of one of the Board’s patients. This may have made the barbaric event technically legal, but it did not make it above board.


The young mother was 14 years of age, and the unborn child was 23 weeks old.


The matter was widely reported in national and local newspapers and radio.


The young mother’s mother, reported to The Star newspaper that the MHB did not facilitate her own attendance at the Court hearing in Killucan. So, who then spoke for the young mother, or for the unborn child?


And what became of this unborn child? Well, we don’t know, but the body had to be disposed of somehow.


As far as is known, the father of the unborn child was never prosecuted. The evidence was possibly destroyed, or perhaps used for face-cream. So, everybody, except for the two persons directly involved, was happy.


The taking of unborn life is an industry with some organisations, including Marie Stopes International. Money and jobs are at stake. Under the cloak of human rights.


Instead of telling Channel 4 what has actually happened in the Midland Health Board area, the Advertiser applauds the decision to pay a television company some E300,000 (likely obtained from distressed mothers) to further an abortion clinic’s commercial interests.


This is disgusting.


You have published your Article.


You are not going to publish this letter, though?

Yours sincerely,


Donal O’Driscoll