Grimes, Lorraine
(2023)
‘We did what needed to be done’: Cherish, the first support group for unmarried mothers in Ireland.
Women's History Review, 32 (1).
pp. 21-35.
ISSN 0961-2025
Abstract
Historically, unmarried mothers have suffered greatly in Irish
society. Advocacy for unmarried mothers began in the 1970s with
the emergence of the women’s movement in Ireland. ‘Cherish’
became one of the first organisation in Ireland to push for rights
for unmarried mothers. This article is the first comprehensive
study into the organisation exploring its establishment and
development throughout the late twentieth century. Against the
backdrop of the larger women’s movement, this article focuses
on the early years of the campaign incorporating the push for
unmarried mothers allowance; accommodation assistance offered;
advice on legal issues including maintenance; as well as lobbying
politicians on legislative change. It incorporates the organisation’s
connection with the Catholic Church whilst simultaneously and
unapologetically challenging Archbishop Dermot Ryan on
prejudices against unmarried mothers. In the 1980s, the group
faced new challenges as more women with unplanned
pregnancies sought information on abortion. The organisations
link with the Catholic Church diminished throughout the 1980s as
Cherish began to direct women to abortion information helplines
and openly supported the Defend the Clinics Campaign, despite
their receipt of state funding. The establishment of Cherish and
its commitment to advocacy for women in crisis pregnancy has
been somewhat overlooked in the historical analysis of the Irish
women’s movement.
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