The Declining Fortunes of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland

Religion has always been a dominant force historically in Ireland however the loss of religious faith has become evident in the last thirty years or so and it is still falling to the present day due to several circumstances such as clerical scandals the Magdalene Laundries secularisation and newer religions gaining a foothold in Irish society. The church has always been a centre of community it gave a sense of spirituality and it also provided support for individuals in difficult times. However at the start of the twentieth century society had changed along with the role of religion people have lost their trust in the institution due to the stories that started to emerge in the eighties and nineties about how children were treated by nuns and priests. As more and more stories became known to the public and evidence came to light about the church and how they tried to cover up their crimes people in Ireland became very disappointed that the institutions that they had revered and trusted had betrayed them in such a horrific way.