Cóir (;

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

for "justice") was a

social Catholic Catholic social teaching, commonly abbreviated CST, is an area of Catholic doctrine concerning matters of human dignity and the common good in society. The ideas address oppression, the role of the state (polity), state, subsidiarity, social o ...

, conservative

Eurosceptic Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek reform ...

lobby group established to campaign against the

Treaty of Lisbon The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member sta ...

which was approved by

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

in Ireland on 2 October 2009. The group claimed to have had approximately 2,600 campaign volunteers for the 6 months prior to the referendum. According to spokesman Brian Hickey, members of Cóir had considered registering it as a political party. In 2009, Hickey said he believed there was room for a "patriotic, conservative and socially conscious party" to fill the "gap there in the Irish political spectrum".

Political and religious standpoint

It claimed to be an independent group with members coming from different political backgrounds. It was generally more conservative than other Lisbon No vote campaigns, and included a number of individuals involved in social conservative issues. Coir's ideology could be described as a blend of traditional Catholicism and

Irish republicanism Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate. The develop ...

. It was however centre-left economically. In addition, it supported restrictions on immigration during times of economic decline. Former member of the

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...

party and former

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown ( ga, Dún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three s ...

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

Councillor, member of Muintir na hÉireann

Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene (25 August 1918 – 1 June 1985) was a noted English film and television actor. A matinée idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series '' ...

acted as spokesperson in the media. Other figures who have represented Cóir include Niamh Uí Bhriain and Peter Murphy.

No to Lisbon Treaty campaign

Cóir advertised in the national and local media, notably in newspapers such as Alive!, Irish Family Press and also submitted letters on the subject to these publications. Its spokespersons also had several opinion pieces in newspapers such as Irish Times, and appeared on local and national radio and TV. It has campaigned against the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Greene, Uí Bhrian and Murphy, addressed the Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the European of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs in a heated debate. Greene accused the committee of treason for not upholding the vote on the treaty.

Criticism

In 2008, the leader of

Micheál Martin Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...

alleged that the group was a "front organisation" of the

anti-abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...

group

Youth Defence Youth Defence is an Irish organisation that opposes legalisation of abortion. It was founded in 1986 (during the 1986 divorce referendum), lay dormant, and was reformed in 1992 following the ''X Case'' ruling. It shared offices with the Euro ...

. The organisation operates from the same building on Capel Street in Dublin as Youth Defence and the Pro-Life Alliance. Some members of religious organisations also criticised the organisation's stance on the Lisbon Treaty.

References

External links

CÓIR official website
(archived 2009)
CÓIR – Lisbon Vote YouTube Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coir Political advocacy groups in the Republic of Ireland Conservatism in Ireland Euroscepticism Euroscepticism in Ireland