Cóir (; Irish for "justice") was a social Catholic, 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 refor ...

lobby group established to campaign against the

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

which was approved by

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

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 () is the political movement for an Irish Republic, Irish republic, void of any British rule in Ireland, British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously ...

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

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party and former

Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown () is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three successor counties to County Dublin, which was disestablished in 1994. It is named after the former ...

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Councillor, member of

Muintir na hÉireann Muintir na hÉireann (; meaning "People of Ireland") was a minor political party in Ireland, with socially conservative and populist policies. It was founded in 1994 and active in the 1990s. The party had one public representative, former Green ...

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 Niamh Uí Bhriain (; born 1970) is an Irish Catholic policy lobbyist, anti-abortion campaigner and Eurosceptic activist. She became prominent on the campaign against abortion in Ireland. She is the spokesperson for the anti-abortion political ...

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 16 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician serving as Taoiseach since January 2025, having previously held the position from 2020 to 2022. Martin served as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Min ...

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

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

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 judgment in the X Case. It shared offices with the ...

. 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