The frequent televised debates that took place days and weeks before Ireland repealed the Eighth and became a constant discussion on and offline.
The landslide results of Friday's referendum saw last night's Claire Byrne Live being joined by a panel of Yes campaigners including Mary Lou McDonald and Ailbhe Smyth and No side campaigners such as Iona Institute member David Quinn.
The Sinn Fein leader took no prisoners and revealed her thoughts on the Iona Institute to Quinn - the group has been criticised during both the Marriage Equality and recent referendum for its conservative views:
Mary Lou McDonald: Iona Institute is tone deaf to women pic.twitter.com/OP7xUwieJ4
— RTÉ ClaireByrneLive (@ClaireByrneLive) May 28, 2018
Directing her comments towards Quinn, McDonald said:
If you don't mind me saying, my impression of your institute is that you're peculiarly tone deaf to women. And that's ok if you wish to be tone deaf to women. What you're not entitled to do is to impose what you regard as the right values and to insist these are very Catholic values, they're theologically grounded and driven.
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As the women on the panel questioned Quinn on the need for the Iona Institute in everyday Irish life, Quinn found the rebuttal 'alarming'.
When Alison O'Connor questions David Quinn on his Iona Institute and being the moral guardian of female nether regions & the apparent evil that there is therein. #CBLive ??? pic.twitter.com/XwRuk9iFKQ
— Daithi K. (@tvcritics) May 28, 2018
In their droves, Twitter users supported McDonald's critique of the institute:
Mary-Lou McDonald says the Iona Institute is “peculiarly tone deaf towards women”. David Quinn gets offended by that “caricature” and “stereotype”. Does he sincerely think Iona is some beacon of modern feminism? #CBLive
— Simon Foy (@Simon_Foy) May 28, 2018
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"Your institute seems to be peculiarly tone deaf". Is Mary Lou McDonald the first party leader to be so blunt about Iona? #CBLive
— Chris McCormack (@ChrisMacCormack) May 28, 2018
#CBLive never thought I'd say it but Mary Lou was amazing with her "tone deaf" comment regarding the Iona Institute. #repealedthe8th #burn
— Leah For Yes (@GreenNotCabbage) May 28, 2018
My favourite clip of this entire referendum has got to be @MaryLouMcDonald on #cblive telling @DavQuinn that he’s tone deaf to women, and Quinn repeatedly interrupting her and not listening to her throughout... apparently he’s also tone deaf to irony?
— Rita Donovan (@riitaskeeta) May 29, 2018
Interestingly, Claire Byrne asked the public whether or not they would support exclusion zones in the abortion legislation. The zones would prohibit protests outside of GP clinics and hospitals that provide the service. 72% said they would support the move:
72% of people polled want exclusion zones included in abortion legislation. @AmarachResearch for #CBLive pic.twitter.com/mgyKN0m7vi
— RTÉ ClaireByrneLive (@ClaireByrneLive) May 28, 2018
