Religion in Ireland and the other -ism’s (racism, ageism, sexism etc)

Religion, Equality and the “-isms” in Ireland: What You Need to Know

Ireland is broadly a fair and open country when it comes to discrimination. It has strong anti-discrimination laws that cover the full range of “isms”: racism, ageism, sexism, ableism, religious intolerance and more. That said, understanding the legal framework and the religious landscape you are moving into is genuinely useful.

The legal framework

Two main pieces of legislation govern discrimination in Ireland:

• Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015: govern discrimination in the workplace
• Equal Status Acts 2000-2018: govern discrimination in the provision of goods, services, accommodation and education

These Acts cover the nine grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, and membership of the Traveller community. IHREC In 2015, a tenth ground was added to the Equal Status Acts specifically protecting people in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), rent supplement, or social welfare payments from being discriminated against when seeking accommodation.

Under EU law, transgender people who experience discrimination arising from their gender reassignment are protected under the gender ground.

What is changing: The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 is currently working its way through the Oireachtas. When passed, it will raise the maximum compensation limit under the Equal Status Acts from €15,000 to €75,000, extend time limits for making complaints, and formally recognise intersectional discrimination (where someone experiences discrimination across multiple grounds simultaneously).

If you believe you have been discriminated against, complaints are made to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at www.workplacerelations.ie. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) at www.ihrec.ie is the national human rights body and provides information on your rights.

Marriage and family

Marriage in Ireland is between two equal people regardless of gender. Same-sex marriage was legalised by referendum in 2015. Civil partnerships, divorce, and civil unions are all recognised.

Polygamy is not recognised under Irish law. The Supreme Court has ruled that recognising polygamous marriages would give legal effect to discrimination, and the Irish legal framework has no room for a version of marriage that structurally allows one spouse to have multiple partners. This has particular implications in immigration matters.

More on marriage at www.citizensinformation.ie.

The religious landscape: what Census 2022 actually shows

The most recent nationwide data comes from Census 2022. These figures are notably different from the older 2016 Census numbers that still circulate in many online articles.

The number of people who identified Roman Catholic as their religion was 3,515,861, which was 69% of the usually resident population. Central Statistics Office That is a significant drop from 79% in 2016, reflecting both genuine secularisation and a change in how the census question was phrased.

The broader picture in 2022:

• Roman Catholic: 3,515,861 (69%)
• No religion: 736,210 (14%) — up 63% since 2016
• Church of Ireland, Church of England, Anglican, Episcopalian: 124,749 (2%)
• Orthodox (Greek, Coptic, Russian): 100,165 — up 65% since 2016
• Islam: 81,930 — up from 63,443 in 2016
• Hinduism: 33,043 — more than doubled from 13,729 in 2016
• Buddhism: 9,358
• Agnostic or Atheist: 3,823

The Orthodox Church has become Ireland’s fastest-growing religion, driven largely by immigration from Eastern Europe, particularly Romania. The Catholic proportion varies significantly by region: Mayo has the highest proportion of Catholics at around 80%, while in Dublin City only around 52% identify as Catholic.

Catholicism: still the dominant faith

Ireland remains a majority Catholic country, though increasingly in identity rather than active practice. Weekly Mass attendance has dropped significantly over recent decades, particularly in urban areas. The Catholic Church is governed globally by the Pope, with bishops leading local dioceses.

For newcomers: Catholic churches are plentiful, accessible, and generally welcoming. Most villages and towns have at least one parish church.

Protestant denominations

The 2022 Census groups Church of Ireland, Church of England, Anglican and Episcopalian together, totalling around 124,749 people. Other Protestant denominations present in Ireland include:

• Presbyterian Church in Ireland (www.presbyterianireland.org)
• Methodist Church in Ireland (www.irishmethodist.org)
• Church of Ireland (www.ireland.anglican.org)
• Baptist, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist, Quaker and other smaller congregations

For charismatic and evangelical churches, a google search of your local area will typically turn up something within reasonable distance, especially in and around cities.

Islam

In 2022, there were 83,300 practising Muslims living in Ireland, up from 63,000 in 2016, and there are approximately 50 mosques and prayer centres around the country. Wikipedia

The Islamic Foundation of Ireland (www.islaminireland.com) is a central point of contact for the Muslim community, with mosques in most major cities and prayer facilities in many towns.

Hinduism

The Hindu population has been one of the fastest-growing religious groups in Ireland, largely driven by immigration from India. Most worship takes place at home or at private facilities, though there is a Hindu Cultural Centre and temple in Dublin. Contact Irish Hindu organisations at www.irishhindus.org.

Judaism

Ireland’s Jewish community is small but long-established, with records of Jewish presence in Ireland going back to 1062. According to the 2016 Census there were 2,557 Jews in Ireland, with over half living in Dublin. More current numbers are expected in future census publications.

Resources include Jewish Ireland (www.jewishireland.org) and Dublin Hebrew Congregation.

Buddhism

The Buddhist population stood at 9,358 in the 2022 Census. There are several Buddhist centres across Ireland catering to different traditions:

• Dublin Buddhist Centre (www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org)
• Palpung Ireland Buddhist Centre
• Sunyata Centre

No religion, atheism and agnosticism

This is the second largest category in Ireland now, with 736,210 people identifying as having no religion in 2022. An additional 3,823 specifically identified as agnostic or atheist.

Obviously there are no “places of worship” for those with no faith, but the legal protections are the same. Anti-discrimination law protects you on the religion ground whether you practice a religion or actively reject it. Atheist Ireland (www.atheist.ie) is a support and advocacy organisation for those of no faith.

A note for newcomers

Ireland is a genuinely inclusive country on paper, and in practice too in most circumstances. You are unlikely to face overt discrimination in your daily life based on religion, race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. When discrimination does occur, there are strong legal frameworks to challenge it.

History, religion and Irish politics are deeply intertwined, and we encourage anyone moving here to spend time reading about that history. It will help you understand both the culture you are joining and the nuances behind conversations you might overhear at the pub. This is a rich, complex country with a long story, and taking time to understand it makes the settling-in process so much smoother.

Useful links

• Workplace Relations Commission: www.workplacerelations.ie
• Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission: www.ihrec.ie
• Central Statistics Office (Census 2022 data): www.cso.ie
• Citizens Information, Equality section: www.citizensinformation.ie
• Department of Children, Disability and Equality: www.gov.ie

The above is neither opinion nor a complete legal reference. It is a summary of publicly available information from official sources at the time of writing. For personal legal advice, consult a qualified Irish solicitor.