COIR
Encyclopedia
Cóir is a social Catholic, conservative Eurosceptic
lobby group established to campaign against the Treaty of Lisbon
which was approved by referendum
in Ireland
on 2 October 2009.
The group claims to have had approximately 2,600 campaign volunteers for the 6 months prior to the referendum.
According to spokesman Brian Hickey, Cóir are considering registering as a political party. Hickey said he believed there was now room for a "patriotic, conservative and socially conscious party" to fill the "gap there in the Irish political spectrum".
Former member of the Fianna Fáil
party and former Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown
Green Party
Councillor, member of Muintir na hÉireann
Richard Greene has acted as spokesperson in the media. Other figures who have represented Cóir include Niamh Uí Bhriain and Peter Murphy
.
, 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.
has alleged that the group is a "front organisation" of the pro-life
group Youth Defence. 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 have criticised the organisation's stance on the Lisbon Treaty.
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
lobby group established to campaign against the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
which was approved by referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on 2 October 2009.
The group claims to have had approximately 2,600 campaign volunteers for the 6 months prior to the referendum.
According to spokesman Brian Hickey, Cóir are considering registering as a political party. Hickey said he believed there was now room for a "patriotic, conservative and socially conscious party" to fill the "gap there in the Irish political spectrum".
Political and religious standpoint
It claims to be an independent group with members coming from different political backgrounds. It is generally more conservative than other Lisbon No vote campaigns, and includes a number of individuals involved in social conservative issues.Former member of the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
party and former Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is the local authority for the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition and one of four councils in the Dublin Region. It serves a population of...
Green Party
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
Councillor, member of Muintir na hÉireann
Muintir na hÉireann
Muintir na hÉireann , abbreviated MnaÉ, was a minor political party in Ireland, with idiosyncratic, socially conservative and populist policies. It was founded in 1994 and active in the 1990s. The party had one public representative, former Green Party councillor Richard Greene, who served one term...
Richard Greene has acted as spokesperson in the media. Other figures who have represented Cóir include Niamh Uí Bhriain and Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy may refer to:* Peter Murphy , British musician with the band Bauhaus* Peter Murphy , English Stuckist artist* Peter Murphy , Irish international footballer with Carlisle United...
.
No to Lisbon Treaty campaign
Cóir advertised in the national and local media, notably in newspapers such as Alive!Alive! (newspaper)
Alive! is a free monthly publication in the style of a newspaper which has been produced, since its first edition in 1996, by Alive Group, an organization with an address at the Dominican Order St Mary's Priory, Tallaght in Dublin, Ireland. The current editor is a Catholic priest, Fr Brian...
, 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.
Criticisms of Cóir
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál MartinMicheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
has alleged that the group is a "front organisation" of the pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
group Youth Defence. 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 have criticised the organisation's stance on the Lisbon Treaty.