The fight to legalize divorce in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation is pitting Ireland against itself: church and state, young vs. old, tradition against today's changing world.
"Our opponents suggest that legalizing divorce somehow threatens happy marriages," said Niamh O'Connor of the Right to Remarry Campaign. "That's a pretty sad commentary on their view of marriage - that couples are trapped in them."Anti-divorce campaigner Jeremy Hennessy, married and father of four, says divorce is for "people who haven't the guts to get married - for people who want the state to call their relationships of convenience marriages."
The government, struggling to take a neutral line, says divorce should be available for more than 75,000 people legally separated but married "till death us do part."
The issue has divided families, and for weeks it has filled church halls, country hotels and community centers with debate.
Opinion polls show about 60 percent leaning toward voting "yes" in the Nov. 24 referendum. But polls suggested much the same in 1986, only to be proved decisively wrong the day when a measure to legalize divorce lost by nearly 2 to 1.
But much has changed in Ireland since 1986:
-Rates of marriage and childbirth have declined while the number of people in broken-down marriages has surpassed 75,000.
-The Roman Catholic Church's influence has been eroded by scandals involving priests who have mistresses and priests who abused children.
-Women have increasingly assumed leadership positions: 20 women are lawmakers in the 166-seat parliament, more than ever before, and President Mary Robinson privately supports divorce.
At issue is Article 41 of Ireland's 1937 constitution: "No law shall be enacted providing for the grant of a dissolution of marriage."
The proposed 15th amendment would eliminate that phrase, allowing divorce if the couple had been separated for four of the previous five years, and if there was "no reasonable prospect of a reconciliation."
Pro-divorce campaigners argue that all Ireland's current law accomplishes is to prevent remarriage.
In 1986, divorce opponents tapped fears that husbands would abandon wives in droves. Since then, Ireland has enacted laws covering separation, child support and protection, conjugal rights, marital rape, recognition of foreign divorces and adoptions.