National Party (Ireland, 1995)

National Party
Leader	Nora Bennis
Founded	1995 (1995)
Headquarters	47 O'Connell St. Limerick.
Ideology	Social conservatism
Politics of the Republic of Ireland Political parties Elections

The National Party, now known as the Christian Democrats, was a minor conservative political party in Ireland. It was founded by Nora Bennis, a Catholic values and anti-abortion activist in December 1995. Bennis had surprised many with the size of her vote in the 1994 European Elections. Bennis played a leading role in the campaign against the divorce referendum of that year, which passed with only 50.3 percent of voters in favour. She had previously run a conservative pressure group called Family Solidarity. The creation of the party by the Limerick-based Bennis caused tension in conservative Catholic circles, because it followed the establishment of the Christian Solidarity Party by Gerard Casey and other Dublin-based activists, who named their party to show support for Bennis' group.

The National Party aimed to attract the support of the large minority which still supported traditional Catholic morality in legislation. The party's policies also included support for financial support for rural communities and a smaller role for the state in economic affairs.

The party had no electoral success at any level, and their website now appears to be defunct. The party was renamed as the "Christian Democrats" and was still present on the Register of Political Parties under that name as of 2011. However, it appears to be defunct as an active political party.

References

• Barberis, Peter, John McHugh and Mike Tyldesley, 2005. Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organisations. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0826458149, 9780826458148

External links

• Some National Party Election Flyers