Editing Republic of Ireland (section)

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in the Republic of Ireland}}
{{bar box
|title= Religion in the Republic of Ireland<ref name="REL">{{cite web | date = 30 May 2023 | title = Population Usually Resident and Present in the State| url=https://data.cso.ie/table/FY032| publisher = CSO.ie | agency = Central Statistics Office | access-date = 2 June 2023}}</ref>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Catholic Church in Ireland|Catholic Church]]|DarkGreen|69.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion in the Republic of Ireland|Non-religious]]|Blue|14.5}}
{{bar percent|[[Protestantism in the Republic of Ireland|Protestant]]|Violet|4.0}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam in the Republic of Ireland|Muslim]]|Black|1.6}}
{{bar percent|Not Stated|Pink|6.7}}
{{bar percent|Other|Orange|4.1}}
}}

Religious freedom is constitutionally provided for in Ireland, and the country's constitution has been [[secular state|secular]] since 1973. [[Christianity in Ireland|Christianity]] is the predominant religion, and while Ireland remains a predominantly Catholic country, the percentage of the population who identified as Catholic on the census has declined significantly in the early 21st century, from 84.2 percent in the [[2011 census of Ireland|2011 census]] to 69.1 percent in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Statement Census 2016 Results Profile 8 - Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion - CSO - Central Statistics Office |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/pressreleases/2017pressreleases/pressstatementcensus2016resultsprofile8-irishtravellersethnicityandreligion/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=www.cso.ie |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-26 |title=Religion - CSO - Central Statistics Office |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpp5/census2022profile5-diversitymigrationethnicityirishtravellersreligion/religion/ |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=www.cso.ie |language=en}}</ref> Other results from the [[2016 census of Ireland|2016 census]] were: 4.2% [[Protestantism|Protestant]], 1.3% Orthodox, 1.3% Muslim, and 9.8% having no religion.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/census-2016-summary-results-part-1-full.pdf |title= Census 2016 Summary Results – Part 1 |date= 6 April 2017 |access-date= 6 April 2017 |archive-date= 5 August 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190805070538/https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/census-2016-summary-results-part-1-full.pdf |url-status= live }}</ref> According to a [[Georgetown University]] study, before 2000 the country had one of the highest rates of regular [[Mass in the Catholic Church|mass]] attendance in the [[Western world]].<ref>Weekly Mass Attendance of Catholics in Nations with Large Catholic Populations, 1980–2000 – [[World Values Survey]] (WVS)</ref>
While daily attendance was 13% in 2006, there was a reduction in weekly attendance from 81% in 1990 to 48% in 2006; the decline was reported as stabilising, though.<ref>[http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=44521 Irish Mass attendance below 50%] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503190240/http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=44521 |date=3 May 2011 }} ''Catholic World News'' 1 June 2006</ref> In 2011, it was reported that weekly mass attendance in Dublin was 18% and even lower among younger generations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/fewer-than-one-in-five-attend-sunday-mass-in-dublin-1.585731 |title=Fewer than one in five attend Sunday Mass in Dublin' |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=30 May 2011 |access-date=30 June 2011 |first=Jamie |last=Smyth |archive-date=8 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108154007/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/fewer-than-one-in-five-attend-sunday-mass-in-dublin-1.585731 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin 2023 (2).jpg|thumb|[[St Mary's Pro-Cathedral]] is the seat of the Catholic Church in [[Dublin]].]]
[[File:Dublin St. Patrick's Cathedral Exterior North Side 02.jpg|thumb|[[St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin]], is the national Cathedral of the [[Church of Ireland]].]]

The [[Church of Ireland]], at 2.7% of the population, is the second largest Christian denomination. Membership declined throughout the twentieth century but experienced an increase early in the 21st century alongside other Christian denominations. Other significant Protestant denominations are the [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland|Presbyterian Church]] and [[Methodist Church in Ireland|Methodist Church]]. Immigration has contributed to a growth in [[Hinduism in the Republic of Ireland|Hindu]] and Muslim populations. In percentage terms, as of the 2006 census, [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]] and [[Islam]] are the fastest growing religions with increases of 100% and 70% respectively.<ref>{{cite book|title=Final Principal Demographic Results 2006 |url=http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/Final%20Principal%20Demographic%20Results%202006.pdf |access-date=20 June 2010 |year=2007 |publisher=Central Statistics Office |isbn=978-0-7557-7169-1 |pages=31 (Table Q) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325005303/http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/Final%20Principal%20Demographic%20Results%202006.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009}}</ref>

Ireland's patron saints are [[Saint Patrick]], [[Brigid of Kildare|Saint Bridget]], and [[Columba|Saint Columba]]; Saint Patrick is commonly recognised as the primary patron saint.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.galwaytourism.ie/a-history-of-st-patrick-patron-saint-of-ireland/ | website = galwaytourism.ie | title = A history of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland | date = March 2024 | accessdate = 5 July 2024 }}</ref> [[Saint Patrick's Day]] is celebrated on 17 March in Ireland and abroad as the Irish national day with parades and other celebrations.

As with other traditionally Catholic European states, such as Spain and Italy,<ref>{{cite book | title = Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millenium - A Sociological Profile | editor-first = Andrew M. | editor-last = Greeley | isbn = 9780765808219 | date = 2004 | publisher = Routledge | page = 208 }}</ref> Ireland underwent a period of legal secularisation in the late twentieth century. In 1972, the article of the Constitution naming specific religious groups was deleted by the [[Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland|Fifth Amendment]] in a referendum. Article 44 remains in the Constitution: "The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion." The article also establishes freedom of religion, prohibits endowment of any religion, prohibits the state from religious discrimination, and requires the state to treat religious and non-religious schools in a non-prejudicial manner.

Although most [[Denominational education in the Republic of Ireland|schools in Ireland are patronised by religious organisations]], government policy has been to "transfer" some schools to non-denominational or multi-denominational patronage,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/education/2023/12/28/parents-to-be-polled-next-year-on-multi-denominational-education-in-effort-to-accelerate-school-choice/ | website = Irish Times | title = Parents to be polled next year on multi-denominational education in effort to 'accelerate' school choice | date = 27 December 2023 | accessdate = 5 July 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Irish poll shows parents no longer want to force religion on to children|url=http://www.secularism.org.uk/irishpollshowsparentsnolongerwan.html|publisher=National Secular Society|access-date=29 August 2011|location=United Kingdom|date=13 April 2007|archive-date=27 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927164507/http://www.secularism.org.uk/irishpollshowsparentsnolongerwan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a secularist trend is occurring among younger generations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Daniszewski|first=John|title=Catholicism Losing Ground in Ireland|url=https://latimes.com/news/la-fg-ireland17apr17-story.html#page=1|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=29 August 2011|date=17 April 2005|archive-date=21 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321102705/http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-ireland17apr17-story.html#page=1|url-status=live}} {{cite news|last=Lawler|first=Phil|title=Ireland threatened by secularism, Pope tells new envoy|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=53564|access-date=29 August 2011|newspaper=Catholic World News|date=17 September 2007|archive-date=10 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610073112/http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=53564|url-status=live}}</ref>