Bernie Bonar, one of the key figures behind the successful 1983 campaign for the Eighth Amendment, received a special award recognising her decades of service to the pro-life movement at last weekend’s Pro Life Campaign National Conference in Dublin.
Presenting the award, Eilís Mulroy of the PLC described Bonar as “someone truly special” and “one of those rare people about whom extraordinary things can be said – without a hint of exaggeration”.
Mulroy paid particular tribute to Bonar’s pivotal role in the campaign that led to the introduction of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution in 1983.
She recalled how Bonar, working alongside others including John O’Reilly, William Binchy, Julia Vaughan and Fr Dick Mulcahy, helped secure the political support necessary for the referendum to take place.
Mulroy praised Bonar’s “wisdom, her political nous, her good nature and her sheer determination” in persuading key political figures to cross party lines and support the referendum.
She said: “The life-saving impact of that 1983 vote, and the beacon of hope it represented for the pro-life movement worldwide, is not something you’ll read about in The Irish Times or see celebrated on RTÉ.”
Highlighting the profound impact of the Eighth Amendment, she referred to a 2016 actuarial report which estimated that more than 100,000 lives had been saved as a result of the constitutional provision.
Mulroy also praised Bonar’s continuing dedication to the pro-life movement, noting that she remains “every bit as active and committed to the pro-life cause today as she was back in 1983”.
Concluding the presentation, she said it was a “tremendous honour and a very special privilege” to present the award to the “truly extraordinary Bernie Bonar”.