Joe McCarroll is a conservative campaigner in Ireland. He has campaigned against abortion, same-sex marriage and divorce. McCarroll was a lecturer in ethics in Clonliffe College, Dublin. He also worked as an education officer with responsibility for school attendance, for Dublin Corporation. He was part of the editorial group of The Brandsma Review.[1] McCarroll also had a book, Is the school around the corner just the same, published by Brandsma Books. He also contributed to other publications and newspapers.
Joe McCarroll, along with Des Hanafin, is a founding member, and vice-chairman, of the Anti-Divorce Campaign,
[2] which successfully campaigned for a No vote in the 1986 Divorce Referendum The Anti-Divorce Campaign unsuccessfully campaigned for a No vote in the 1995 divorce referendum.[3][4] He warned that if it were to pass, people would be divorced against their will.
Does that mean that if one partner says there is such a prospect [no reasonable prospect of reconciliation], the court is then obliged to deny a divorce? If it doesn't mean that, then you have unilateral divorce against the will of the other person[5]
— Joe McCarroll
The referendum was passed by a slim margin, and after an unsuccessful court challenge by Des Hanafin, was signed into law in June 1996.[6]
Joe McCarroll co-founded the Pro Life Campaign in 1992, and was its chairman until December 2015. He was active in the PLC, speaking at seminars.[7][8][9][10]
While chairman of the Pro Life Campaign, McCarroll called for a 'yes' vote in the Twenty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2002 (Ireland), which was rejected by the people in the referendum.[11] He said the proposed amendment was "not anti-woman" and would "put the unborn on the social radar screen" so that women with an unexpected pregnancy could be supported, and that the amendment would provide a very good barrier against "anyone smuggling in abortion and describing it as medical treatment."
^Lowry, Nick (December 1998 – January 1999). "We're RC- But Not Religiously Correct". The Brandsma Review. Vol. 7, no. 6. Archived from the original on 26 April 2003. Our editorial group now consists of ourselves (Nick and Mary Lowry), Joe McCarroll, Fr Brendan Purcell, David Manly, Louis Power and Peadar Laighléis
^"Monaghan Anti-Divorce Meeting". Anglo-Celt. 23 November 1995. p. 8.
^Coulter, Carol (31 August 1995). "Opponents of divorce prepare campaign". The Irish Times. p. 5.
^"Anti-Divorce Committee". The Irish Times. 25 January 1995. p. 32.
^"This Week They Said". The Irish Times. 16 September 1995. p. 12.
^"Our People". Pro Life Campaign. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Dr. Joseph McCarroll is Chairperson of the Pro Life Campaign.He is also an author and social commentator.