Evidence of how de-Catholicized Ireland has become

If this had happened 20 years ago, there would have been no debate whatsoever about a National day of mourning. Instead, the Taoiseach todays says there will be "no national day of mourning as such", thinking it unnecessary to close the entire country for the day. Practical and reasonable, to be sure.

Instead, government ministers and opposition leaders are taking the opportunity to criticize one another for muddling the issue, essentially one of economics vs. religion, with a bit of "who will mind the children if the schools close?" thrown in on the side.

So much for Ireland being a Catholic country...

[update]

--The Taoiseach thinks current mourning is enough, relative to the rest of world
-- The rest of the world mourns