Indeed. I’m glad it’s opening, don’t get me wrong! But I don’t think it’s going to make a difference for the majority of women in Ireland (North and in the Republic) – we need legislative change for that. The existing laws in both jurisdictions are just too draconian.

This is missing some context. Northern Ireland is not “heavily Catholic”: there is a Protestant majority, though more younger Catholics than not. The Republic of Ireland, however, has 84% of the population identifying as Catholic (as of 2011). Abortion is legally heavily restricted, in practice almost impossible to obtain, in both places, but Northern Ireland [...]

I wouldn’t think Skins is realistic: more hyper-real. It’s as if it takes all the crazy parties and gossip from the 6-8 years of teenagehood and adolescence and crams them into one series. Overall, though, it is a great aesthetic. (plus one series also deals pretty heavily with mental illness). I also recommend Misfits (again [...]