Repeal Jumper

'Repeal' Jumper, black with white lettering, c.2016. Designed by Anna Cosgrave.

Repeal jumpers were worn all over the island of Ireland and abroad. These Repeal jumpers were designed and sold to fundraise for the "Yes" or "Together for Yes Repeal the 8th Amendment" campaign for the 2018 referendum.

The 8th Amendment made abortion illegal in almost every circumstance in the Republic of Ireland. Anna Cosgrave designed the iconic Repeal jumper after the death of Savita Halappanavar (1981-2012) who died from sepsis after her request for an abortion because of a prolonged miscarriage was denied on legal grounds. The Repeal Jumper was made to show solidarity with those affected by the 8th Amendment (1983) and campaign to remove it from the Irish Constitution. On the 25 May 2018 the majority of Irish people voted Yes in the referendum, which repealed the 8th Amendment.

After the referendum in the Republic of Ireland, it was still illegal to have an abortion in the North. Northern Ireland had no functioning devolved government in late 2019, therefore, pressure was put on the UK government to decriminialise abortion. Abortion was legalised in Northern Ireland in October 2019 after a Westminster vote.

Object Number: CI:2022.3

More Information

Browne, Kath, Sydney Calkin, After Repeal: Rethinking Abortion Politics. (Bloomsbury, 2020)

Trouton, Jennifer, Mark Benson (eds), One of Many. A Collection of Essays. (2024)

Urquhart, Diane, Lindsey Earner-Byrne, The Irish Abortion Journey, 1920 – 2018. (Palgrave, 2019)