Catholic Democrats (The National Party)

The Catholic Democrats is a minor conservative political party in Ireland with no elected representation. It was initially known as the National Party and later as the Christian Democrats.

It was founded in December 1995 by Nora Bennis, a Catholic values and anti-abortion activist. Bennis had surprised many with the size of her vote in the 1994 European election, running under the Family First label. Bennis played a leading role in the campaign against the divorce referendum of that year, which passed with 50.3% of vote in favour. She had run a conservative pressure group called Family Solidarity. The creation of the party by the Limerick-based Bennis caused tension in conservative Catholic circles, because it followed the establishment of the Christian Solidarity Party by Gerard Casey and other Dublin-based activists, who named their party to show support for Bennis' group. The National Party aimed to attract the support of those who support traditional Catholic morality in legislation. The party's policies also included financial support for rural communities and a smaller role for the state in economic affairs.

The party had no electoral success at any level, and did not contest further elections. The party was renamed the Christian Democrats, and then again during the course of 2012 as the Catholic Democrats. It is no longer listed on the Register of Political Parties as Catholic Democrats (The National Party). They continue as a small activist organisation, and campaigned against the children referendum in 2012. Theresa Heaney from Cork ran, unsuccessfully, for the party in the 2014 European Elections in Ireland South.

The party ran three candidates in the 2016 General Election, none of whom was elected.