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