Court Grants First Divorce in Country

A court in Dublin did what once was unthinkable and granted the first divorce in Ireland’s history, quietly embarking on a new era forged by a bitter and closely fought debate in this Roman Catholic country. Justice Henry Barron announced that he had granted a divorce to an unidentified man who is said to be gravely ill and unwilling to wait until divorce legislation becomes effective Feb. 27. After a private hearing behind closed doors, Barron concluded that the constitutional amendment approved by voters in November 1995 provides authority for dissolving the marriage. The divorce issue was settled last summer when the Supreme Court ruled against a lawsuit filed by anti-divorce activists.