The strong Catholic faith & heritage of the Irish has been weakened by two events. The Irish free state movement preached a lot of socialist and secular ideas and many of its leaders continue to hold them now that Ireland is an independent country. Second, the never ending recession which started in 2008 continues to wear on the Irish spirit due to debt and job loss. Both issues seem to have lessened the influence of Catholic faith.
Ireland has the same problem much of Europe has: With the exception of wealthy people, most of the best & brightest left generations ago to make a better life elsewhere. Now Ireland can play the enlightened country folk for the EU that feeds them...