Ireland is (was?) over 90% Catholic.
In the past couple of decades, the church in Ireland has been known as the worst offender with gay pedophile priests. As no other denomination is readily available I can imagine the populace grasping at the socialist government for succor.
Years back, I watched a video of young people in Ireland responding to questions about homosexual marriage. The pro-homo opinions given were so programmed it was scary. It confirmed that Ireland’s youth are gullible and are easy to brainwash. It was an eye-opener.
If pederasty in the Church is as prevalent as you suggest, it would explain a lot of how the youth are programmed to adopt progressive politics and perversion.