Poll: Do you agree with the death penalty as a form of criminal punishment?

Eva Osborne

New research from the University of Limerick has shown that lengthy prison sentences can be as effective as the death penalty in deterring homicides.

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, was abolished in statute law in Ireland in 1990.

It had previously been abolished in 1964 for most offences, including ordinary murder. The last person to be executed was Michael Manning, who was hanged for murder in 1954.

Although the death penalty has not been used in Ireland in over 70 years, it is still a punishment in many countries today. Notable countries still using capital punishment are the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Amnesty International recorded 1,518 death penalty executions in 2024, which was up 32 per cent from the 2023 figure.

In the US, lethal injection is now the default method used in most jurisdictions that authorise capital punishment. However, in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee, the electric chair is still an execution option.

So, where do you stand on the death penalty as a criminal punishment? Is it right that it was abolished in Ireland, or are other countries like the US correct for retaining in? Let us know your opinion by taking our poll.