Three judges at Dublin's
High Court accepted the testimony of doctors who said the baby would not
survive long enough to be delivered safely.
The court decided that
keeping the young mother alive would deprive her of dignity in death.
It added that keeping her
alive would subject her father, partner and two young children to
"unimaginable distress" in a "futile exercise".
The panel of judges said it
was in the best interest of the unborn child to authorise the withdrawal of
life support in what was a "tragic and unfortunate case".
The High Court added that
it was a case of "great public importance".
The 26-year-old was
pronounced clinically dead on 3 December after suffering a trauma injury last
month.
Her family had sought to
switch the equipment off to preserve her dignity.
But doctors refused,
fearing they might be prosecuted under Ireland's strict Catholic-influenced
abortion laws, which give the 18-week-old foetus the same constitutional rights
as the mother.
Under the Irish
constitution, the foetus is regarded as a citizen.
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