Some Irish-Canadian residents celebrate Irish abortion referendum result
MONTREAL — Michelle Sweeney said there was no way a mere 7,000 kilometres could stop her from making the journey from Vancouver to Dublin to vote in Friday’s historic Irish referendum on abortion.
She paid more than $1,500 for a three-day trip to her homeland, where she cast her vote to repeal the country’s Eighth Amendment, which banned virtually all forms of abortion.
The jet lag and hit to her bank account paid off, as referendum voters supported rescinding the ban by an almost two-to-one margin: 66.4 per cent to 33.6 per cent.
It was a humbling and emotional journey for the 25-year-old Sweeney, who said she’d campaigned for a vote before moving to Vancouver 18 months ago.