Ireland’s Hidden Diaspora

The 'abortion Trail' and the Making of a London-Irish Underground, 1980-2000

in English, 237 pages,
IASC Publishing, March 07, 2009
Order here

In past years, as many as 5,000 women from the Republic of Ireland and 1,500 from Northern Ireland crossed the Irish Sea to have an abortion in a British clinic. They came and went in secret, like women on the run, bearing a terrible burden of shame for two societies in denial. When it comes to the right of a woman to choose, Ireland was a place still in the dark ages, north and south of the Border. This book is not an account of the experience of abortion seekers by the women themselves. However, an equally important part of this hidden story is told here by London-Irish women who supported many such individuals before, during, and after their lonely, and often frightening journey across the water. It is also a record of their campaigns for a change in the law in both parts of the island.