Brought to you in association with Expert Laois
Timahoe woman Gearoidin McEvoy – a leading campaigner in Laois for a Yes vote in this year’s referendum on the Eighth Amendment joined us recently to reflect on a significant year.
Gearoidin’s interest in the cause was a natural instinct that came from always being a bit of a feminist.
“It wasn’t all bad, while it was really difficult, I’d say about 90% of people, no matter opinion they had, they were nice. People are nice generally,” she said in a video interview for LaoisToday that will air in full over Christmas.
“The hardest thing is taking on board, when you’re canvassing or when you’re on the street, people who’ve had their own abortion stories, and they tell you those stories, and you don’t want to let those people down.
Roughly 46 Laois women in 2016 traveled abroad for an abortion.
“We took canvassing training (but) they don’t prepare you for the awful things people have had to deal with, and just go about living their lives.
“It was really hard to feel like we might let those people down.
“I don’t think there’s anyone out there that doesn’t know somebody who’s had an abortion you just don’t know that you know that.”
Gearoidin met all sorts of people with varying opinions during her time with Laois Together For Yes.
“You’d knock on a door and somebody would come out and you’d immediately expect what they were going to say, and then they said something completely different.”
When asked about entering politics, Gearoidin admits she has been approached, but she is not interested.
“I thought about it for about 30 seconds after the Repeal result came out and then I came swiftly to my senses.
“I think before Repeal I had a fairly healthy dose of scepticism about politics and I think now I have a fairly healthy dose of disdain about politics.
“This was a grassroots campaign, and there were politicians involved throughout the country, however it really stuck in me that for a lot of politicians, and high level politicians, they were waiting to see how it polled.
“These are people’s lives at risk, and I’m morally opposed to that.”
Gearoidin says reforming politics is not her journey.
“There are some great politicians up and coming, some really good Repealers were snapped up and I’m excited to see what that will do and I don’t have it in me to do that, that’s not for me.”
The LaoisToday Christmas Video Interview series will be broadcast on the LaoisToday website and on our Facebook and YouTube accounts over Christmas.
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