Irish immigrants arrive home to vote in their thousands as Ireland makes history, with a once in a lifetime referendum on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.
As the voting on the May 25 referendum, on Ireland’s Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, gets underway #hometovote has been erupting on social media with thousands of Irish from around returning to cast their ballot. From as far away as Asia, Australia, South America, as well as throngs of people from the UK and Europe, the famous Irish diaspora are returning home to vote.
The Eight Amendment, introduced in 1983, grants equal rights to the fetus and the mother. Current law outlaws abortion in all cases, except when the mother’s life is at risk and the restrictions on this are very high. Ireland’s abortion laws are among the strictest in the European Union.
If the Yes vote wins on Friday, the Irish Government have said that abortions would be allowed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Read more: Ireland votes on abortion rights as nation holds its breath
This 2018 #hometovote movement mirrors the actions during Ireland’s marriage equality referendum in 2015 when similar scenes were recorded. In fact, Ireland’s #hometovote campaign this year has been so successful that the hashtag earned the coveted position on Twitter’s headquarters wall of fame, in San Francisco.
Wonder if everyone knows that it hangs on the wall of @Twitter HQ in San Francisco, where only a couple of the most globally significant hashtags get a home. #hometovote pic.twitter.com/3gKdDBq6qQ
— DC (@donal_cahalane) May 23, 2018
Over the last week #hometovote has been trending as the Irish around the world, who have the right to vote, prepared to fly and take the boat home. However, by the evening of May 24 scenes at Dublin airport were reminiscent of Christmastime as Irish flooded through the arrival gates.
THEY’VE ARRIVED. Now that’s what we call a welcome party. #hometovote @Together4yes @DublinAirport pic.twitter.com/e7TgucTONM
— London-Irish ARC (@LdnIrishARC) May 24, 2018
Massive queues on arrival at Dublin airport. Ireland's children have been awakened and they answer her call home #repealthe8th #Together4Yes #hometovote pic.twitter.com/BapNxOh3g1
— Mark McCormack (@markmccormack86) May 24, 2018
This is just a sample of some of the tweets of people flying in from around the world:
Boarding a 13 hour flight from Buenos Aires to London. London to Dublin tomorrow. No one at airport knows what my repeal jumper means. No one here knows why I'm travelling. If this feels isolating for me, can't imagine how lonely it must be 4 her, travelling 2 the UK #HomeToVote
— Ciaran Gaffney (@gaffneyciaran) May 22, 2018
Heatmap of the some of the places in the world people traveled from to come #hometovote ... if this doesn't set you off you're broken and in need of urgent repair. Irish people are a class bunch #legends #TogetherForYes #repealthe8th pic.twitter.com/78j3lzeRaA
— Drew Murphy (@drewtmurphy) May 24, 2018
Last minute flight from Vancouver to London: $1500
— Vancouver Kilo (@Kilo53908733) May 25, 2018
Length of journey: 15 hours
Repealing the 8th: priceless.
Me mas's reacrion: also priceless. 😂#HomeToVote #abroadforyes pic.twitter.com/G11cjh11c2
Big Irish contingent in Brussels traveling so thousands more won't have to anymore. #hometovote #together4yes #RepealThe8th pic.twitter.com/jVJvsSqBwc
— 🌤John Hyphen🗳 (@JohnHyphen) May 24, 2018
Read more: Stunning hypocrisy - Orange Order says “no” to abortion referendum in Ireland
The London contingent were also strongly represented:
I made friends at the boarding gate. Not one of us knew each other. #hometovote #london #ireland @LdnIrishARC pic.twitter.com/w7A91tUrZu
— Danielle Stephens (@DaniS1006) May 24, 2018
Last minute decision to go #hometovote to #repealthe8th No flights left from London, so I have a 4 hour train, 4 hour wait and 3 hour ferry to make it home to vote- which is a walk in the park in comparison to the journey that Irish women are making every day to the UK
— Michelle McHugh (@MichelleMarleyy) May 24, 2018
Famous figures also threw their hats into the ring including rugby player Ian Madigan, who is currently playing for Bristol.
Im coming #hometovote as the woman of Ireland deserve better #repeal #together4yes #trustwomen #progressivehealthcare
— Ian madigan (@Ian_madigan) May 24, 2018
Sinn Fein’s leader Mary Lou McDonald retweeted a moving illustration of Irish flooding in with suitcases to vote. The image of dragging suitcases has been referenced heavily over the years of pro-choice campaigning as 11 Irish women, on average, per week travel abroad to access abortions.
Every one of us counts. Every vote will count. Fáilte abhaile #Hometovote Lets do this #Repeal8th #Together4Yes pic.twitter.com/UCGtMzBWLJ
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) May 24, 2018
New York Irish comedian Des Bishop took to Twitter to offer lifts for anyone home to vote.
I am in Dublin all day tomorrow for anyone #hometovote that needs a lift to get to where you need to. Just need to be back in the Naul by 8:30pm. Airport pick ups are fine. #voteyes
— Des Bishop 毕瀚生 (@Desbishop) May 24, 2018
Also being used on Twitter was #hometovoteno. The top tweet came from the socially conservative Roman Catholic advocacy group the Iona Institute. It reads:
#HometoVoteNO - We didn't pay Terry Prone thousands of quid for a hash tag that nobody is using. Let's get this party started! Use our hash tag! #8thRef
— The Iona Institution (@Iona_Institute) May 23, 2018
Many other tweets came from other pro-life groups however so individuals did post of their journeys.
#hometovote #hometovoteno #savethe8th #TogetherForYes leaving JFK now. Going home to vote NO. pic.twitter.com/HerSkLMTgh
— DaveMac (@dmcs10) May 25, 2018
The feeling ahead of the vote seems to be one of pride and anticipation as the global Irish flock to do their civic duty and change Irish law. With the latest polls, in the Sunday Times, showing the Yes vote with a lead of 52% nothing will be certain until the results come through on Saturday. Polls will close on Friday night at 10pm.
My 'drop of golden' son just landed in Cork airport. He is #hometovote and will be voting YES for his sister, YES his mum & YES for a better day for women and a kinder Ireland. Our family all #TogetherForYes #together2vote @CorkTogether4Y pic.twitter.com/fK9Dc7nCi6
— Colette Kelleher (@ColetteKelleher) May 24, 2018
My dad sent my sister a text this week saying he will vote on her behalf since she can't get home to vote.
— Avril Hayden 🇮🇪🇪🇺 (@AvvyEire) May 24, 2018
Little do either of my parents know I'm sitting in the airport waiting for her flight to arrive. #hometovote #Mna4Ta #Together4Yes #men4yes #Repealthe8th
This pushed me right over the edge. #grandfathers4yes #Together4Yes #hometovote #repealthe8th pic.twitter.com/gdOh57yH0a
— TÁrudi Mc Donald (@TrooDee) May 24, 2018
All the #hometovote celebrating feels like a response to all the silent, secret journeys that went the other way. Whatever the outcome of the referendum, the silence is broken.
— Jane Casey (@JaneCaseyAuthor) May 24, 2018
When I asked should I remove my badge at airport security the nice man told me 'no, show your support'. Lots of repeal jumpers on the last flight out tonight. 💪💪#HometoVote pic.twitter.com/p8yVcj6GAM
— Darren Sinnott (@sinnotd) May 24, 2018
Can’t stop reading these. Bursting with pride for this country #hometovote pic.twitter.com/rmpaKfmn4F
— Kelley McGrath (@kelsweewheels) May 24, 2018
Light a candle in the window, so she can see it from the road, and with all the love that's in your heart welcome her back home. #HomeToVote pic.twitter.com/DCksZtiXC0
— niall has voted, have you? (@irokie) May 24, 2018
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