Her birth mother was forcibly removed from her hometown of Belmullet in Co Cavan in the 1970s and shipped off to Britain to give birth in secret. Sarah remained with her birth mother for six weeks before she was placed in foster care by the Catholic Rescue Society. She says she was determined to get an Irish passport and to apply for it using the fact she was the biological daughter of an Irish woman. “I wanted it for myself to say yes — I now have something to say this is where my blood is from." After returning to the UK, her new Irish passport arrived the following day.

Source: Irish Examiner January 05, 2026 07:00 UTC