Watching your reproductive rights being flung around the Dail chamber like a sliotar is scarlet enough at the best of times, but Tuesday night’s debate about Ruth Coppinger’s bill (that the government rejected), just a few days before the anniversary of the needless death of Savita Halappanavar was almost too much.

Here’s just 5 of the grossest moments from the night, some of which will be giving us nightmares well into the future.

1. Ladies-Gate

The winner of the most stomach-turning moment of the night is of course, TD Michael Harty, the generous aul charmer, who reminded us that “we GAVE ladies the right to travel.” Christ, with these ferroro rocher, you are really spoiling us, Michael. isn’t he only lovely? Aren’t us ladies only blessed that we got the right to spend thousands of euros traveling to another country to have a basic medical procedure? #fuckoff

The kinda guy who’ll pull out your seat for you on the boat to England.

And such manners too; nothing like a man calling you a lady while actively robbing you of your rights and endangering your life. You just know he’s the kinda guy who’ll open the car door for ya before interning ya in a magdalene laundry. Proper gentleman, like.

Luckily, repeal kween Ruth Coppinger was there to throw some much-deserved shade.

2. No-Show Katherine Zappone

Girl, wtf? it was bad enough that only 14 TDS actually showed up to debate the issue (and trust me, we won’t be forgetting the faces we didn’t see) but we saw you wearing the jumper and we got our hopes up. If you were only at the march for choice to try and catch a glimpse of Hozier, ok, fair enough, I suppose I can’t blame you, but wearing the jumper when you’re going to turn your back on us and running a campaign on lies is too far. #jumpergate

Zappone pictured chilling at home at the time of the Dail debate

3. Kate O’ Connell slagging match with Ruth Coppinger. #stopgirlhate


I’m a big fan of anyone who supports “free, safe and legal abortion for any woman that wants it,” and fair play to you for that, but seriously Kate, did we have to air out our baggage with AAA-PBP when we’re meant to discussing my rights? Like, isn’t this a time-sensitive issue? Aren’t 10-12 women a day literally exiting the country to get the basic healthcare that’s being used as a political football here? Do we need to call all the TDs to the gymnasium to air out our feelings? ’cause we will ‘mean girls’ the SHIT out of them

4. Mattie Mcgrath. Just, like, in general.

The great defender of the Dail Prayer and close friend of the pope said it’d come as no surprise to anyone that he’d be rejecting the bill. It also comes as no surprise to me to see old men who haven’t had and never will have even one ovary, turning up anyway to throw their rosary beads at mine.

His speech was altogether too holy for me to be honest, so I took a break and watched a bit of mass instead. #RepealThe8thAmen

5. “Complex”

If I hear one more politician calling this a complex issue, I’m gonna go FULL lemonade on their ass, or just run for election myself. This is not a complex issue. This is not honours leaving cert maths. The decision to have an abortion can be a complex one for the pregnant person considering it. But the decision to repeal the 8th amendment, to remove the barrier to women’s bodily autonomy and prevent more cases like the tragic death of Savita, is not a complex one. It’s fucking easy-peasy. Four years after her death, you’d think by now, the dail would’ve copped on to that. 

Once more, I swear.

REPEAL. REPEAL. REPEAL

Thanks to Aoife Riach Kelly, from Repeal New York, for writing this most scarlet of pieces for us.