The heart-wrenching messages were published on the Digital Repository of Ireland by Dublin City Council’s Library and Archive (DCLA).

The mural, painted by street artist ‘Aches’, was in memory of Savita, who died in University Hospital Galway in 2013 after being refused an abortion while 17 weeks pregnant.

Doctors at the time believed she was due to miscarry. When Savita and her husband asked about induced miscarriage to prevent her dying due to a high risk of sepsis or infection, they were refused.

Five years later in 2018, Savita became a martyr for the Repeal the 8th campaign leading up to the referendum on the termination of pregnancies, with 66.4% of voters approving the referendum.

Over 1,200 messages were left at the mural by members of the public.

Lorraine McLoughlin, Dublin City Archivist said: “The memorial and notes which are captured in these photographs provide us with evidence of this unique moment in history.

“Capturing and preserving these key moments in the history and story of Dublin - and making them available to future generations - are key functions of Dublin City Archives.”

Clare Lanigan, Digital Archivist for Archiving Reproductive Health said: “We’re glad to be able to work with DCLA on publishing this collection, and we hope that it honours the memory of Savita and the heartfelt notes left by so many ordinary people during those memorable days in 2018.”


The Savita Halappanavar Memorial Collection can be viewed and downloaded on DRI at https://doi.org/10.7486/DRI.6d57cp71h / https://repository.dri.ie/