As I crossed O’Connell Street a girl with pale blonde hair and an open face appeared out of the crush and pressed a leaflet in my hand. Before I had a chance to respond, she disappeared and the crowd had ushered me to the other side of the road.
I walked over to the GPO and leaned against the wall to avoid the rush of pedestrians. I checked the leaflet – it was anti-abortion literature. On the plaza in the middle of the street, ten women were holding large signs featuring vivid pictures of bloody fetuses and emotive slogans. One said: ‘Remember Baby X’.
I had been taken off guard because they had moved from their usual spot. Turning towards the shoppers on Henry Street, I kept thinking of pale blonde girl. She wasn't a day over eighteen.
