WOMEN’s health campaigner Vicky Phelan is to be granted the honorary freedom of Limerick at a special ceremony next Thursday evening.
It follows the adoption of a notice of motion at a meeting of the local authority last December and is in recognition of her work highlighting the cervical cancer scandal and her tireless support of women who have been affected and are still fighting for justice.
The Kilkenny-born mother-of-two will become only the fifth woman to be granted the freedom of the city since 1877, following in the footsteps of Ishbel Maria Hamilton-Gordon, Maud Gonne, Kathleen Clarke, and Trudy Hunt.
Speaking after the motion was passed unanimously by the council, Mayor Daniel Butler said that he had been inundated with an outpouring of love and respect for Ms Phelan.
“Vicky is an inspiration,” he said. “She has faced and continues to face her challenges head-on with a drive and a determination that has garnered the respect and admiration of all.
“Her work encapsulates the ideals of the freedom of Limerick. She has empowered women to be able to speak their truth and ensure their health is treated with respect and attention it deserves,” he added.
