A pro-life group say they are furious after a hotel cancelled their booking for an event.

The anti-abortion group, Human Life International, was scheduled to host an event in the Ashling Hotel near Dublin's Heuston Station on Saturday, September 30.

However they claim that the event was cancelled after the venue received a large amount of negative emails, and social media posts.

Patrick McCrystal, Executive Director of the group, said they were due to host a conference on the "effects of abortion on women's physical and mental health".

He claimed that two "world-renowned keynote" - Dr Angela Lanfranchi and Professor Priscilla Coleman - were due to speak.

Speaking to Independent.ie, Mr McCrystal, said he was contacted by the hotel this week to say that the event have been called off.

"The manager himself spoke to me directly of 50 pages of commentary, emails and social media, that a Facebook page had been set up opposing the conference, as well as diatribe, intimidation, upset of his staff, personal visits to the hotel and threats of protest at the hotel if conference continues. In the interest of Health and safety of his staff, he had to cancel venue".

Mr McCrystal claimed it was "yet another example of censorship and is an attack on free speech".

He continued: “Who decides who may speak in Ireland? This is an attack on the very foundation of democracy in our country. These women are highly respected in their fields. Yet an angry mob have decided that only certain voices are allowed to be heard in Ireland."

A spokeswoman for the Ashling Hotel declined to comment.

Online Editors