Inside Ireland's international child abduction cases and the fight to bring children home

An Irish mediator has helped families navigate complex foreign courts, diplomatic barriers and legal systems after children are taken abroad

Miceál O’Hurley. Picture: Noel Sweeney

For most parents, the thought of a child being taken abroad by the other parent without their consent is unimaginable.

But every year, Irish families find themselves trapped in international legal battles after a relationship breaks down and one parent leaves the country with their child and doesn’t return.