An emotional but “relieved” Tori Towey arrived back into Dublin Airport from Dubai at 12.05pm on Thursday on a flight accompanied by her mother.
The Emirates airline cabin crew worker, with the support of her mother Caroline and aunt Ann Flynn, spoke to the media in an impromptu interview in Terminal 2.
The Roscommon woman was banned from leaving Dubai after being charged with attempted suicide and illegally consuming alcohol in the United Arab Emirates city. She had suffered sustained domestic violence and abuse since marrying her husband in March, the Dáil heard this week.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald raised the matter in the Dáil on Tuesday which resulted in Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin intervening.
Ms Towey was being assisted by the Detained in Dubai advocacy organisation.
“I’m just so relieved … I can’t believe it. I just want to say a huge, thank you to everyone, the Embassy, the Ambassador, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, Mary Lou McDonald, obviously the media,” she said.
She said she “wouldn’t be here without you all and the support of the Irish people, we are an amazing country”.
The 28-year-old added that she “could not believe” she was back in Ireland. “The Ambassador was the first person we got on to. I’m just so thankful and grateful.”
Ms Towey revealed that the last number of weeks have been “tiring mentally” for her “being stuck in the country”.
“Obviously when my mother came out to me that was a massive help. Not knowing anything, not knowing what was going to happen. I’m back now and excited to see my family.”
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She said she feared she would not get home.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen. It was only between yesterday and today that I got clarity [on what was happening] because I wasn’t getting any answers. I’m just glad to be back and I’m obviously so thankful as well to my amazing family and friends. They have been going through everything with me. They’ve been keeping me strong.”
She added that her plans for the immediate future were to go home and see her family, “sleep and go home and rest. The people, the Government, everybody have been amazing. I’m just so happy to be home.”
Her mother Caroline said the whole matter has been a “bit of a nightmare” but that she was “delighted to have her home. We couldn’t sleep but once the whole thing [matter was highlighted] and the media and Oireachtas helped we were bombarded with lots of messages and support.
“A huge thanks to the country, our politicians, our people, our Ambassador and all of her staff. We are so thankful. We want to get home, get our heads together and move on.”
Radha Stirling – chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said earlier Ms Towey was “super excited to be arriving home”.
Before a flight was organised, Ms Stirling said Ms Towey and her mother Caroline were “still nervous that anything could happen”, adding they “won’t feel safe until she’s on the plane”.
In an update on X, Claire Kerrane, Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon-Galway, said she spoke to Ms Towey on Thursday morning.
“She wants to get home to County Roscommon and rest,” she said before asking for privacy for Ms Towey, saying she will “speak when she is ready to”.
Ms Stirling, who previously praised the Government’s swift response to the case, said Dubai authorities promptly dropped the charges of attempted suicide after “the Government and the Irish people collectively supported Tori Towey”.
Speaking to RTÉ News after the charges were dropped, Mr Harris said he was “extremely frustrated that an Irish citizen found themselves in this position”.
“We talk about zero tolerance in this country towards any sort of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and I want to be clear to countries right around the world [that] we extend that zero tolerance to any of our citizens no matter where they are based in this world,” he said on Wednesday evening.