Irish widow reunited with daughter given up for adoption nearly 50 years ago after reading horoscope every week

She looked to the stars for clues about her daughter’s life in her favourite newspaper

An Irish widow who gave up her daughter for adoption nearly 50 years ago has finally been reunited with her, after reading her horoscope every week.

Margaret Sweeney, 83, took comfort from reading her daughter Imelda's Sunday Mail horoscope every weekend and the pair have finally met face to face in an emotional episode of Long Lost Families on ITV1.

Margaret and her daughter were reunited in Australia on last Monday's show co-hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell.

Now a great-great grandmother, Margaret revealed she looked to the stars for clues about Imelda’s life in her favourite newspaper after she gave her up for adoption at just six weeks old, reports the Daily Record .

Margaret said: “Way back from the 70s, we started getting the Sunday Mail every week.

“I’d check Imelda’s horoscopes every week, wondering what her life was like.

Now Imelda, renamed Cathy, has three children of her own

“A lot of people don’t believe in them but when good things were said about Imelda, it brought me comfort.”

In 1955, Margaret was 19 and working in a London cafe when she started dating a boy and soon discovered she was pregnant .

Having been raised in a strict Catholic family in Northern Ireland, she predicted her parents would not react well to the news.

She turned to a Catholic convent for young mums to help arrange an adoption.

On July 9, 1956, Margaret gave birth to Imelda. She was desperate to keep her baby but the heartbreaking decision was made to put her up for adoption.

Imelda was adopted by a couple who re-named her Cathy and the family moved to Brisbane when she was six years old.

The pair had an emotional reunion in Australia

Now the 62-year-old mum-of-three is preparing to travel to Scotland, Ireland and England to meet her long lost family.

Margaret said: “It was absolutely magical meeting my daughter all over again. It was emotional, tearful, magical. We’re all over the moon.

“We Facetime everyday and when we were chatting this week, she said she is planning on coming to Scotland next year.

“Then we’ll go to Ireland to meet family before heading to London to meet the rest of the family. We all can’t wait.”

Margaret gave her daughter up for adoption when she was just six weeks old

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Sunday Mail astrologer Lynne Ewart said: “I was thrilled to see that Margaret had been comforted from reading my horoscopes.

“Knowing that my work has helped her was really touching.

“This is what being an astrologer is all about – giving people hope for the future and letting them know that everything is going to be OK.

“We want them to feel that they can cope with life, not put the fear of God into them. I really wish Margaret and her daughter the very best of luck.”

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