Scots widow insists reunion with long lost daughter was written in the stars

It had been the most important part of Margaret Sweeney’s weekend for almost 50 years.

The heartbroken mum took comfort from reading her daughter Imelda’s Sunday Mail horoscope after giving her up for adoption as a baby.

Now Margaret, 83, has vowed to continue checking her girl’s fortunes after an emotional reunion Down Under.

Long Lost Family viewers saw the pair meet for the first time in last Monday’s tear-jerking episode of the ITV1 series.

Margaret, of Perth, became the oldest searcher on the hit show co-hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell.

Now a great-great grandmother, she revealed she looked to the stars for clues about Imelda’s life in her favourite newspaper after she was adopted at six weeks old.

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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.

“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.

Being raised in a strict Catholic family in Northern Ireland, she predicted her parents would react angrily.

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.

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

Widow 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.”

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.”