Last night.
Mother and baby Home activists Breeda Murphy, Eunan Duffy and Frank Brehany discuss the latest developments on the fall-out from the Mother and Baby Home report and the reaction to the discovery of burial sites in Canada.
Eunan shares the research that led to the revelations in last week’s Sunday Times (above) that the bodies of at least 27 children were donated for medical research without consent to Queen’s University Belfast including from Mother and Baby homes.
This is the 19th in a series of shows with Breeda, Eunan and Frank looking at issues surrounding the publication of the Mother and Bay Home Commission of Investigation report. They can be viewed here.
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Thank you for covering this contributors and Bodger.
I actually had to leave my office just now after reading this, my colleagues were quite concerned at the manner of my departure. I am horrified by the treatment meted out to my fellow mother and baby home alumni.
Appreciate that many are affected – how could one not be? The children were torn literally – we do not know their names – the note simply read ‘not to be interred’. This was at a time when Ireland was most Catholic and least Christian. Preserved for decades as specimens by people who had children of similar age or grandchildren themselves. Those children and teenagers (oldest was 15) were regarded as less worthy even of the most basic right to dignity and respect. It makes me cry! we need – each of us to think of those children as our family members as their mums (and dads) came from our communities. Let’s make a concentrated effort to expose; listen to voices who attempt to gain clarity on where and? how ultimately the remains were buried – let’s mark their final resting place with a symbol that denotes love – we can’t let it linger for another generation to tackle. We failed then, their mothers, their families and their communities for what ? What was it all for ?
The erasing of the very footprint of our people because the ‘establishment’ did not want to be known by them. What was the difference of a child born in the workhouse to one born to a married couple; of a child of a mother and baby home and the Garda/Teacher/Shopkeepers son or daughter born to a married couple. Just that. The ‘marriage’ .. nothing else as men from all professions and none fathered children of mother and baby homes and associated institutions too – and this is not a stick to beat fathers with, many, very many were good men who mourned the loss of their love and their child and never recovered. Let’s be honest about it. Get all records and forensically examine between institutions associated Gaiway Hospital / Orphanages/Residential schools/ Psychiatric hospitals/ workhouses – all institutions of containment and give the victims of such acts their identity at the very least and record for all to witness su we never allow any child of this nation or any nation seeking refuge in our country to suffer such injustice again – or their family. We can do it! All it takes is the will of the people. The government have no interest in exposing. Civil society has to do it. Thank you to my three colleagues above; Eunan, Frank and John. Get the conversation started in your own home so it’s not the secret. Some would rather we forget. We can’t!