From top: A  new memorial in honour of children who died in the Clare County Nursery in Kilrush; Dr John Treacy of Burial Grounds Unit at Clare Co Co.

Tuesday.

Old Shanakyle Graveyard, county Clare.

A sculpture was unveiled  by Clare County Council in honour of the children who died at the Kilrush Nursery.

As many as 168 babies may have died at the site when it was in operation between 1923 and 1932

Breeda Murphy, PRO of the The Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance, writes:

We attended this memorial event invited by CEO of Clare Co Co Pat Dowling, the Cathaoirleach PJ Ryan and historian Dr John Treacy of Burial Grounds Unit at Clare Co Co.

Over the past eighteen months Clare county council have engaged specialists in an effort to locate the burial site of remains of infants and children from the Kilrush Nursery which operated from 1922-1932 as a Mother and Baby Home for the county.

An excellent booklet was produced for the event of the extensive work largely undertaken by Dr John Treacy of Clare Co Co.

Chapter 16 of Mother and Baby Home Commission’s report dealt with the Kilrush Nursery.

In 1928 the Sisters of Mercy withdrew their services due to ‘the reluctance of the Local Government board to sanction the appointment of nuns other than trained nurses – the County is now in the hands of secular nurses’ (Mercy Archives 1928)

West Clare Historian Hails Significance Of New County Nursery Memorial In Kilrush (Clare FM)

Pics: Breeda Murphy