Tag Archives: Regina Coeli

This afternoon.

De Montfort House, Dublin 7

Unite Executive Council Member Therese Moloney (red cap) with supporters, including Joan Collins TD (pic 3 centre), outside the Legion of Mary HQ, before handing in a letter to Legion President Mary Murphy seeking a meeting to help secure the future of Northern Ireland’s sole woman-only hostel.

Legion-owned Regina Coeli House in west Belfast has 21 beds and provides support to homeless women, women who have been trafficked, the sexually abused, those suffering from addictions as well as survivors of domestic abuse.

Protests to keep the doors open, including sit-ins, are now in their third week.

Belfast Mayor Nicholl blasts Regina Coeli House management ‘silence’ (ITV)

Sam Boal/RollingNews

Regina Coeli was a hostel for homeless and unmarried mothers and their children on Dublin’s North Brunswick Street.

It was ran by the Legion of Mary and opened by the legion’s founder Frank Duff in 1930.

Author of Secret Child Gordon Lewis, who was born to a single mother in 1950s Ireland and who lived in Regina Coeli for nine years, is now looking to speak to other people who would have lived in the hostel.

He writes:

“First part teaser [above] from our latest documentary The True Stories of Regina Coeli: Geraldine, a mother at 17 from Regina Coeli.

From the award-winning short film and bestselling book Secret Child, we are searching for the real stories of the mothers and children of Regina Coeli to tell their stories and experiences when they were in the home.

We are looking for more photos of Regina Coeli to help us tell the story and help preserve the Irish history archive. We want to hear from you.

If you know someone who was in Regina Coeli, please come forward and reach us by contacting us at Secret Child”

Secret Child