Thursday 12 June 2014

Protestant Bethany Homes babies ignored - Irish Examiner


Protestant Bethany Homes babies ignored 
Irish Examiner
"The Dublin Foundling Hospital which was established by Royal Charter had a death rate of over 90% in the 19th century, as Joseph Robins records in his brilliant study of Irish children living on charity, The Lost Children: a Study of Charity Children in Ireland, 1700-1900 (Institute of Public Administration). If this book were reissued now we might begin to get some perspective and some historical context to the Tuam babies episode.

At the Dublin Foundling Hospital, the gate porter had the duty of disposing of the bodies of the dead infants, as Joseph Robins writes:

“For the sake of convenience burials were confined to three days a week. Between burial days, the dead infants accumulated and the porter stated that he had buried as many as thirteen at one time. Wrapped in grey blankets, the bodies were taken to a field at the back of the hospital and interred there. So frequent were the burials that the field was completely bare of grass.”

By Victoria White (Irish Examiner)


Sunday 8 June 2014

Tuam and the British Press

The Daily Mail
(UK Paper)
"An expert survey of what is thought to be the burial site of 796 babies in Tuam has uncovered two areas of interest where anomalies in the soil indicate likely human activity beneath the surface. The survey recommends further investigation and experts say if we are to find out anything more a dig would be necessary. The Irish Mail on Sunday can also reveal that the Sisters of Bon Secours, who are at the centre of the scandal, had the remains of 12 members of the order exhumed and re-buried in a cemetery in Knock before they abandoned their base in Galway in 2001 – after selling property to the Western Health Board for a reported €4m."



Saturday 7 June 2014

"Milltown archaeologist to advise on Tuam baby burials"

"Milltown archaeologist to advise on Tuam baby burials"

(Irish Mirror)
"A Northern Ireland archaeologist who helped find thousands of children buried on unconsecrated ground at Milltown Cemetery is to advise campaigners at the Tuam babies site. Toni Maguire, who spent several years carrying out excavations and detailed research at the well known West Belfast graveyard, will travel to Galway next month to help try and establish the full extent of burials at the former mother-and-baby home. Ms Maguire told the Mirror a meticulous trawl of state and holy order records would have to be undertaken alongside any excavation. The excavation, she added, could eventually see ground penetrating radar like that being used in the ongoing Madeleine McCann search being deployed. The bodies of hundreds of children and babies born to unmarried mothers were buried in unmarked graves at the home between 1925 and 1961".

Thursday 5 June 2014

No Church records for Tuam


Tuam and Amnesty International

Amnesty International
(Read More)
"Disturbing revelations about an unmarked “mass grave” of up to 800 babies and children found in Tuam, a town in the west of Ireland, must prompt urgent answers from the Irish Government about the wider issue of past child abuse in religious-run institutions, said Amnesty International today".