Nursing homes used for ‘secrecy’, panel finds
Getty ImagesAn investigation into institutions for unwed mothers in Northern Ireland has uncovered evidence that pregnant women and babies may have spent time in private nursing homes as a “confidentiality measure”.
an investigative agency, Truth Recovery Independent Groupseeking testimony and gathering evidence about mother and baby homesMagdalene Laundries and Workhouses.
Professor Leanne McCormick, co-chair of the group, said there was evidence private care homes were being used to house pregnant mothers before their babies were put up for adoption.
At least 10,500 women are believed to have been sent to these institutions, Commonly known as mother and baby homein Northern Ireland, but incomplete records mean the figure is likely higher.
To date, more than a hundred people have come forward to gather information covertly in a non-confrontational environment.
The panel is in the first phase of an inquiry set up by the devolved governments.
This work will be incorporated into the public inquiry – Alleged abuse, including forced adoption, will be reviewed.
Professor McCormick said: “We are increasingly aware of pregnant mothers spending time in private care homes and adopting babies from these care homes.
“This means authorities may not be as informed as they would be at a local hospital.
“We often see that women and babies may stay in these private care homes for longer periods of time without the decision being made about what happens next.
“Sometimes, the baby is removed from the mother while the decision is being made.”
She explained that before the NHS was founded in 1948, it was more common to use private nursing homes for births.
But the practice did continue into the 1960s and 1970s.
more than Ten thousand women and girls passed through these institutions Northern Ireland from the 1920s to the 1990s.
‘I didn’t tell anyone for years’
Two care homes mentioned in the team’s work were Antrim House in north Belfast and Bayview in Londonderry, both of which closed several years ago.
Northern Ireland’s “mother and baby” institutions are mainly run by religious groups.
These include three “Magdalene laundries” in Belfast, Londonderry and Newry -In effect, workhouses were places where pregnant women and girls were forced to do backbreaking work.
Survivors have been using creative ways to express their experiences in an attempt to help encourage more people to seek help and provide testimonies.
Caitriona Cunningham has written the play The Marian Hotel, which is touring Northern Ireland and is set in Marianvale in Newry.
The main character Kitty is based on Caitriona, who worked at the agency from 1979 to 1980.
She described life there as “very strict” and “all about adopting your child.”
Caitriona said she was one of the “lucky few” because “I brought my daughter back when she was three months old.”
“But for years, I didn’t tell anyone I was in Marianville.
“It’s been on my mind lately. I’m thinking about other women.
“I started writing little notes and now this show is what it is. It’s awesome.”
trauma support
Trauma support staff attend every performance.
Patricia Byrne, artistic director of Sole Purpose Productions, explains: “They will be there to help anyone who has been affected or who may be feeling emotional about what they see or feel.”
She said she hopes bringing stories that have long been kept secret to the public stage will help reduce stigma.
“The show is very much a call for people who may have been affected by maternity and infant institutions to come forward.”
Survivors have also exhibited original art and artefacts associated with the institutions in the Sunflower Project exhibition, currently on display at the Linen Hall Library in Belfast.
The exhibits – such as christening robes, toys and letters – capture the feelings of love, loss and loneliness they experienced.
A film released this month also highlights these issues.
Cillian Murphy stars as Bill Furlong, who is troubled by what he notices happening at the agency.
Professor Leanne McCormick has called on people living near institutions in Northern Ireland to contact the Truth Recovery Team.
“We are interested in anyone who has any links to these agencies.
For example, some neighbors may know where laundry is coming in and out.
“Clergy may be bringing people to these institutions.
“There are also magistrates, GPs, social workers, probation workers, midwives from local hospitals, builders who work in these settings.
“Anyone with information can help us piece together these stories.”
She also said the group was keen to hear from people in the Protestant community as most of the women who came forward were in institutions run by Catholic organisations.
Getty ImagesWhat does a mother and baby home look like?
A network of institutions on the island of Ireland that housed unmarried women and their babies at a time when pregnancy outside of marriage was considered shameful.
There are more than a dozen of these mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.
Three of them had Catholic-run almshouses called Magdalene laundries, where women often had to do backbreaking unpaid labor.
Many are victims of sex crimes, including rape and incest, and residents are expected to engage in “strenuous physical labor” in their later stages of pregnancy.
Many women and girls are separated from their children by placement in children’s homes, boarding (foster care), or adoption.
There is also the issue of cross-border movement of women and children into and out of institutions.
The last institution in Northern Ireland closed in 1990.
