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Understanding the legacy of institutions for mothers and babies

Tuesday October 29th 2024

The Church of Ireland Press Office has asked us to publish this request from the Truth Recovery Independent Panel, which is inviting readers to share their experiences of mother and baby homes and similar institutions in Northern Ireland.

The request comes from Professor Leanne McCormick, who co-chairs the Truth Recovery Independent Panel examining the history and legacy of Northern Ireland’s mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses, and relates to four institutions.

Can you help us understand more about Hopedene Hostel, Thorndale House, Malone Place or Kennedy House?

A 10-person Truth Recovery Independent Panel has been appointed by the Northern Ireland Executive Office and is carrying out an independent truth recovery investigation into the workings of mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses and their pathways and practices. These include the adoption and care system as well as private nursing homes and the cross-border movement of children. The panel’s report and findings will help to inform the future statutory public inquiry. As part of this process the panel is asking for anyone who spent time in any of these institutions (the full list is below) or who has been directly impacted by them (such as children now adult adoptees whose mothers were in these institutions) to come and give testimony about their experiences.

We are also keen to speak to anyone who worked or volunteered in the institutions, who might have been a social worker, probation or police officer or medical professional who might have had any involvement with women and girls who were in the institutions. The panel is also interested to speak to clergy who might have advised parishioners about the institutions or had knowledge of how they operated. Each person’s experience is different, people will have had more difficult times than others, but all accounts are important.

There is a perception that institutions for mothers and babies were Catholic and run by nuns, but in Northern Ireland more Protestant women and girls spent time in these institutions than did Catholic females.  There were also more Protestant-run institutions than Catholic ones. This makes it crucial that the Independent Panel gathers testimony from people who have experience and knowledge about these institutions.

We are aware that for many of those who have experience of the institutions, speaking about their experiences may be something they have never done before and is personal and painful. We know that while society has changed, for many the stigma and shame is something that has stayed with them and they may be reluctant to come forward and give testimony. We appreciate how difficult it is to engage with a testimony gathering process, but we have an experienced testimony team and excellent support is available at all stages. Testimony can be given in your home, at our offices in Belfast or at any location where you would feel comfortable. The process is confidential, and your privacy and consent are central to everything we do.  

Testimony is vital to the process of understanding what it was like for those who passed through institutions as well as the impact they have had on lives since. We want to hear about lived experiences as they hold the key to what really happened. We also face challenges with archival records which are incomplete and in the case of some private nursing homes (where some unmarried women were sent to give birth) do not exist at all. We rely on testimonies to help us understand how institutions operated and to allow us to build as complete and wide ranging a picture as possible.

If you would like to help us by giving testimony or if you are unsure if your experience or knowledge is useful to the panel, please contact the Testimony Team. We know that some people may feel their experience isn’t important or relevant or what we are looking for but please contact the team as all experiences, no matter how small, will help.

The Testimony Team can be contacted on 028/048 9052 0263 or by email at testimony@independentpanel.org.uk or by writing to: Truth Recovery Independent Panel, 4th Floor, Equality House, 7-9 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, BT2 7DB.

Further information about the work of the Truth Recovery Independent Panel, can be found at:  www.independentpanel.truthrecoveryni.co.uk

Full list of institutions

Institutions

• Mater Dei Hostel, Belfast
• Marianville, Belfast,
• Marianvale, Newry, Mother and Baby Institution
• Thorndale House, Salvation Army, Belfast
• Malone Place/Belfast Midnight Mission Maternity Home Belfast
• Hopedene Hostel
• Kennedy House/Church of Ireland Rescue League, Belfast
• Deanery Flats
• Mount Oriel
• Workhouses across Northern Ireland

Magdalene Laundries

• St Mary’s, Belfast
• St Mary’s, Derry/Londonderry
• St Mary’s, Newry

Industrial Home

• Thorndale Industrial Home/Salvation Army, Belfast

Pathways and practices

• The Independent Panel is also investigating other practices related to these institutions including (but not limited to): the care system, fostering and adoption practices, related institutions such as ‘baby homes’, private nursing homes, and cross-border and international transfers of women and children.

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