Mass grave 800 babies in Tuam

Spring Onion

iguana wrote: »

Can anyone who care about this please sign and share this petition demanding a full investigation into the children's deaths.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Frances_Fitzgerald_Irish_Minister_for_Justice_and_Equality_A_full_Gardai_investigation_into_the_mass_grave_in_Tuam_Co_Ga/

Wow 12,400 signatures on the petition in about 36 hours.

Birroc

Here is a group organising a march to the Dáil next week.

https://www.facebook.com/JusticefortheTuamBabies

Great to see this story get out. I hope those little babies are buried with dignity soon.

spookwoman

Getting worse castlepollard 500 http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2014/06/06/4030756-/#sthash.5SUIIuWD.uxfs

vaccine trials at homes. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2650475/More-mass-baby-graves-Ireland-Prime-Minister-Enda-Kenny-orders-investigation-memorial-800-dead-babies-planned.html

Bessborough http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/midwifersquos-memoir-reveals-the-horror-of-bessborough-271158.html#.U5H12dtu9D8.twitter

Mrs OBumble

Well, we'll, well... Never let the truth get in the way of a good rumour:

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/tuam-mother-and-baby-home-the-trouble-with-the-septic-tank-story-1.1823393?page=1

spookwoman

Stinks that article. Still doesnt change no burial records, bones in septic tank evening if its 1 or 2, and the amount of deaths.

Mrs OBumble

More interesting reading: http://connachttribune.ie/tuam-childrens-home-emotional-minefield-rights/

Even the New Zealand government knew by the 1880s that family based chare was better for children than institutional care. (ref: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/childrens-homes-and-fostering/page-2).

I've been told (but don't have links to prove it) that the Brits were behind the research that established this, and thus that nationalism is why Ireland continued to focus on institutional care. One of the big problems with institutions is, of course, the spread of disease - hence the death rates. That and the fact that was no cure or treatment (that Ireland could afford) for many conditions that are easily treated today.

And I totally don't buy the argument about the Church dominating everyone. Irish people were well able to fight for what they believed was right (eg against English occupation). And there were enough Church of Ireland members in society for them to have had an influence too - I haven't been able to find numbers, but they were clearly there. Yes, it was a big factor - but equally there were loyal Catholics who challenged society and worked to make things different. Eg Frank Duff: http://www.alliancesupport.org/news/archives/004113.html

Birroc

I believe the cabinet are meeting today to discuss this scandal and setting up an inquiry. I hope the inquiry looks at all aspects of this including the drug trials and forced adoption.

Spring Onion

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0610/622...t-meet-babies/

Minister for Children Charlie Flanagan has announced a statutory Commission of Investigation into mother-and-baby-homes across the State.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Mr Flanagan said that it is too early to say who will lead the commission, but that he has some names in mind.

He said that the Government will receive an initial report by 30 June.

Minister Flanagan said he hopes the inquiry will examine all issues, including the high mortality rates, the burial practices following these deaths, the legal circumstances around adoptions and the question of conducting of clinical trials.

Birroc

http://connachttribune.ie/galway-vigil-mark-respect-tuam-babies/

A public vigil will be held in Galway city centre tomorrow evening as a mark of respect to almost 800 babies and children who were buried at a mass grave at the St Mary’s mother and baby home in Tuam.


After reports that 796 children had been buried in an unmarked grave attracted global media attention over the past two weeks, local activists said it was important to organise a vigil in Galway.


The vigil at the children’s playground in Eyre Square (Wednesday, 7pm) has been organised to coincide with a Justice for the Tuam Babies march on the Dáil, which is taking place in Dublin.

Red Pepper

Tough reading from the Irish Times today;

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/79-of-babies-who-died-in-tuam-home-didn-t-reach-first-birthday-1.1836023

"Almost 80 per cent of the 796 children who died in the Bon Secours mother and baby home in Tuam did not live to see their first birthday."

"Marasmus , a severe form of malnutrition, led to the deaths of 10 children aged between two and 12 months." - were the mothers not allowed to breastfeed at the time?

Mrs OBumble

Red Pepper wrote: »

"Marasmus , a severe form of malnutrition, led to the deaths of 10 children aged between two and 12 months." - were the mothers not allowed to breastfeed at the time?

There have been plenty of reports from the more recent inmates saying that they were allowed to breastfeed.

I would be very surprised if as few as 10 of the children born during the period had deformities that stopped them being able to feed.

Red Pepper

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

There have been plenty of reports from the more recent inmates saying that they were allowed to breastfeed.

I would be very surprised if as few as 10 of the children born during the period had deformities that stopped them being able to feed.

The death records would have made reference to that.

"Several records highlight how language use has changed with a number of children noted as being an “idiot”, while there are also references to “imbecile” and “mongol”."

"The files state that the four and a half month old died as a result of a “fit”, while noting she was “a restless baby”."

"Types of “debility” (weakness) were noted as causes of death for more than 100 children, who ranged in age from one and a half hours to three and a half years. More than 40 children had “premature” noted as the cause of their death."

deliege

Red Pepper wrote: »

The death records would have made reference to that.

Would it? I'm not trying to defend anyone here, I'm just wondering. My curiosity arise from the fact that my little one was born with such a condition (oesophagial atresia & tracheo-oesophagial fistula; gap in the food pipe, the stomach being actually connected to the air pipe). First successful surgical mending of OA/TOF was in 1941 (and that was for a relatively "simple" case, with no associated complication...)

Now the way to diagnose / confirm that involves xrays (or biopsy/autopsy).
I doubt very much that the babies diying a few hours / days after birth in the era of the Mother & Babies homes were automatically given a post-mortem?

Spring Onion

Good article here. Sums it up very well.

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/News-of-Tuam-babies-lands-in-Italy--more-lessons-from-Catholic-Ireland.html

"But the death rate in these homes was around five times that among babies and young children in the general population. Yet no one in Ireland shouted stop. Or almost no one. The chief medical officer in Ireland in the 1940s, Dr. James Deeny, closed down the mother and baby home in Bessborough in Cork when the death rate there was over 50 percent. Deeny personally inspected the place and discovered that the children had skin infections and severe diarrhea, all carefully covered up for his visit.
The deaths had been going on for years and the staff were "quite complacent about it," he wrote later in his memoir. He sacked the matron, a nun, got rid of the local medical officer and ordered that the buildings be disinfected.
When the home reopened the death rate in subsequent years was down to levels that were normal for the time. And the reaction of the authorities?
Bishop Lucey of Cork complained to the Papal Nuncio, and the Nuncio complained to the then Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Eamon de Valera, the founding father of the nation who had a habit of sinking to his knees to kiss the ring of every bishop he met."

Spring Onion

Good documentary on TV3 tonight.

http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/635/0/0/A-Secret-Buried

Spring Onion

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has received 81 submissions about the terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation into mother-and-baby homes

Individuals and organisations had until 12pm to send submissions to a dedicated email address set up by the department for people to have their say.

Minister for Children Charlie Flanagan has also met advocacy groups and opposition spokespeople as well as receiving representations through what have been described as "other channels".

In a statement, the department said the views expressed in submissions and consultations would also be fed into the work of the inter-departmental review group.

In welcoming the level of response, Mr Flanagan expressed his gratitude to those who have contributed to the scoping work of the review group.

He thanked those who shared their personal experiences, in particular, to assist in establishing an effective Commission of Investigation

Birroc

I heard on Newstalk this morning that the terms of reference for the inquiry would not be available until Autumn - it was supposed to be published before the summer recess. Typical.

Birroc

http://www.newstalk.ie/Government-to-announce-lead-on-mother-and-baby-home

Judge Yvonne Murphy has been annoiucned as the chairperson of the Commission
of Inquiry into mother and baby homes.

The institutions came back into focus in recent months after fresh
controversy over a mass grave in Galway where it is thought hundreds of children
may be buried.

A Commission of Investigation is being set up - but the terms of reference
for that inquiry will not now be known until the Autumn at the earliest.

Judge Murphy was also appointed to advise on a redress scheme for women who
underwent symphysiotomy.

Meanwhile an inter-departmental report has also been published.

It says the remains of 474 dead children were transferred to medical schools between 1940 and 1965 without the consent of their families.

Spring Onion

Birroc wrote: »

I heard on Newstalk this morning that the terms of reference for the inquiry would not be available until Autumn - it was supposed to be published before the summer recess. Typical.

Newstalk seem to be proactively chasing this story whereas RTE tend to be more reactive. I am glad Murphy was picked to head up the inquiry.

Red Pepper

http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/fears-mother-and-baby-homes-inquiry-will-not-go-far-enough-298233.html

"It advised the Government that at least nine institutions should be included in the inquiry. However, when answering a question about the scale of illegal adoptions in 2011, current Children’s Minister James Reilly cited a figure of 40 mother-and-baby homes.

A spreadsheet prepared by Adoption Rights Alliance, Justice for Magdalenes Research, and Seán Lucey of Queen’s University and given to former children’s minister Charlie Flanagan in June lists at least 150 institutions, from mother-and-baby homes and county homes to private nursing homes that were involved in the adoption of children born to unmarried mothers.

Unsurprisingly, campaigners wonder as to the attitude of Government behind closed doors and if the delays are part of a concerted effort to narrow the terms of reference as much as possible so as to limit the scale of any inquiry."