Calls made to investigate unmarked mass graves
By Maurice Garvey
A SURVIVOR of St Patrick’s Mother and Baby home on the Navan Road, Dublin 7 has called on the Irish government to investigate the grounds for unmarked mass graves.
Clondalkin man David Kinsella, who was born in St Patrick’s and never saw his birth mother again, made the call after revelations, that 400 Irish children are allegedly buried in an unmarked grave in Smyllum Park orphange in Scotland.
The Lanark orphanage was operated by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul – who were also in charge of St Patrick’s on the Navan Road – Ireland’s largest mother and baby home.
“I have been saying for years, every stone needs to be unturned,” said Mr Kinsella.
“While there is an angels plot mass grave in Glasnevin containing the names of over 2,600 infants from St Patrick’s, I am very concerned to know did the nuns travel to Glasnevin 2,600 separate times to place dead infants in the actual angels plot. I seriously don’t think so.
“The grounds of St Patrick’s Mother and Baby Home needs to be examined before the Commission of Investigation completes its inquiry in February 2018. I call on Minister Katherine Zappone to investigate further beyond the shocking discovery of Tuam.”
Learning from techniques used by amateur historian Catherine Corless in Tuam, researchers from the BBC and Sunday Post found 402 death certificates for Smyllum Park. Burial records were found for only two of the children.
