Remembering 2,600 infants buried in mother and baby homes
By Maurice Garvey
SURVIVORS of St Patrick’s Mother and Baby home on the Navan Road gathered recently for an annual memorial to acknowledge the 2,600 infants believed to be buried there in mass graves.
Among those in attendance were Clondalkin resident David Kinsella (below), who was born in St Patrick’s and never saw his birth mother again.
Also present was organiser and former resident Clodagh Malone, from beyond Adoption Ireland and campaigner Tony Kelly, a Tallaght man from St Theresa’s mother and baby home who was fostered out seven times.
“Sadly none of the mass infant graves hold the names of the infants who died in St Patrick’s and were then laid to rest in mass paupers’ graves,” said Mr Kinsella.
Mr Kinsella’s records show that he practically died in the home – records show him as being anointed in grave danger of death on December 22, 1958.
David continued: “Overall it was a successful gathering but emotional as we all spilled a lot of tears for the thousands of infants who didn’t make it beyond the walls of St Patrick’s.
“Next year we will give plenty of advanced notice to a vast amount of banished babies now adults who were taken on the behest of money for nuns and the Catholic Church to various parts of the USA for adoption.”
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