Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home

Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home, also known as the St. Mary’s Mother and Baby Home or simply The Home, was an institution in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, that operated between 1925 and 1961 under the management of the Bon Secours Sisters. It was one of several such institutions where unmarried pregnant women were sent to give birth. In these homes, women were often forced to work in harsh conditions, supposedly to atone for their 'sins'. The children born in these homes were sometimes adopted, often without the consent of their mothers, and in many cases, suffered neglect and high mortality rates.

History

The Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home was established in a time when Irish society, heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, stigmatized illegitimacy and unmarried mothers. The home was set up in the old workhouse in Tuam, a building that had housed the destitute and poor since the 19th century. The Bon Secours Sisters, a religious order founded in France in 1824, took over the running of the home.

Throughout its operation, it is estimated that about 35,000 women passed through Ireland's mother and baby homes, with the Tuam home being one of the most notorious. The conditions in the home and the treatment of the women and children have been the subject of significant controversy, particularly following the discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of infants on the site in 2014.

Controversy and Discovery

The controversy surrounding the Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home escalated in 2014 when local historian Catherine Corless published research that revealed death certificates for nearly 800 children who had died at the home but for whom there were no burial records. This led to suspicions that a mass grave existed on the property. Subsequent investigations uncovered a significant number of human remains in an underground structure divided into 20 chambers, believed to be a sewage tank that was not in use.

The discovery prompted a national and international outcry, leading to the establishment of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation by the Irish government. The commission's final report, published in January 2021, confirmed that about 9,000 children died in 18 different mother and baby homes and county homes across Ireland, representing about 15% of all children who were born or lived in these homes.

Aftermath

The findings of the commission have led to calls for further investigations, apologies from the state and the involved religious orders, and discussions on how to appropriately memorialize the victims. The Irish government has pledged to implement all the recommendations of the commission's report, which include financial compensation to survivors and a commitment to recover, where possible, the remains of children buried at these sites for proper burial.

The Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home has become emblematic of a broader issue in Irish history, reflecting the harsh treatment of unmarried mothers and their children in the 20th century. It has also sparked a wider debate on the role of the church in Irish society and the state's responsibility towards its most vulnerable citizens.

See Also

• Catholic Church in Ireland
• History of Ireland
• Social history of Ireland
• Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation

Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home Resources
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