Redacted Lives

Terri, Maria and Mary all passed through mother and baby homes in Ireland - two as mothers and one as a child. They are three of the more than 100,000 people who spent time in these institutions. Their crime? Getting pregnant, or being born, outside marriage. Decades later, their search for answers continues. Episode 2 out next Thursday, 17 November.

In 20th century Ireland, the Catholic Church exerted huge control over almost every aspect of people’s lives. Becoming pregnant outside marriage was viewed as one of the most shameful things a person could do. Women and girls who found themselves in this situation were hidden away. Many of their children were, in turn, sent to industrial schools. But how did this system of incarceration come to exist? And why was it allowed to flourish for so long?

In 1975, two children hiding after being caught robbing apples found a slab of concrete with a crack in it in a Co Galway town. They looked underneath and saw what appeared to be piles of tiny bones. Decades later, their accidental discovery led to a mass grave being uncovered on the grounds of a former mother and baby home in Tuam. But what happens now to the remains they found? And how can family members who believe their loved ones are buried there get answers?

After decades of their stories being swept under the carpet, many survivors felt as though the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was a chance for Irish society to find out what truly happened in these institutions. But it fell far short of offering the closure many so badly needed, and didn’t come to the conclusions that many experts expected, leading people to ask: how?

If or when they re-entered society, women sent to mother and baby homes were not expected to talk about what happened to them, let alone attempt to reconnect with their children. Many did, however, with mixed success. Three women share the ups and downs of their searches to find their children. We also hear from adopted people who tried to find their parents and siblings - and the joy and heartbreak that journey can bring.

Roderic O’Gorman is the latest minister to be passed what some survivors call a poisoned chalice. He is tasked with addressing the issues caused by Ireland's mother and baby home system - but how much can he achieve while in office? And does he recognise the hurt the Commission’s report caused? In this episode, we put these questions to the minister, and hear again from those we’ve spoken to in the series about their continued fight for justice.