Justice versus Conscience

Irish Mother & Baby Home survivors: The survivors of the Irish Mother & Baby Homes are individuals who were born to unmarried women and placed in institutions run by the Catholic Church and the state in Ireland during the 20th century. These institutions were intended to house and care for women who were pregnant and unmarried, but they were often places of neglect, abuse, and mistreatment.

Report uncovers 9,000 deaths: In January 2021, the Irish government published a report known as the “Mother and Baby Homes Report,” which uncovered the deaths of approximately 9,000 children who were born in these institutions between 1922 and 1998. The report revealed widespread mortality rates that were significantly higher than the national average, indicating a high rate of infant mortality and neglect in these homes.

The Real “Philomena” and her daughter, Jane: The story of Philomena Lee and her daughter Jane is the basis for the 2013 film “Philomena.” Philomena Lee was an Irish woman who became pregnant out of wedlock in the 1950s and was sent to a Mother & Baby Home. Her son was forcibly adopted by an American couple, and Philomena spent years searching for him. In reality, Philomena Lee’s child was a son, not a daughter, as depicted in the film. The story of Philomena Lee and her search for her son brought attention to the issue of forced adoptions and the treatment of unmarried mothers in Ireland’s Mother & Baby Homes.