The Congregation of the Sacred Heart, which cared for hundreds of mothers and babies in Roscrea in County Tipperary, has responded to calls in the local media for people anxious to trace their birth parents.Speaking this week, spokesperson Sr Julie Rose said that the Sacred Heart Sisters will continue to tend to the graves of those who died in Sean Ross Abbey in the town.
Recently a number of local publications in Tipperary including the Tipperary Star have received a large number of comments and correspondence regarding a series of stories relating to the Angels Plot in Sean Ross Abbey that contains the graves of hundreds of unidentified mothers and babies.
Speaking in the local media Sr Julie said, “We hope you can understand our conviction that given the nature and sensitivity of this issue it cannot be appropriate for us to comment on the individual opinions of others. However we also recognise the concerns of many who contacted the local papers seeking information.”
Outlining the orders position on the Roscrea facility she said, “The hospital in Roscrea was run like all other hospitals in the State at the time. All deaths which occurred at the facility were formally and properly notified to the relevant state authorities.”
She continued, “In those tragic situations where mothers died in hospital, these mothers were in almost all cases brought home by their families for burial. In some very sad instances, the mothers were not collected by their families and were laid to rest by the Congregation and their graves were tended by the Sisters. All records relating to the hospital and the Mother and Baby home at Roscrea are now with the HSE, at their request.”
Speaking about that era of Irish healthcare Sr Julie said, “We can only say that our congregation, which is based in England, was asked by the Irish State in the 1920's to open and operate Mother and Baby homes there. In the absence of State provision, the sisters did their best to meet the needs of those who came to them and continued to do so until such time as the State took over responsibility. It is not for us as a Congregation to comment on Irish Society at the time.”