The recent disclosures about Sean Ross Abbey don’t shock “Josie,” (a pseudonym), they instead bring back the absence she has carried for decades,“I still live with that loss every day,” she says.
With new revelations coming to light, Josie’s experience underscores a stark reality: the story of the Mother and Baby Homes remains unfinished, and the call for responsibility grows louder.
Sean Ross Abbey, in Tipperary, was one of the country’s Mother and Baby Homes, where unmarried mothers and their children were sent for decades.
Josie was sent there in 1962 and spent 89 days in the institution, part of a generation whose experiences have only recently come under renewed scrutiny.
Throughout her time in the Roscrea Mother and Baby home, Josie experienced judgement, identity erasure and an overall dehumanising ordeal.
Josie, who is now 80 years old, recounts her time in the Mother and Baby home; “I don’t like to think about it too much.”
The experience itself isn’t all that haunts her.
“I lost my child in that place,” says Josie.
Josie was one of the women forced to endure one of Ireland’s darkest chapters, a time that cruelly took her baby from her.
The location of her child is something Josie still does not know, and isn’t sure if she ever will, “I probably won’t ever know what happened to him.”
“He was taken from the room the moment I gave birth; I never heard him cry or make a sound. They told me he died, but they could never seem to tell me where he was buried.”
The pain of that day has never left Josie.
Decades later, the memory of her child’s absence still shapes her life.
“Some very dark times followed after this experience. It took me a long time to come to terms with what had happened.
“I was blessed with two sons after this experience, but I always wonder what could’ve been if my firstborn had been given a chance.”
“I will never be over it”.
Josie’s story is one of countless others, it was memories like her’s that filled Sean Ross Abbey recently.
A candlelight vigil brought survivors and supporters together to remember those lost, as the demand for accountability gets louder.
The vigil was arranged to honour the 1,090 babies and 23 young girls whose deaths have never been publicly accounted for.
Survivors of the former Sean Ross Abbey Mother and Baby Home in Roscrea planned this poignant event to remember those who died at the facility.
The candlelit vigil took place on Thursday November 20, on World Children’s Day.
“While this event is an act of remembrance, it is also a call for truth and action,” the survivors said.
“Most of these children have never been found. Their mothers are now elderly, and many fear they will die without ever knowing where their babies are buried.”
Survivors continue to urge the government to locate and recover the remains of the 1,090 babies who died at Sean Ross Abbey.
The event featured 1,090 tea lights to represent each baby and 23 pillar candles for the young girls who also lost their lives.
Organisers said they were planning “a peaceful and dignified act of remembrance for those who were silenced and forgotten.”
The hope for the event was that people across Ireland and abroad would light candles in their windows at 5pm that evening in solidarity with those gathering at Sean Ross Abbey.
Supporters were invited to share photos of their candles on social media using the hashtags #JusticeForThe1090 and #SeanRossAbbeyBabies.
Schools and community groups were encouraged to take part in their own way by lighting candles, holding a moment of silence, or creating small displays of remembrance.
The Candlelight Tribute served as both a memorial and a message.
“The children of Sean Ross Abbey must be found, and Ireland must finally give them the dignity of being named, recognised, and remembered” the organisers said.
The continuing developments of these stories show a country that is still struggling with the horrific past of the Mother and Baby Homes.
The people of Ireland refuse to forget about these innocent young lives, and accountability is demanded.