A researcher looking into the deaths as a result of neglect at the Bethany mother and baby home in Dublin has discovered a further 200 graves, which date between 1922 and 1949.
Many of the babies in the Bethany Home died from malnutrition and their deaths were never recorded.
Niall Meehan, a Griffith College lecturer, has previously discovered 40 unmarked graves, but he has now uncovered a further 200.
Meehan has published his discoveries in the publication "History Ireland."
He said 54 of the children's bodies which were found died from convulsions, 41 from heart failure and 26 from malnutrition. Nineteen of the babies were still born.
Two thirds of these deaths of the babies in unmarked graves happened between 1935 and 1944 and therefore they should have been declared. Run by evangelical members of the Church of Ireland,the home had no formal connection to the Church.
As well as being a home for mothers and children, it was a place of detention for women convicted of theft, prostitution, infanticide and birth concealment.
In 1934, a new law was brought in Ireland, the Maternity Act, whereby child deaths would have to be registered.
In his article in "History Ireland" he says, "The Irish State failed to do anything substantive about death, neglect and export of children in a home it inspected, to which its courts sent convicted women and young people.
"It misused its Maternity Act inspection regime to achieve merely a level sectarian playing field. The state then delayed providing financial resources throughout the 1940s, until recognition under the 1939 Public Assistance Act was achieved in 1948. Had it been otherwise lives might have been spared and life experiences improved."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Sparklet | Sep 15, 2010, 05:24 PM EDT
In my earlier post, I meant to say that religion itself can be cruel and corrupt - or at least the people who pretend to practice it. I've read equally horrendous stories where Catholics were the perpetrators, so no one need be holier than thou and tell me to read the article. I read it. I just didnt express my views correctly.
LITTLEGOAT | Sep 14, 2010, 10:18 AM EDT
i may not get the spelling right but i do please my heavenly father
LITTLEGOAT | Sep 14, 2010, 10:17 AM EDT
i meant to write stocks not socks but at least u get the idea i am sharing. do something good when u find soething horrible has been done.
LITTLEGOAT | Sep 14, 2010, 10:15 AM EDT
when good shepherd nuns in irelands socks and bonds qwent down they sold some of their property and the buyer in excavating found a mass grave of several hundred little childrens bodies no names given, no funeral given, no legal reports usually made. in 2009 i had a mass offered for all these neglected children "the magdalene laundry girls" to respect them in death at least. this was done ibnmy church in america to show them care as best i could.
LITTLEGOAT | Sep 14, 2010, 10:11 AM EDT
great sin to not take appropriate care of children. it seems money was appropriated for adequate food for orphans or neglected children but was not passed down to the care of children
maloney | Sep 13, 2010, 02:00 PM EDT
gizzardoflose...you forgot to say send me some money & I'll pray for you or maybe a good old fashioned healing.
2BorNot2B | Sep 13, 2010, 01:26 PM EDT
Hell, fire and damnation? Gotta be the words of a self-righteous, rigid, stick-up-the... Paisleyite evangelical! For a moment there I had given you credit for just being part of the flotsam and jetsam who fawningly follows the writings of the self-hating and pompously heathen-istic IC commentators. ---Alas, after reading your diatribe I will reluctantly have to apologize to them... your obvious mentality puts you quite a few rungs lower.--- In fact, WizofOoze, be very careful not to spit or you might drown on your own bigoted bile.--- So... any word yet on why a bunch of oh, so fine evangelical church of Eire caretakers of wayward women might have contributed to the killing of infants? -- Those wonderful selfless souls, can't blame' em! Probably just too busy listening to the fiery preacher, reading the bible, and in direct conversation with the Lawrd to give a hoot!-- In fact, in the anything-goes, make-up-your-own-belief, be-your-own- pope world of protestantism, this would be business as usual; so long as the press is busy persecuting Catholics, and your sects are so insignificantly small to avoid a blip on anyone's interest radar or call the attention of any gold-digging lawyer... you are safe. -- All you have to worry about is 'accepting Cheesas as your Lawrd and Saviour' and you're home free. That's why you can attack, slander and condemn others to hell, right?
killowen | Sep 13, 2010, 04:10 AM EDT
holy holy dysfunctional She's ready for queenie in 2011. Importance of an ireland Try URL by using angelfire.com slash ny/border slash symbols.htmly
2BorNot2B | Sep 13, 2010, 12:46 AM EDT
Back at you WizardofBooze - I'm sure about 90% of the people here don't care about misspelling --mainly because, as we can see clearly on this website, quite a few know how to do it anyway!--- But you know, on a Sunday morn the least of my concern is to double check what I write. Even so, there's quite a difference between not knowing how to spell and simply being careless.--- Ah, but yes, it's on those very mornings that some PEDANT, some pretender to superior knowledge will be awake and try to teach others a lesson. The fact is that in your rush to have something to say all you do is trumpet your narrow and ostentatious concern for trivial details. -- Perhaps you should contact me after I finish High School and can actually boast of having, like you, some solid 'book learning.' -- Meanwhile, may I point you back to the article which says: "Run by evangelical members of the Church of Ireland.." So in fact, my reading comprehension is on point.--- Even if the members of that particular church had no formal connection to it, they were still members of it and, therefore, conceivably operating under that church's moral teachings, yet they acted no better than heathens by allowing the mothers of those children to let their own infants die of malnutrition, infanticide and birth concealment. Oh, but of course, they are still morally superior to those horrible Catholics, right?
maloney | Sep 12, 2010, 10:22 PM EDT
And you wonder why Irish Americans send money to Ireland. The brits did it, can you say orange.
DeclanB | Sep 12, 2010, 09:37 PM EDT
The Civil war in the early 1920's saw the rebirth of Ireland as a sovereign nation, free from British rule, however full independence was not achieved until 1948. The uncovering of this travesty is testament to the government that the British presided over, whilst in control.
Temerity | Sep 12, 2010, 09:13 PM EDT
I thought the article said it had no connection with the Church and it is not the Catholic church by the way.Pity some of you cannot even read.So who would even take seriously anything you said.In anycase it would be wise to consider the Church is only made up of people like the community some are better than others.First walk in their shoes before you start casting stones. We all will have to answer for our own lives eventually before God.So take the beam out of your own eye...ect.
Dublinjas | Sep 12, 2010, 06:50 PM EDT
2BorNot2B, There is no need to "Slam Catholicism" It does it all by itself.
2BorNot2B | Sep 12, 2010, 04:34 PM EDT
Psst, hey Sparklet... why don't yu read the article to find out WHO ARE THE CULPRITS IN THIS CASE, instead of flying off the handle on stupid assumptions. -- Your post proves what we Catholics suspect: a bunch of moroons too lazy to ascertain the facts, simply fling mud at the nearest object of their diaffection: the CC, when the article clearly states the culprits are the Irish State and the Irish Evangelical church!
cayla99 | Sep 12, 2010, 02:40 PM EDT
2BorNot2B, I am afraid you are absolutely right.
RobbCobb | Sep 12, 2010, 12:42 PM EDT
Tragic story. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of this, and others are yet to be found.
sidhemajik | Sep 12, 2010, 12:07 PM EDT
This is beyond sad. May those dear sweet souls now rest in peace.
Sparklet | Sep 12, 2010, 11:05 AM EDT
Sad yes. But also criminal. Some Nuns and Christian Brothers have a lot to answer for.
2BorNot2B | Sep 12, 2010, 10:44 AM EDT
Let's see if the same outcry from depths of the gut of folks who usually show up here to rend their garments and condemn the Catholic Church for real and imagined sins rises against the culprits of this hidden infanticides: Your villains this time are the Irish Evangelical church and the Irish State itself. -- Come on people, don't tarry, have a go at it with the same gusto you use to slam Catholicism! -- Let's see the same level of passion and hatred! -- Or.. should we wait until hell freezes over to witness your hypocrisy?? -- Most likely.
pugsmom | Sep 12, 2010, 09:05 AM EDT
Sad.