A MEMORIAL TO the babies and young children who died while in the care of the Bethany Home in Dublin is to be unveiled next month.
Derek Leinster of the Bethany Survivors Group told TheJournal. ie that the memorial, which is being funded by the government, will be officially unveiled on 2 April at 4pm in Mount Jerome Cemetery.
On the day, a service will take place in honour of the 222 babies and young children who died in the Bethany Home Orwell Road Dublin, during 1922-1949, said Leinster.
He said that representatives from four of the main Christian denominations will be participating in the event.
Also expected at the event is Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald.
Said Leinster:
For too long, the short lives of these children have been unacknowledged, unnamed and their remains unmarked. It is highly appropriate that at last we can now rectify this situation, and that all of us have the opportunity to pay our respects, and to jointly remember a very sad occurrence in our history.
Bethany Home
Bethany Home was a residential home in Dublin for ‘fallen women’ but was not included in the 2002 Residential Institutions Redress scheme as the women were said to be there voluntarily.
It was also not part of the recent report into the Magadalene Laundries.
In July, the government said that it had decided not to introduce a redress scheme for Bethany Home survivors, but said it was willing to look at the question of a memorial and making records related to the home available to survivors.
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