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A protester's placard outside Leinster House after news of the Tuam graves was broken. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Just one priest agreed to be interviewed for documentary on mother-and-baby homes

Director Saskia Weber said she is hopeful more religious figures will come forward.

THE HISTORY OF mother-and-baby homes in Ireland is to be investigated in a French documentary.

So far, only one priest has agreed to be interviewed for the programme, despite numerous requests made of religious figures.

The documentary, which is being made by France 2, came to light after a letter from Terry Prone to one of its makers, Saskia Weber, went public.

Prone’s letter was sent to Weber in response to a request for an interview with Sr Marie Ryan of the Bon Secours sisters, for whom Prone is a public relations representative.

The documentary

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Weber said that this was not the only negative response that she had received while trying to arrange interviews for the documentary.

Weber said the documentary is about the mother-and-baby homes, and will focus on different individuals, such as Derek Leinster of the Bethany Home, and also a person who was born in the Tuam home, and a mother who was in Bessborough in Cork.

We’re trying to explain about all the system and to understand how all this happened and what for, and for how long… how did it last for so long.

“I’m focusing making the investigation around the Tuam story and around this, then little by little I pull the threads and try to explain the whole system, what was the Magdalene Laundries, how many, what happened to the babies,” said Weber.

Responses to requests

Weber had said she was “shocked” to receive Prone’s letter.

She said that she received a negative response from all the dioceses she wrote to requesting an interview, being told that some bishops were busy, and others were not available.

In Tuam, she went outside a mass to try and speak to a priest directly to request an interview, but said that she was told he was going abroad and did not have time.

“I said at least for these 800 babies can you give me two minutes interview,” said Weber.

“I was disappointed,” said Weber of this reaction. “Because I’ve looked and read many documentaries about it. Every journalist in Ireland says they couldn’t get contact from anyone in the church clergy. So I wasn’t hoping that much.” But she thought that as she works for a foreign channel there was a possibility of getting some interviews.

One priest agreed to an interview: Fr Peter McVerry. She spent more than two hours talking with him. Weber also interviewed journalists, historians such as Catherine Corless – who discovered the Tuam babies site – and archaeologists.

“I’m still hoping some Bishop will talk to me,” said Weber. She has requested an interview with Deputy James O’Reilly.

She is also hoping to find out if there will be any exhumations or anything done with the site, and for the terms of inquiry to be announced.

“It makes you feel nothing has changed”

“It’s terrible because it makes you feel like nothing has changed in this country,” said Weber. “I feel like the Church, the State still have so much power. They are still doing what they want and nothing has changed.”

“Everybody I have interviewed said that it was other times, it was another society, you have to understand… I’m sorry – nothing has changed. Once justice and the State and government will take their responsibility, I don’t think the society has changed yet.”

Weber said she finds it “difficult to understand how a society or government can be so indifferent to” children.

“A child is the most precious human being – it has no defence. If a society or country cannot protect their children then anything is possible… if you don’t heal your past how can you be confident today in your future?”

Bethany Home

Weber said that the issue of mother and baby homes won’t be a new one for French audiences.

“The production company Sunset Press did a first documentary 16 years ago about the Magdalene Laundries,” said Weber.

“Then last June when we heard in France about the Tuam scandal we thought it was a bit of follow up of the Magadalene Laundries scandal, so we decided to make a new documentary.”

She said that the story was discussed nationally in France. “It was like just breaking news, small news, but every person I talked [to] read the news or talked about it. It’s amazing. They just remember the number of children and that they are supposed to be buried in a septic tank”

The documentary will feature an interview with Derek Leinster. Derek was born in the Bethany Home, which was run by Evangelical Protestants, and said that he suffered neglect while there. He is a member of the Bethany Home Survivors’ Group, who are long-time campaigners for recognition of the conditions children lived under in the home, and also for redress.

The home is not included in the list of homes that is part of the State’s redress scheme.

Leinster said that as part of the filming, they visited the site in Mount Jerome cemetery where a memorial has been erected in honour of over 200 children who died in Bethany Home and were buried in an unmarked grave.

The 52-minute documentary will be shown on France 2, a French public channel. It is hoped the documentary will be concluded by the end of the year, and they will then try to sell the show on. It is not known yet if it will be shown on Irish television.

Read: Row brews over Terry Prone Tuam babies email>

Read: Over 222 children died in Bethany Home but 1939 report says they appeared ‘happy’>

Read: The Protestant orphanage where children were whipped, beaten — and everyone had the same name>

Read: Children died of malnutrition, syphilis, heart failure at mother and baby home>

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15 Comments
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    Mute mamaise
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:19 AM

    Pharma cliff?? a friend of mine has to take tablets following an operation for the rest of his life, they cost €190 per month, he found them in Spain for €10, and of course his medical card was revoked. So now himself & the wife go to Spain twice a year to SAVE money! The Irish people are just sick of getting robbed by their own government.

    Get rid of the pension levy that was unfairly applied to one section of tge work force & reduce the USC or petrol costs next, give people a chance to get back up on their feet again

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    Mute HARRY MARKOPOLOS
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:34 PM

    Amen.
    Ulster Bank (the UK’s very own Irish Nationwide) are only trying to talk up their Celtic Tiger Ponzi Scheme loanbook, just so that they can try and hawk the whole bank to some halfwit hedge fund.

    4
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    Mute John Coady
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:46 AM

    I love when these so called experts make these fascinating predictions cause when they get it horrible wrong it makes them look great!!! They know and i know economics does not work!!! Its all on credit nd nobody gives two sh***!!!!

    36
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    Mute Taxi Bill
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:16 AM

    We are f****d so!

    34
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:44 AM

    For most of the last century this would be called healthy growth for a western economy.

    In the dystopian Euro zone it is however a boom, growth of any kind is such a distant memory for people in the Eurozone and EU that some even talk about this being a return to Celtic Tiger growth.

    For most of Europe 3% growth will not return for many years to come.

    Stagnation and decline are the legacy of the Euro.

    28
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    Mute Chris Mansfield
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:54 AM

    While Eurozone monetary policy isn’t helping I feel that people are underestimating the effect of demographic change on Eurozone growth.

    For most of the last century, European countries had expanding workforces and an expanding population. Few have that nowadays and some are even shrinking. That makes a comparison with growth rates in other parts of the world impractical.

    In fact, most of Europe has seen anaemic growth for 30 years or so, long before the Euro came into existence.

    Unfortunately, it takes 30 years to solve a birthrate problem, even if you can figure out how to do it.

    19
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    Mute Ahippo
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    Aug 25th 2014, 2:03 PM

    A far more cogent explanation than that of Seanie FFryan

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    Mute Ryan Ash
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    Aug 25th 2014, 6:59 PM

    And Ireland, with the youngest population in Europe, in well placed compared to greying Germany and France – among others.

    4
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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:48 AM

    And the complainers and whingers are out of the blocks quickly. Have to stifle any good feeling. How will the Sinners be elected otherwise?

    21
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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Aug 25th 2014, 12:14 PM

    And to whose standards are you comparing these alleged “sinners”? God, budda, allah, the ever mystical purple sky monkey?

    24
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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Aug 25th 2014, 12:23 PM

    Alan yet you are nearly always one of the first to whinge about whingers,amazing isn’t it.

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    Mute Norman Hunter
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    Aug 25th 2014, 12:24 PM

    “Sinners” surely you meant “shinners” they are the group you’re obsessed with.

    12
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    Mute Griska
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    Aug 25th 2014, 12:33 PM

    There’s an article on this site about increasing numbers of children going to school hungry.
    So I’m not buying any of this sh!t.

    23
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Aug 25th 2014, 12:56 PM

    The state if the economy has no bearing on whether or not parents get their act together and feed their kids.

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Aug 25th 2014, 12:56 PM

    *of

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    Mute Griska
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    Aug 25th 2014, 3:07 PM

    Really? You don’t link disadvantage to hunger?
    Do you think teachers in prosperous areas are bringing breakfast in for their pupils?

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    Mute Ahippo
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    Aug 25th 2014, 11:25 AM

    Seeing as how we have such a terrible government I wonder who should get the credit for this – I know Sinn Fail and Fianna Fein. Let’s vote them into power at the election !

    15
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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Aug 25th 2014, 3:54 PM

    Yes I meant Shinners. And while not obsessed I certainly don’t want them anywhere near power in the country I live in. Which is why any economic good news is always welcome as it undermines their constant negativity in pursuit of votes.

    Thanks for playing.

    4
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