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Home survivor sent photos from time there after TheJournal.ie story

Councillor Francis Timmons spoke to TheJournal.ie about his time at Madonna House mother and baby home two years ago.

Francis timmons in madonna House 44 half years ago (1)

BACK IN 2015, TheJournal.ie spoke to Clondalkin independent councillor Francis Timmons about his upbringing in a Dublin home run by the Sisters of Charity, and his calls for the health minister to address the issue of adequate redress and compensation for survivors of such homes.

Not so long ago, he received a call from a woman who said that she had worked in Madonna House in Blackrock and that had seen his picture and read about his story.

“A lady from the country contacted me,” he told us earlier this week. “She said she’d seen the story on TheJournal.ie.”

She had done a work experience placement at Madonna House during the 1970s, and said she wanted to pass on some photos she had taken from the time.

mary timmons (1) His mother Mary Timmons

“That was such a nice letter to get, ” he said. “She remembered a few details about the time too that I would never have remembered, being so young at the time.”

Timmons now has several pictures dating back to the time, including a couple of him as a toddler and one of his mother.

francis timmons as a small boy (1)

He said: “A couple of years ago, I had nothing from that time. Now I have these, and they are priceless.

You know how people ask what you’d take if your house went on fire? I’d take these in a heartbeat. If you don’t have a lot of stuff from that time, pictures become so important.

Timmons was speaking to TheJournal.ie this week about his discovery that he had been an unwitting patient on two vaccines trials when he was a child growing up in Madonna House. You can read about that here.

Read: ‘Today is about Tuam’: Catherine Corless commends Zappone for appointing experts to investigate burial site

Read: ‘Immoral and repulsive’: Fury at Zappone’s refusal for redress for mother and baby home survivors

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21 Comments
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    Mute Dave Walsh
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    Aug 16th 2018, 12:33 AM

    Strong Laws to protect company’s.
    Weak laws for the consumer.
    Big thanks to “our”government.
    Always got their voters interests at heart.

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    Mute Barry Somers
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    Aug 16th 2018, 6:19 AM

    @Dave Walsh: of course if the government tries to regulate companies better it gets accused of being a nanny state.

    It can’t win.

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    Mute Dave Walsh
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    Aug 16th 2018, 11:05 AM

    @Barry Somers: say that to the thousands of customers left out of pocket every year,when company’s fail and there owners just move on.No recriminations.

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    Mute Luke Sharpish
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    Aug 16th 2018, 12:46 AM

    Ya, thats one website I won’t be clicking on.

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    Mute Kenneth Hayden
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    Aug 16th 2018, 1:05 AM

    @Luke Sharpish:
    No pun intended.

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    Mute Morizy
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    Aug 16th 2018, 2:36 AM

    Very good reporting.

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    Mute Daveinson
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    Aug 16th 2018, 1:44 AM

    A toxic site sure who in their mind would want it or use it.

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    Mute James O'Brien
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    Aug 16th 2018, 9:12 AM

    The guy behind this site has a new business set up already. Be warned.

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    Mute Mark McDermott
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    Aug 16th 2018, 10:03 AM

    Id put any money that this is still the same crowd running it, as Declan said and ive checked myself that the Whois is the same as it was before going broke. If this was a different group they’d have removed Cantec straight away.

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    Mute Ger Buckley
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    Aug 16th 2018, 10:18 AM

    @Mark McDermott: so they bought the domain from themselves?

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    Mute Declan O'Neill
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    Aug 16th 2018, 9:00 AM

    Any info about the sale of the domain? According to whois, Cantec are still have the rights to the domain:

    Domain: click.ie
    Domain Holder: Cantec North East Ltd
    Registration Date: 25-April-2000
    Renewal Date: 30-June-2019

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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Aug 16th 2018, 5:22 AM

    Smelling of Dead rat me thinks

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    Mute James O'Brien
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    Aug 16th 2018, 10:23 AM

    The same people have bought this again. They also have 3 stores now.

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    Mute Eoin O'Hagan
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    Aug 16th 2018, 8:24 AM

    Click Bait

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    Mute James keaty
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    Aug 16th 2018, 11:41 AM

    Won’t click on that, no pin intended.

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