Will we be consulted? Unconscious cruelty to families continues
THE Bon Secours nuns must meet with the families of the children who died in Tuam and apologise for hiding the truth says the sister of one of those tragic children.
Annette McKay’s mother died aged 92 last year without ever knowing where her baby daughter, who died of whooping cough, was buried.
Annette was shocked to hear confirmation of her worst fears when ‘significant quantities of human remains’ were found at the Tuam site.
Annette said yesterday: ‘My mother died not knowing where her baby was, could anything be more cruel?
‘I wasn’t able to say to my mother, “We know where your baby is, and your baby will be with you.” I said to the nuns, she is frail, she grieved all her life and they couldn’t even do the decent thing.
‘Only pressure now will see the nuns doing the right thing.’
It’s unclear what will happen next to the children’s remains. But Annette was disturbed to hear Galway Council may turn the site into a type of peace park. ‘I completely object to that idea,’ said Annette. ‘Will the families be consulted? Will they make a decision to disinter the children without asking us?’
She was also distressed by some of Minister Katherine Zappone’s language: ‘The statement did not mention the families. What about survivors? We were just an after-thought again. It is that unconscious cruelty families have dealt with all their lives. I only have faith in Catherine Corless, and Alison O’ Reilly – without them this wouldn’t be out.’ Annette’s mother Margaret O’Connor was the victim of a sexual assault at the age of 17 in Galway and sent to Tuam. She was separated from her daughter Mary Margaret after her birth and never saw her again. Six months later the nuns told her the ‘child of her sin’ had died, and then threw her out.