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Bessborough
For over seventy years, Bessborough House, a grand country mansion on the outskirts of Cork city, operated as one of Ireland's biggest mother and baby institutions. Women and girls who walked up its stone steps were warned never to reveal their true identities and gave birth to babies they would not be allowed to keep. In Bessborough: Three Women. Three Decades. Three Stories of Courage, a trio of remarkable women confined there in the 60s, 70s and 80s, tell their truths. Their vivid accounts take us right inside the walls of the secretive institution and give us a deep insight into how their experiences impacted their lives afterwards. The result is a stark portrait of a system that split families apart -- and a moving account of love, loss and reconnection.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 4, 2022
There is nothing like reading a book about Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes and the whitewash that was the Mother and Baby Homes Report to get the blood *boiling*.
With first holy communion season in full swing here in Ireland this month, there is no better time to read Bessborough - a superb, clear-eyed, heart-rending book by BBC journalist Deirdre Finnerty, which serves as yet another reminder of why it’s long past time to separate Church and State in Ireland.
Bessborough tells the story of three women, Joan, Terri and Deirdre, all of whom were forcibly sent to Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Co Cork, run by the Catholic Church (specifically, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary) because they were pregnant and unmarried.
In Bessborough, the women were given a “house name”, made to do heavy manual work (in one case, cutting the grass with a scissors) until they gave birth, all without pain relief and in isolation, as punishment for their “sins”. Bessborough only closed its doors in 1999.
These women’s stories are individual, singularly heartbreaking and all have in common the vindictive, callous and greedy touch of the Church, who for all intents and purposes were operating an adoption industry from the home, and other homes like it dotted around the country, whilst purporting to uphold the moral high ground and ensure “fallen women” atoned for their transgressions. The self-same Church is still refusing to say where more than 800 children who died under their care at Bessborough are buried.
Deirdre Finnerty has put together this book carefully and sensitively, telling the three women’s stories in as close to their own words as possible, with her own observations and research inserted in short chapters and the current state of play in terms of redress (or lack thereof) summarised succinctly at the end.
This book should be required reading for Irish people. It is too easy to dismiss this as part of Ireland’s dark past. It is very much our living history and the fallout and trauma from this period of our history is still being felt by mothers and adopted persons today, who in many cases still cannot access their birth information.
Bessborough complements Catherine Corless’ biography Belonging, published last year, Republic of Shame by Caelainn Hogan, In The Shadow of the Eighth by Peter Boylan as well as the BBC podcast The Home Babies and Claire Keegan’s novella Small Things Like These, if this is a subject that interests you. It should be on the school curriculum.
With first holy communion season in full swing here in Ireland this month, there is no better time to read Bessborough - a superb, clear-eyed, heart-rending book by BBC journalist Deirdre Finnerty, which serves as yet another reminder of why it’s long past time to separate Church and State in Ireland.
Bessborough tells the story of three women, Joan, Terri and Deirdre, all of whom were forcibly sent to Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Co Cork, run by the Catholic Church (specifically, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary) because they were pregnant and unmarried.
In Bessborough, the women were given a “house name”, made to do heavy manual work (in one case, cutting the grass with a scissors) until they gave birth, all without pain relief and in isolation, as punishment for their “sins”. Bessborough only closed its doors in 1999.
These women’s stories are individual, singularly heartbreaking and all have in common the vindictive, callous and greedy touch of the Church, who for all intents and purposes were operating an adoption industry from the home, and other homes like it dotted around the country, whilst purporting to uphold the moral high ground and ensure “fallen women” atoned for their transgressions. The self-same Church is still refusing to say where more than 800 children who died under their care at Bessborough are buried.
Deirdre Finnerty has put together this book carefully and sensitively, telling the three women’s stories in as close to their own words as possible, with her own observations and research inserted in short chapters and the current state of play in terms of redress (or lack thereof) summarised succinctly at the end.
This book should be required reading for Irish people. It is too easy to dismiss this as part of Ireland’s dark past. It is very much our living history and the fallout and trauma from this period of our history is still being felt by mothers and adopted persons today, who in many cases still cannot access their birth information.
Bessborough complements Catherine Corless’ biography Belonging, published last year, Republic of Shame by Caelainn Hogan, In The Shadow of the Eighth by Peter Boylan as well as the BBC podcast The Home Babies and Claire Keegan’s novella Small Things Like These, if this is a subject that interests you. It should be on the school curriculum.
May 25, 2022
Heartbreaking and eye opening. An important book!
June 5, 2022
Bessborough by Deirdre Finnerty
Bessborough mother and baby institution was open from 1922-1999, during which time 9,768 mothers and 8,938 children were admitted. (Source: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/4ce...)
This book tells the stories of three of these women over three decades; Joan in 1967, Terri in 1973, and Deirdre in 1981. While a difficult subject, this was an “easy” read - in terms of the writing style and the pace, and the three women’s stories are told with the utmost respect and kindness.
Throughout the book one of the things that struck me was that Ireland is a village. I know people who were born in Bessborough, I know people who were sent to Bessborough and people who were lucky enough not to be sent to Bessborough (or the local equivalent, as these institutions had sites up and down the country). I went to school with the child whose father brought Ireland to the European court, resulting in the abolishment of the legal concept of illegitimacy in 1987, which is referenced on page 223 of the book.
Every single person in this country knows someone who has been affected by these institutions and the intertwinement of Church and State. If you don’t think you know someone, chances are they have kept that secret all their lives.
We often think of these things as happening a long time ago, but 1999 was only 23 years ago. According to the government publication, ‘Chapter 18: Bessborough”, “The last single expectant woman was admitted to Bessborough in November 1998 and the last woman and child were discharged in November 1999.”
This book should be read in every household in the country and added to the school curriculum (there is nothing in this book that a secondary school student would not be fit to read.) It would work so well as an audiobook, with the three women’s voices and the author’s sections in between. It is currently available on paperback and ebook, and I would highly recommend picking it up.
#TiredMammyBookClub #NotJustForMammies #TiredMammy30minutes #Bessborough #BessboroughHouse #MotherAndBabyHome #MotherAndBabyInstitution
Bessborough mother and baby institution was open from 1922-1999, during which time 9,768 mothers and 8,938 children were admitted. (Source: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/4ce...)
This book tells the stories of three of these women over three decades; Joan in 1967, Terri in 1973, and Deirdre in 1981. While a difficult subject, this was an “easy” read - in terms of the writing style and the pace, and the three women’s stories are told with the utmost respect and kindness.
Throughout the book one of the things that struck me was that Ireland is a village. I know people who were born in Bessborough, I know people who were sent to Bessborough and people who were lucky enough not to be sent to Bessborough (or the local equivalent, as these institutions had sites up and down the country). I went to school with the child whose father brought Ireland to the European court, resulting in the abolishment of the legal concept of illegitimacy in 1987, which is referenced on page 223 of the book.
Every single person in this country knows someone who has been affected by these institutions and the intertwinement of Church and State. If you don’t think you know someone, chances are they have kept that secret all their lives.
We often think of these things as happening a long time ago, but 1999 was only 23 years ago. According to the government publication, ‘Chapter 18: Bessborough”, “The last single expectant woman was admitted to Bessborough in November 1998 and the last woman and child were discharged in November 1999.”
This book should be read in every household in the country and added to the school curriculum (there is nothing in this book that a secondary school student would not be fit to read.) It would work so well as an audiobook, with the three women’s voices and the author’s sections in between. It is currently available on paperback and ebook, and I would highly recommend picking it up.
#TiredMammyBookClub #NotJustForMammies #TiredMammy30minutes #Bessborough #BessboroughHouse #MotherAndBabyHome #MotherAndBabyInstitution
March 9, 2023
A non fiction book looking at the dark time in Irish history when mother and baby homes run by the Catholic Church were rampant, and women who were unmarried and fell pregnant were hidden away from society and their babies taken from them. This book examines Bessborough, an infamous mother and baby institute in County Cork and three brave women tell their story of their stays there in the 60s,70s and 80s and how the stay affected them, and their years long battle to be reunited with their lost children.
This was a fantastic book that is well paced, conversational in tone and I feel like it would be an easy and accessible read for every kind of reader. This is a really good introduction to the topic of mother and baby homes in Ireland, and while this does focus on Bessborough - the main theme of the book is telling the women's stories - women who have been silenced and made to feel guilty at every turn they've taken to take a hold of their own story. I think the author Deirdre Finnerty treated the women with such respect and kindness, something they hadn't experienced a whole lot of in their lives.
There are always moments in every story about this topic that shocks me even when I think I can no longer be shocked, that I've read it all. While there wasn't horrific details of abuse or mother and baby deaths in this book, the treatment of the girls was still so hard to read and the way the church and other systems in Ireland made it so hard for these women to find out what happened to their children. I was blind with fury reading Terri was escorted from her new home in England to Bessborough by priests and nuns - literally extradited because of her pregnancy. It was truly shocking.
I definitely recommend this for people to read.
This was a fantastic book that is well paced, conversational in tone and I feel like it would be an easy and accessible read for every kind of reader. This is a really good introduction to the topic of mother and baby homes in Ireland, and while this does focus on Bessborough - the main theme of the book is telling the women's stories - women who have been silenced and made to feel guilty at every turn they've taken to take a hold of their own story. I think the author Deirdre Finnerty treated the women with such respect and kindness, something they hadn't experienced a whole lot of in their lives.
There are always moments in every story about this topic that shocks me even when I think I can no longer be shocked, that I've read it all. While there wasn't horrific details of abuse or mother and baby deaths in this book, the treatment of the girls was still so hard to read and the way the church and other systems in Ireland made it so hard for these women to find out what happened to their children. I was blind with fury reading Terri was escorted from her new home in England to Bessborough by priests and nuns - literally extradited because of her pregnancy. It was truly shocking.
I definitely recommend this for people to read.
December 31, 2022
My final review for 2022 is Bessborough by Deirdre Finnerty.
This is non-fiction, and collects the stories of three women affected by their time at the Bessborough institution, or 'Mother and Baby Home' as it was called.
Joan, Terri, and Deirdre all have different stories, with different outcomes, but all three experiences began the same way - with a young woman finding out she was pregnant at a time when nothing caused more scandal in Holy Catholic Ireland than the notion of an unwed mother. Women were sent to these institutions, stripped of their identities, given false names, and put to work until they gave birth. In the majority of circumstances, the babies were taken away and adopted to families without the knowledge or consent of the mothers, who would then be sent back out into society with the shame and stigma of being 'one of those girls' hanging over them. They grieved for their children in silence, many still doing so.
This isn't the past - it's a very recent part of history that still affects thousands of people in Ireland (and further afield) today. Thanks to the tireless work of people like Catherine Corless, Dee Finnerty, Caelainn Hogan and others, we are slowly gathering more and more accounts from the women and children involved in one of the worst scandals this country has ever seen - one not only condoned by, but funded by, the State and the Catholic Church.
Consider this: 1998. Titanic was one of the biggest movies of the year (and of all time). 'The Boy is Mine' by Brandy & Monica spent 13 weeks at Number One in the U.S. Britney Spears released her debut single, Sex and the City first aired on HBO, and Geri left the Spice Girls in a shock decision that happened in the middle of a World tour. The last single expectant woman was admitted to Bessborough in November of that year, one of 37 admissions in 1998. This isn't the past.
I know that stuff like this doesn't make for easy reading, especially if you or someone you know/love have been affected by the injustices done to these women and children. But we shouldn't turn a blind eye - that's how they got away with it in the first place.
Read it, share it, spread it.
#bessborough
This is non-fiction, and collects the stories of three women affected by their time at the Bessborough institution, or 'Mother and Baby Home' as it was called.
Joan, Terri, and Deirdre all have different stories, with different outcomes, but all three experiences began the same way - with a young woman finding out she was pregnant at a time when nothing caused more scandal in Holy Catholic Ireland than the notion of an unwed mother. Women were sent to these institutions, stripped of their identities, given false names, and put to work until they gave birth. In the majority of circumstances, the babies were taken away and adopted to families without the knowledge or consent of the mothers, who would then be sent back out into society with the shame and stigma of being 'one of those girls' hanging over them. They grieved for their children in silence, many still doing so.
This isn't the past - it's a very recent part of history that still affects thousands of people in Ireland (and further afield) today. Thanks to the tireless work of people like Catherine Corless, Dee Finnerty, Caelainn Hogan and others, we are slowly gathering more and more accounts from the women and children involved in one of the worst scandals this country has ever seen - one not only condoned by, but funded by, the State and the Catholic Church.
Consider this: 1998. Titanic was one of the biggest movies of the year (and of all time). 'The Boy is Mine' by Brandy & Monica spent 13 weeks at Number One in the U.S. Britney Spears released her debut single, Sex and the City first aired on HBO, and Geri left the Spice Girls in a shock decision that happened in the middle of a World tour. The last single expectant woman was admitted to Bessborough in November of that year, one of 37 admissions in 1998. This isn't the past.
I know that stuff like this doesn't make for easy reading, especially if you or someone you know/love have been affected by the injustices done to these women and children. But we shouldn't turn a blind eye - that's how they got away with it in the first place.
Read it, share it, spread it.
#bessborough
December 20, 2023
Three remarkable stories of bravery in the face of cruelty for which this State should forever be ashamed. Deirdre Finnerty portrays each woman's story with honesty and clarity, while fully contextualising it for the reader. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the recent history of Ireland.
May 9, 2022
Bessborough by Deirdre Finnerty published April 21st with Hachette Ireland and is described as ‘an astonishing and moving account of the untold stories of Irish women and their decades-long search for justice’. Bessborough House is in Cork and is a place I grew up oblivious to. While I was hanging out with my buddies, there were young girls locked away in Bessborough for one reason only – they were pregnant outside of marriage. The notion of an illegitimate child went against every belief in Catholic Ireland so the solution was to lock this shameful secret behind closed doors. Bessborough House was established as a mother and baby home in 1922, operating until 1999 under the instruction of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. When Deirdre Finnerty was asked by the BBC to write an article on the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, little did she realise the journey she was about to undertake. Deirdre Finnerty interviewed many individuals for the piece, uncovering stories that were extremely disturbing and, following on from an approach by a publisher, the idea of a book came into fruition.
In Mel O’ Doherty’s powerful novel Fallen I gave a brief insight into the history of Bessborough which I will repeat here as a means of explaining the type of facility that Bessborough House was.
'Bessborough House in Cork operated from 1922 until finally closing its doors in 1999. Almost 10,000 expectant mothers walked in through the doors of Bessborough House, placed there by the authorities, family or friends. These women were given house names to hide their true identity and the treatment they received while in the care of the state has been the subject of major reports. There are multiple horror stories of babies being taken from their young mothers without warning and given out for adoption. On the media we have heard about the barbaric regime that these girls endured and the pure pain and anguish suffered as they either lost their babies through death or adoption. My heart breaks every single time I hear a voice on the radio of someone searching for their records, searching for their mothers, wanting to know the truth of their arrival into the world. The trauma and injustice inflicted on these young girls is now well documented but every story of every baby born there is important and their voices need to be heard. Over 900 babies died in Bessborough but the records are only available for less than 100. The burial place of over 800 babies is still unknown and the controversy and fight for justice continues.'
During her research, Deirdre Finnerty met three women who were prepared to go public with their own personal experiences of being in Bessborough House. Joan McDermott (seventy-four years of age), Terri Harrison (sixty-seven years of age) and Deirdre Wadding (in her fifties). All had walked through the red door of Bessborough House pregnant and unmarried and all were left emotionally scarred, with their lives forever shaped by the appalling experiences each encountered under the system of the mother and baby institution.
Reading their individual stories is heart-breaking. Reading about their later searches for the babies they were never allowed to keep is soul-destroying. Their anguish is palpable. In writing Bessborough, Deirdre Finnerty has given these women a platform to tell their stories in their own words. In the more recent years the conditions in Bessborough House may have improved somewhat but it still remained a prison for young girls who were treated intolerably and left with ingrained shame and guilt. Numerous young women never disclosed to their families that they had spent time in a mother and baby home. Marriages were built on a never-to-be revealed secret. Babies were adopted, with their true identities locked away in a file somewhere.
Joan McDermott, Terri Harrison and Deirdre Wadding spent years trying to reconcile their past and attempting to find out more about the children that were removed from their arms. The outcome for each has been varied. Courage and tenacity are the words I would use to best describe these brave women that have refused to remain silenced or to bury the so-called shame of their past. Historian and author of Belonging, Catherine Coreless stated that Bessborough is a book that ‘should be included in the school curriculum’. Author Louise O’ Neill stated that Bessborough is ‘a vitally important book’.
The humiliation, devastation, regret, despair and suffering that was experienced by so many young women locked away in Bessborough House, and other similar institutions, is extremely unsettling and truly horrifying to contemplate. In piecing together the personal experiences of these three women in Bessborough, Deirdre Finnerty is shining a light on this story of sorrow, one that we as a nation must own and must never forget.
In Mel O’ Doherty’s powerful novel Fallen I gave a brief insight into the history of Bessborough which I will repeat here as a means of explaining the type of facility that Bessborough House was.
'Bessborough House in Cork operated from 1922 until finally closing its doors in 1999. Almost 10,000 expectant mothers walked in through the doors of Bessborough House, placed there by the authorities, family or friends. These women were given house names to hide their true identity and the treatment they received while in the care of the state has been the subject of major reports. There are multiple horror stories of babies being taken from their young mothers without warning and given out for adoption. On the media we have heard about the barbaric regime that these girls endured and the pure pain and anguish suffered as they either lost their babies through death or adoption. My heart breaks every single time I hear a voice on the radio of someone searching for their records, searching for their mothers, wanting to know the truth of their arrival into the world. The trauma and injustice inflicted on these young girls is now well documented but every story of every baby born there is important and their voices need to be heard. Over 900 babies died in Bessborough but the records are only available for less than 100. The burial place of over 800 babies is still unknown and the controversy and fight for justice continues.'
During her research, Deirdre Finnerty met three women who were prepared to go public with their own personal experiences of being in Bessborough House. Joan McDermott (seventy-four years of age), Terri Harrison (sixty-seven years of age) and Deirdre Wadding (in her fifties). All had walked through the red door of Bessborough House pregnant and unmarried and all were left emotionally scarred, with their lives forever shaped by the appalling experiences each encountered under the system of the mother and baby institution.
Reading their individual stories is heart-breaking. Reading about their later searches for the babies they were never allowed to keep is soul-destroying. Their anguish is palpable. In writing Bessborough, Deirdre Finnerty has given these women a platform to tell their stories in their own words. In the more recent years the conditions in Bessborough House may have improved somewhat but it still remained a prison for young girls who were treated intolerably and left with ingrained shame and guilt. Numerous young women never disclosed to their families that they had spent time in a mother and baby home. Marriages were built on a never-to-be revealed secret. Babies were adopted, with their true identities locked away in a file somewhere.
Joan McDermott, Terri Harrison and Deirdre Wadding spent years trying to reconcile their past and attempting to find out more about the children that were removed from their arms. The outcome for each has been varied. Courage and tenacity are the words I would use to best describe these brave women that have refused to remain silenced or to bury the so-called shame of their past. Historian and author of Belonging, Catherine Coreless stated that Bessborough is a book that ‘should be included in the school curriculum’. Author Louise O’ Neill stated that Bessborough is ‘a vitally important book’.
The humiliation, devastation, regret, despair and suffering that was experienced by so many young women locked away in Bessborough House, and other similar institutions, is extremely unsettling and truly horrifying to contemplate. In piecing together the personal experiences of these three women in Bessborough, Deirdre Finnerty is shining a light on this story of sorrow, one that we as a nation must own and must never forget.
June 18, 2022
This book made me mad all over again for what the church and state put the poor women and their babies through here in Ireland. This was centered around the stories of three women and their stories of what they experienced over three decades in this particular Mother & Baby home which is where my own father was adopted from.
July 10, 2024
Harrowing read at times, hard to believe this was the norm in Ireland only a few years ago. It had my blood boiling at many occasion.
However it is a must read for everyone so that we understand our Irish history and do not forget just how awful women were treated at the hands of both the church and state during this time.
However it is a must read for everyone so that we understand our Irish history and do not forget just how awful women were treated at the hands of both the church and state during this time.
November 25, 2022
Excellent, a difficult read but a must.
November 29, 2022
Delicately written, eye-opening and an absolute page turner.
One of the best books I have read this year. Would recommend to practically everyone.
One of the best books I have read this year. Would recommend to practically everyone.
September 21, 2023
This book made my blood BOIL. Nothing prepared me for HOW BAD mother and baby homes actually were, and I think this book doesn’t even go to the full extent. The story of Ireland is full of trauma and this one is particularly painful to read about.
November 24, 2022
Bessborough is the story of one of Ireland's largest mother and baby institutions, more specifically sharing the accounts of three women who were confined there in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
As a bit of background for anyone in the UK or further afield who isn't aware of the scandal surrounding the mother and baby homes here in Ireland, these institutions were predominantly run through church orders and funded by the Irish government. Unmarried mothers, who were seen to be committing a great sin by having a child out of wedlock, were sent here in shame to give birth to babies who they were not allowed to keep, often being adopted out against the mothers wishes. Babies who were seen as unadoptable (due to race or disabilities) didn't tend to thrive and the mortality rate was devastatingly high.
The experiences shared in this book are devastating and it's hard to believe that this all occured in such recent history - Bessborough was operational until 1998. While the majority of us have heard tales of what happened in institutions like this, this book gives a vivid and more personal look at not only what they experienced while there, but how it affected their lives after they left.
I'm not sure I can say much more than has already been said in various reviews so I find myself echoing others - this should be mandatory reading. What a powerful and important book, giving a voice to those who have been silenced for so many years, and whose stories must not be forgotten.
I bought this not long after it was released but didn't read it as I wasn't sure if it would be too heavy a read. My only regret is not having picked it up sooner. Yes it's harrowing and upsetting but it's handled sensitively and compassionately. Infact I could barely put it down.
I have so much admiration for Deirdre for providing a platform for these stories to be told, and to the amazing women who were brave enough to come forward and share their truth. A moving and powerful read that will sit with me for a long time.
As a bit of background for anyone in the UK or further afield who isn't aware of the scandal surrounding the mother and baby homes here in Ireland, these institutions were predominantly run through church orders and funded by the Irish government. Unmarried mothers, who were seen to be committing a great sin by having a child out of wedlock, were sent here in shame to give birth to babies who they were not allowed to keep, often being adopted out against the mothers wishes. Babies who were seen as unadoptable (due to race or disabilities) didn't tend to thrive and the mortality rate was devastatingly high.
The experiences shared in this book are devastating and it's hard to believe that this all occured in such recent history - Bessborough was operational until 1998. While the majority of us have heard tales of what happened in institutions like this, this book gives a vivid and more personal look at not only what they experienced while there, but how it affected their lives after they left.
I'm not sure I can say much more than has already been said in various reviews so I find myself echoing others - this should be mandatory reading. What a powerful and important book, giving a voice to those who have been silenced for so many years, and whose stories must not be forgotten.
I bought this not long after it was released but didn't read it as I wasn't sure if it would be too heavy a read. My only regret is not having picked it up sooner. Yes it's harrowing and upsetting but it's handled sensitively and compassionately. Infact I could barely put it down.
I have so much admiration for Deirdre for providing a platform for these stories to be told, and to the amazing women who were brave enough to come forward and share their truth. A moving and powerful read that will sit with me for a long time.
May 4, 2023
Three women Joan, Terri and Deirdre share their personal stories of being in Bessborough Mother and Baby home in Co. Cork and having to give up their babies.
Very sad testimonies of the loss of their babies and the ongoing trauma as a result of their treatment in Bessborough. Being left to labour alone with no pain relief or comfort as punishment for their “sin”. Hard physical labour whilst heavily pregnant cutting grass with a scissors, polishing floors and a small mention of a laundry. Changing their names and not knowing when their baby would be taken from them and if they came back to the nursery their baby could be gone.
In some cases they were able to connect with their children in later life.
A cherished child from an aspirational family - contrast to the terrible stories of girls from families in poverty being sent to institutions which I am more familiar with in - the Magdalene laundries - always a hierarchy.
Lack of sex education and lack of access to contraception key themes.
Sad reflection on Irish society - the parents and families of the girls who dropped them off, the boys/men who fathered the babies in 1967, 1973 and as recently as 1981. Vaccine trials and formula milk trials - in some cases no consent and the people don’t know they took part.
Frustrating to read the twisted logic of today’s legal wrangles and boundary setting preventing the women getting compensation, access to medical care and their records.
Some statistics
100,000 people refers to approx numbers of adoptees who passed through the Irish system, some of whom still face difficulty accessing their files.
15% of infants born in the institutions examined by the Commission died.
In 76 years of operation 923 children died and it is not known where most of them are buried
State that confined a higher number of pregnant worn and girls in institutions than any other country in the world in the 20th century
As my friend from my bookclub said it should be required reading on the Irish Leaving Cert curriculum so people are fully aware of these events in recent Irish history.
Very sad testimonies of the loss of their babies and the ongoing trauma as a result of their treatment in Bessborough. Being left to labour alone with no pain relief or comfort as punishment for their “sin”. Hard physical labour whilst heavily pregnant cutting grass with a scissors, polishing floors and a small mention of a laundry. Changing their names and not knowing when their baby would be taken from them and if they came back to the nursery their baby could be gone.
In some cases they were able to connect with their children in later life.
A cherished child from an aspirational family - contrast to the terrible stories of girls from families in poverty being sent to institutions which I am more familiar with in - the Magdalene laundries - always a hierarchy.
Lack of sex education and lack of access to contraception key themes.
Sad reflection on Irish society - the parents and families of the girls who dropped them off, the boys/men who fathered the babies in 1967, 1973 and as recently as 1981. Vaccine trials and formula milk trials - in some cases no consent and the people don’t know they took part.
Frustrating to read the twisted logic of today’s legal wrangles and boundary setting preventing the women getting compensation, access to medical care and their records.
Some statistics
100,000 people refers to approx numbers of adoptees who passed through the Irish system, some of whom still face difficulty accessing their files.
15% of infants born in the institutions examined by the Commission died.
In 76 years of operation 923 children died and it is not known where most of them are buried
State that confined a higher number of pregnant worn and girls in institutions than any other country in the world in the 20th century
As my friend from my bookclub said it should be required reading on the Irish Leaving Cert curriculum so people are fully aware of these events in recent Irish history.
September 3, 2022
As mentioned by other reviews this book is excellently written. The stories are vividly told, with the reader placed right in the world of the young woman. It is very well paced and structured. The stories from the three women take centre stage with brief asides from the author which show very solid and through investigative journalism.
For me, the thing that made this book great was its anti-nostalgia and its approach to telling Irish history. Similar to Fintan O’Toole’s history/memoir “We don’t know ourselves”, this book contains an acknowledgment and even celebration of what is good in modern Ireland. The difference is that in Bessborough this is implicit, quietly present in the stories told by the three women.
The anti-nostalgia has many aspects. One is in demonstrating the benefits that social media can provide to people who in previous times may have remained isolated. This is refreshing in the current “techlash” moment where social media is being blamed for almost everything. The second is a recognition that modern Ireland is, in many ways, a kinder more accepting place than it used to be. As the author says “They had taught me that the country I had grown up in was so much harsher for women, girls and their children than I have ever imagined”
More fundamentally, the book forced me reflect of the way that we tend to think of and tell Irish history, typically centering the collective oppression of the Irish people and the individual heroism of great revolutionary leaders. In this book Deirdre Finnerty confronts us with the realities of social system brought about, in no small part, by that very same revolution. The stories are both individual and collective reflecting the heart-breaking reality of actual people and acting as parables for a swathe of other cruelties and silences that continue to this day. As advocated by Catherine Corless “This book should be included in the school curriculum”.
For me, the thing that made this book great was its anti-nostalgia and its approach to telling Irish history. Similar to Fintan O’Toole’s history/memoir “We don’t know ourselves”, this book contains an acknowledgment and even celebration of what is good in modern Ireland. The difference is that in Bessborough this is implicit, quietly present in the stories told by the three women.
The anti-nostalgia has many aspects. One is in demonstrating the benefits that social media can provide to people who in previous times may have remained isolated. This is refreshing in the current “techlash” moment where social media is being blamed for almost everything. The second is a recognition that modern Ireland is, in many ways, a kinder more accepting place than it used to be. As the author says “They had taught me that the country I had grown up in was so much harsher for women, girls and their children than I have ever imagined”
More fundamentally, the book forced me reflect of the way that we tend to think of and tell Irish history, typically centering the collective oppression of the Irish people and the individual heroism of great revolutionary leaders. In this book Deirdre Finnerty confronts us with the realities of social system brought about, in no small part, by that very same revolution. The stories are both individual and collective reflecting the heart-breaking reality of actual people and acting as parables for a swathe of other cruelties and silences that continue to this day. As advocated by Catherine Corless “This book should be included in the school curriculum”.
January 8, 2024
Bessborough – Three Women. Three Decades. Three Stories of Courage
This book has been on my to-be-read list since it was published in 2022. I started it Sunday morning and finished it the same day. It is an emotional rollercoaster. When I closed the book, I looked at my husband and said this should be on the secondary school curriculum.
Bessborough in County Cork was one of numerous Mother & Baby Institutions in Ireland. Of course, they were referred to as homes by the Catholic Church however, these were not homes. The women, young girls and even children, who found themselves deposited at the doors of these imposing buildings because they were ‘dirty & sinful’ were not warmly welcomed into heart and home, they were punished, belittled, degraded and abused.
Deirdre Finnerty writes sensitively and shares the stories of Joan who entered Bessborough in the 60’s, Terri in the 70’s and Deirdre in the 1980’s. Their stories induce heartache and rage. You want to take each woman and hold her.
Shockingly, Bessborough only closed its doors in 1998. Reading about these institutions, one would be forgiven for thinking the events occurred in a time long ago. Sadly, this is modern history. How on earth the Catholic Church is still so heavily involved in our schools and the education of our children baffles me.
I grew up in 1980s Ireland. I recall the attitudes to unmarried mothers and the attitudes to women. A new baby would be born, if that baby were a boy someone somewhere would always remark, a boy can’t bring trouble to your door. That trouble of course being an unmarried mother, because we all know that women are solely responsible for becoming pregnant, don’t we….
There is so much more I could write about this book, so much more I want to say but I will leave it here. Please read it. And don’t ever forget.
This book has been on my to-be-read list since it was published in 2022. I started it Sunday morning and finished it the same day. It is an emotional rollercoaster. When I closed the book, I looked at my husband and said this should be on the secondary school curriculum.
Bessborough in County Cork was one of numerous Mother & Baby Institutions in Ireland. Of course, they were referred to as homes by the Catholic Church however, these were not homes. The women, young girls and even children, who found themselves deposited at the doors of these imposing buildings because they were ‘dirty & sinful’ were not warmly welcomed into heart and home, they were punished, belittled, degraded and abused.
Deirdre Finnerty writes sensitively and shares the stories of Joan who entered Bessborough in the 60’s, Terri in the 70’s and Deirdre in the 1980’s. Their stories induce heartache and rage. You want to take each woman and hold her.
Shockingly, Bessborough only closed its doors in 1998. Reading about these institutions, one would be forgiven for thinking the events occurred in a time long ago. Sadly, this is modern history. How on earth the Catholic Church is still so heavily involved in our schools and the education of our children baffles me.
I grew up in 1980s Ireland. I recall the attitudes to unmarried mothers and the attitudes to women. A new baby would be born, if that baby were a boy someone somewhere would always remark, a boy can’t bring trouble to your door. That trouble of course being an unmarried mother, because we all know that women are solely responsible for becoming pregnant, don’t we….
There is so much more I could write about this book, so much more I want to say but I will leave it here. Please read it. And don’t ever forget.
May 26, 2024
In this harrowing read, journalist Deirdre Finnerty explores the harsh reality of Bessborough House and other mother and baby institutions for three of its past residents. Deirdre now living in the UK was asked by the BBC to write an article about the mother and baby institutions in Ireland. This article attracted a lot of attention and after building up strong connections and a network with the survivors, she knew there was a bigger story to tell and in so, this is the book that followed.
We hear from three women, who were banished to this hell hole. One of the women who thought she had escaped to the UK, was repatriated back to Ireland, due to some joint scheme with the UK to ensure these unmarried women were taken care of and another who unfortunately ended up in a Mother and Baby home for the second time. This didn’t happen in the Dark Ages, these three women were residents of Bessborough House in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Bessborough was still in operation until 1998.
We hear about the trauma, the house names, the secrets, the shame, the menial work, the torture, the unsupervised labours, the separation and callousness of the adoption of the children, the coverups, the struggle to retrace these children and how these women are still trying to overcome this trauma. Each woman’s story was different, but there was a common thread of sorrow. It is unfortunately true that this harsh reality has touched most families in Ireland, we all know someone of someone that faced this reality. I understand that this is a very tough read and for many it is too much, but definitely recommend.
We hear from three women, who were banished to this hell hole. One of the women who thought she had escaped to the UK, was repatriated back to Ireland, due to some joint scheme with the UK to ensure these unmarried women were taken care of and another who unfortunately ended up in a Mother and Baby home for the second time. This didn’t happen in the Dark Ages, these three women were residents of Bessborough House in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Bessborough was still in operation until 1998.
We hear about the trauma, the house names, the secrets, the shame, the menial work, the torture, the unsupervised labours, the separation and callousness of the adoption of the children, the coverups, the struggle to retrace these children and how these women are still trying to overcome this trauma. Each woman’s story was different, but there was a common thread of sorrow. It is unfortunately true that this harsh reality has touched most families in Ireland, we all know someone of someone that faced this reality. I understand that this is a very tough read and for many it is too much, but definitely recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2023
BBC journalist Deirdre Finnerty writes a very respectful, heartbreaking story on behalf of three women Joan, Terri and Deirdre. These women were forcibly sent to Bessborough mother and baby home and had their babies removed without their consent.
When they tried to make contact with their sons the nuns, the church and the state all put as many obstacles as possible in their way.
This story was very similar to Girl in the Tunnel in that it made me so enraged. All the people who knew what was happening to these women, covered it up and did nothing to help them. The lies that were told were shocking and how they were treated by these nuns was shameful. There was a serious lacking of empathy and understanding in the 60s, 70s and 80s when it came to these women. They were told they were soiled and no man would ever want to marry them
The women were denied any pain relief during labour and were told “You won’t be in such a hurry again the next time, will you?” And “We did evil work and we would never make anything of our lives”. They were put through hard labour in laundries, kitchens and even on their knees in the garden for hours cutting the grass with a scissors whilst heavily pregnant.
The shocking revelations that 923 children were born in Bessborough and 13 women died there and no one knows where they are buried.
These women suffered so much loss, banishment, judgement, shame, trauma and grief and this impacted their lives greatly afterwards affecting any relationships they had and how they coped with everyday life.
February 11, 2023
In her book Bessborough, BBC journalist Deirdre Finnerty uses the true stories of three women to tell the tale of Bessborough House, a mother and baby home that operated in Ireland between 1922 and 1999. During these 77 years, a shocking 31 mothers and 923 children died at the facility. Heartbreakingly, countless other mothers were forced to put their babies up for adoption and leave the premises without their children, often either never seeing them again or having to wait decades before being reunited.
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There has been a lot in the way of recent press coverage of Ireland's mother and baby homes but, reading this book, the thing that really shocked me was the realisation that Bessborough continued to operate well into my lifetime, until the late 1990s. Forcible adoption at the hands of the Catholic Church is not a long buried chapter of Ireland's history but a frighteningly recent chapter that continues to have ramifications for many people alive today.
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Bessborough is a sad but compelling read. Finnerty has an easy, readable style of writing, and the whole book is infused with respect for her subjects. The three women at the heart of the story tell a version very different to the one parroted by Ireland's official investigation into its mother and baby homes. Their accounts are both shocking and tragic, but also completely necessary in order to understand the societal and religious treatment of unwed mothers in Ireland's not too distant past.
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📚
There has been a lot in the way of recent press coverage of Ireland's mother and baby homes but, reading this book, the thing that really shocked me was the realisation that Bessborough continued to operate well into my lifetime, until the late 1990s. Forcible adoption at the hands of the Catholic Church is not a long buried chapter of Ireland's history but a frighteningly recent chapter that continues to have ramifications for many people alive today.
📚
Bessborough is a sad but compelling read. Finnerty has an easy, readable style of writing, and the whole book is infused with respect for her subjects. The three women at the heart of the story tell a version very different to the one parroted by Ireland's official investigation into its mother and baby homes. Their accounts are both shocking and tragic, but also completely necessary in order to understand the societal and religious treatment of unwed mothers in Ireland's not too distant past.
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May 14, 2024
Heart wrenching
Amidst the myriad stories and not fit for purpose report that came out of the decades of oppression, it’s all too easy for the young women who spent time in these institutions to be dehumanised. This book gives three of these women a voice and they recount their own experiences of becoming pregnant while unmarried in Ireland during the latter half of the twentieth century. Their stories are dealt with compassionately and sensitively and I’m left feeling so very sorry that they experienced such trauma. And while I disagree with the final commission report and it’s many errors and omissions, I do think Irish society had a massive responsibility in how they, as a collective, should have shown some understanding, empathy and decency to the thousands of young women who found themselves pregnant. Well worth the read.
Amidst the myriad stories and not fit for purpose report that came out of the decades of oppression, it’s all too easy for the young women who spent time in these institutions to be dehumanised. This book gives three of these women a voice and they recount their own experiences of becoming pregnant while unmarried in Ireland during the latter half of the twentieth century. Their stories are dealt with compassionately and sensitively and I’m left feeling so very sorry that they experienced such trauma. And while I disagree with the final commission report and it’s many errors and omissions, I do think Irish society had a massive responsibility in how they, as a collective, should have shown some understanding, empathy and decency to the thousands of young women who found themselves pregnant. Well worth the read.
January 23, 2025
An amazing, striking, gut wrenching, important book about the suffering of women and babies. No book has touched my heart, my brain, and my passion all at once the same way these stories do. I know these women as if their friends and feel their story as if it is my own. A truly beautiful book about untold stories, forced silence, fear, religious trauma, and the unstoppable female spirit. These women are an inspiration as much as they are survivors, their stories are much bigger than themselves and illustrates the horrors that unmarried women experienced at the hands of the catholic church during the 20th century. A absolute must read.
November 23, 2025
I really enjoyed Bessborough by Deirdre Finnerty, if “enjoyed” is the right word for something so moving and devastating. It’s a heartbreaking, essential read that shines a light on stories that should never have been hidden. Finnerty handles the subject with empathy and clarity, and the voices she brings forward stay with you long after you finish.
It also complements Republic of Shame by Caelainn Hogan beautifully. If you’ve read Hogan’s book, this feels like the next piece of the puzzle, it is equally powerful, deeply human, and impossible to forget.
It also complements Republic of Shame by Caelainn Hogan beautifully. If you’ve read Hogan’s book, this feels like the next piece of the puzzle, it is equally powerful, deeply human, and impossible to forget.
August 6, 2022
An excellent book, beautifully written, you get drawn into the plot, and the characters, everything a good novel should be. Except - they aren't plots, they are real people and it isn't a novel. It's people's actual lives!
Fact is indeed stranger than fiction. What brave brave women, to not only survive but to come out the other end and live full and inspiring lives. I applaud them all - those that told their stories so eloquently and all those other women who couldn't.
Fact is indeed stranger than fiction. What brave brave women, to not only survive but to come out the other end and live full and inspiring lives. I applaud them all - those that told their stories so eloquently and all those other women who couldn't.
January 1, 2023
A really well-written book which looks at the stories of young women who had their babies at Bessborough across three decades. This book doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truth and nor does it over-dramatise what must have been a life-changing experience for each one.
This book also looks at what has changed more recently in Ireland giving those of us from other shores some idea of how things have changed.
An important and informative read.
This book also looks at what has changed more recently in Ireland giving those of us from other shores some idea of how things have changed.
An important and informative read.
January 11, 2024
This book tells a narrative account of the stories of three women who spent time at Bessborough House throughout the 19th century. In plain, accessible and unassuming language Finnerty paints the painful picture of the loss experienced by such women at the hands of a fundamentally oppressive system. The stories are harrowing and haunt the reader even after finishing the book, pointing to the necessity of its reading in an effort to shed light on the shameful past of Irish society.
July 4, 2022
This is really one of those books that I believe should be required reading in this country.
The power given to the Catholic Church and the absolute cruelty they showed to the women and children in their “care” will never cease to leave me speechless.
Excellent writing makes a tough topic easily accessible, and I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but I’m very glad I read it
The power given to the Catholic Church and the absolute cruelty they showed to the women and children in their “care” will never cease to leave me speechless.
Excellent writing makes a tough topic easily accessible, and I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it but I’m very glad I read it
January 5, 2023
To hear the women’s first-hand experiences while residing in mother and baby homes in Ireland and the life-long effects they have carried is very emotional. A great book to understand what the women of Ireland and their children born while in these homes have experienced and continue to experience.
January 14, 2023
Reading this book sickened me. Finding out the atrocities that the Mother and Baby homes committed is shocking. I was born in 1996, the last home closed in '98, within my lifetime. I stand with the survivors, and hope that they receive justice and compensation. I hope that this awful time in Irish history is never forgotten.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2023
I just finished your book about Bessborough …. Wow … I am speechless and shocked. Thanks to the author for covering this important topic.
I hope the mothers and children that had to undergo those institutions will eventually find justice.
Overall so sad to see the power of the church and the state and how little responsibility these systems take in the end.
I hope the mothers and children that had to undergo those institutions will eventually find justice.
Overall so sad to see the power of the church and the state and how little responsibility these systems take in the end.
December 15, 2023
I thought this book was really interesting. Obviously it’s just some of the stories of what goes on across the world, but it’s so interesting that this was happening way later than I thought. Being shamed for being an unwed mother so much so that you are forced to give up your child is crazy to me, let alone well into the 80s. Good book to read on the way to work.
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