'All lives must be equal in death': Survivors to hold Bessborough vigil 

A group of survivors of Ireland’s mother and baby homes and other institutions will hold a vigil tomorrow in memory of the children and women who died in Bessborough.

The event is being organised by survivors Catherine Coffey O’Brien and Ann O’Gorman, who lost a child in the home.

On social media, Ms Coffey O’Brien said the event at 1pm tomorrow is intended to honour those buried in the former institution’s children’s burial ground and to ensure “they are not forgotten”.

Ms O’Gorman’s daughter Evelyn died at Bessborough and is believed to be buried there, but there are no burial records for the children on the grounds, and only one grave of a child has been located, following an examination of a section of land there.

Act of rememberance

In an invitation issued ahead of the vigil, Ms Coffey O’Brien stressed that the event is intended as an act of remembrance rather than a political statement.

“We have never been political, and we do not want this politicised,” she said. 

“This is about the babies and the girls who are buried in the children’s burial ground at Bessborough.”

She said the purpose of the gathering is to acknowledge the lives of those who died, regardless of how short their lives may have been.

Campaigners have long called for the children’s burial ground to be formally marked, preserved, and protected. Ms Coffey O’Brien said this remains their central objective.

All lives equal

“That’s all,” she said. “All lives must be equal in death.”

Bessborough was one of Ireland’s largest mother and baby institutions, and recorded one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.

Survivors and relatives have campaigned for many years for greater recognition of those who died there and for protection of the burial site.

Carmel Cantwell’s brother William died at Bessborough, but his grave cannot be located.

She is part of a campaign to stop a development of 140 housing units being built there after the city council gave developers the green light.

Organisers of Saturday’s vigil say members of the public are welcome to attend in a “spirit of respect and reflection”.

Cork singer and actor Camille O’Sullivan, who will be performing at the vigil, said she hoped the event would be of benefit to survivors.

Really helpful

“I think it would be really helpful if they felt people were reaching out and saying: ‘We hear your story,’” she said.

Ms O’Sullivan said she had first become interested in the plight of survivors of mother and baby institutions through her friend Noelle Brown, a writer and actor who was born in Bessborough and now serves as a Dublin city councillor for the Social Democrats.

“I’ve known Noelle since I was a child, and she was one of the reasons I got up on stage and started acting,” she said.

“It was only a few years ago that I heard her story, and last year we worked on a show together.

“I was learning as I went, and I was shocked at the way in which survivors are still being treated, and I just think to shine a light on it is a very important thing to do.”