Magdalene laundry survivor lays wreath for 36 children in previously unmarked graves
Rose McKinney and Maureen Sullivan at the new memorial in St Mary's Cemetery Carlow to commemorate those buried in unmarked graves, who died in Mother and baby homes. Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke
An 85-year-old survivor of a Magdalene laundry said she was “humbled” to be asked to lay a wreath at a special ceremony for the unmarked graves of 36 children in Carlow.
A small gathering took place in St Mary’s cemetery on Friday morning, to unveil a new memorial stone for children who died in mother and baby homes.
The ceremony was organised by former Magdalene survivor Maureen Sullivan as well as local politicians and the town council.
Rose McKinney — who was in the Tuam mother and baby home where two of her children were adopted before she was moved to a Magdalene laundry in Galway — travelled from Dublin to lay a wreath at the site.
Speaking to the , Ms McKinney said:
The monument was the result of two years of campaigning by former survivors of Ireland’s institutions, who wanted those who were buried in unmarked graves, acknowledged.
The children who are buried in the cemetery were as young as a few hours old when they died.
The inscription on the plaque said ‘Even as the sun goes down, to end the light of day, it’s rising on a new horizon, somewhere far away’.
Maureen Sullivan, who is one of the youngest children sent to a Magdalene Laundry in New Ross, Co Wexford at 12, said it was a “very emotional” day. She said:
"There are some children here and some adults too.
“The adults are nearer to the top of the graveyard and here are the children where the stone is. There was nothing to mark their names or acknowledge them before.
“A lot of the mothers did not want their children’s second names up there so there was a lot of work meeting people and seeing what the survivors wanted."
Local TD Jennifer Murnane O'Connor was also at the ceremony.
She said, “Survivors had contacted me about doing a plaque to help celebrate people and people’s lives because they were not celebrated in life.
“It is a really important day for Carlow, a special and emotional day and I feel very honoured to be part of this collaboration."
Members of the local council said there was a lot of research in the project as well as liaising with families of the deceased - there are three graves in every plot in the cemetery and every death has been recorded with names, dates of births, parents’ names, and plot numbers.
Residents of Carlow can contact the environmental section of the council if they wish to trace a relative in the graveyard.
