Roscrea community invited to Sean Ross commemoration
A new monument will be unveiled in the Angels Plot of Sean Ross Abbey
A survivor of the Sean Ross Mother and Baby Home in Roscrea has invited the community of the heritage town to attend the unveiling of a new monument and commemoration.
Tina Dooley, who was born in the Sean Ross Abbey mother and baby home, issued the invitation to attend the ceremony to survivors in Ireland and overseas and to the wider Roscrea community.
With Roscrea man and long-time campaigner for justice for survivors of Sean Ross, Michael Donovan and with Bridget Maher and Maureen Sullivan from the We Are Still Here Sean Ross Survivors Group, Ms Dooley designed a four-and-a-half-foot tall black marble monument commemorating the memory of the 1,090 children who died in the facility.
Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea was run by the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who also ran Bessborough and Castlepollard mother and bay homes.
The expansive St Anne's campus on the northern outskirts of Roscrea, where the former mother and baby home is located is now privately owned and the main building on the grounds, Corville House, currently operates as an emergency accommodation centre.
The building gained international attention in the Oscar-nominated film Philomena, which told the story of Philomena Lee whose son Anthony was taken to the United States by forced adoption.
She never met him again and he is now buried on the grounds of Sean Ross Abbey.
The new locally crafted monument will be located in the Angels Plot of the Abbey, in remembrance of all mothers and babies who died in Sean Ross Mother And Baby Home.
The event is planned for Saturday, August 29th at 2pm and the service will be officiated by Fr. John Molloy of the Roscrea Parish.
"We would like to extend an invitation to all survivors, families and friends of Mother and Baby Homes throughout Ireland. In particular our invitation extends to survivors, family and friends from outside of Ireland," Tina Dooley said.
"We would absolutely welcome and encourage your presence on the day. It would be wonderful to meet and chat with the lovely people of Roscrea also - hence a wholehearted invitation goes to the entire community.
"It is so very important to us, to keep the memory of these innocent mothers and babies alive all over Ireland and beyond.
"Our unveiling of this beautiful memorial will be advertised on social media, and via radio and newspapers between now and August. We would very much appreciate you sharing details of this event with family and friends," Ms Dooley said.