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Roscrea Mother and Baby Home survivors plead for further underground investigation
The 'We Are Still Here' survivors group will meet the Bishop of Killaloe
Philomena Lee, on a visit to Roscrea - her story forms the basis of the Oscar nominated movie 'Philomena', which tells the story of Sean Ross Abbey near Roscrea
Reporter:
Darren Keegan
25 Aug 2025 6:33 PM
Email:
darren.keegan@iconicnews.ie
The Roscrea based group for survivors of the former Sean Ross Mother and Baby Home are calling for an underground structure to be investigated and are also planning to meet the Bishop of the Killaoe.
The 30 year anniversary of the death of Michael Hess, who died on August 15th 1995, was marked recently by the two leading campaigners for justice for survivors and for a complete investigation into the whereabouts of the remains of children who died in the former Sean Ross Mother and Baby Home - Roscrea man Michael Donovan and Teresa Collins, who was born in the former mother and baby home.
The story of Michael Hess and his mother Philomena Lee was documented in the blockbuster film 'Philomena' and continues to touch people around the world and focuses on the story mirrored by countless survivors in their campaign for justice.
The We Are Still Here survivors group regularly host people who wish to visit the site of the former facility, located on the expansive St. Anne's campus north of Roscrea town and where the main building, Corville House, is currently privately owned and repurposed as an international protection accommodation centre.
The site where the underground structure the group want excavated is described as a concrete tank located adjacent to the Angel's Plot burial ground where the remains of an unknown number of infants who died in the facility are located.
They believe the maps of the site are inaccurate and that anomalies detected by subterranean scans last year demand further investigation. They want the maps corrected and the tank investigated for remains in an attempt to establish the burial site of an estimated 1,090 infants.
In their report the Department for Children said a commission of investigation found that it is “not possible” to say whether all of the children who died at Sean Ross Abbey are buried in the Angels Plot and that it “did not consider that further investigation was warranted”.
Meanwhile, the Bishop of Killaloe has agreed to meet survivors of Sean Ross Abbey following their calls for further investigations at the Angel’s Plot.
"Sean Ross Abbey is in the diocese of Killaloe, and it was run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, who are no longer there", the Catholic Press Office said in a statement to the Irish Examiner last week.
"While he is just nine years as bishop in the diocese, Bishop Monahan understands that the diocese had no role in the running of the mother and baby home, apart from chaplaincy services.
“The baptismal records for the home are in the possession of the diocese. The bishop’s own brother, who has additional needs, was a resident in Sean Ross for a number of years in the early 1970s when it became a home for special needs children.”
The statement said the bishop was willing to meet survivors “if it might be helpful to such a group to discuss any of the above or other issues”.
The Roscrea home was operated by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary between 1931 and 1969. During that time, 6,414 women were admitted there, and 6,079 children were born or admitted
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