Philomena Lee ‘appalled’ at Tuam revelations

Philomena Lee has said she is “appalled” by the revelations at Tuam, Co Galway, and said all institutions that dealt with unmarried women need to be examined.

Ms Lee, whose life story was made into an Oscar-nominated movie, was in Sean Ross Abbey Mother and Baby Home where she raised her son for three years before he was adopted to the US. They never saw each other again despite both of them searching for each other at the same time.

Ms Lee said the discovery of a “significant number” of infant remains had affected her badly since she heard the news. “I was absolutely appalled. I still can’t comprehend it at all. I just cannot get over it. It really is appalling. It has affected me quite badly really thinking through on my own story. When I look back on my own story, at least I found my Anthony but lots of the women that were involved and who had babies there will never, never know what happened to them no matter how much they try to find out,” she said. She said when she was in Sean Ross Abbey, the issue of children who died was never mentioned.