Irish thalidomide survivor fears mother may die before long-awaited State apology

Mary Clarken from Portlaoise and her daughter Sharon, who was born with a deformed arm due to Thalidomide on the Late Late Show. Picture: RTÉ

An Irish thalidomide survivor whose mother turns 96 on Wednesday said she will be “devastated” if a State apology does not come while her mother is still alive.

Sharon Clarken and her mother, Mary, have long called for an apology, but despite recent progress, Ms Clarken remains worried about the timing.

“I must admit I think I would be devastated, I would be really really upset if she dies before we get the apology,” she said.

Mary Clarken is in “very good spirits”, according to her daughter, and enjoys daily crosswords, newspapers, and the TV programme The Chase.

“Her whole thing would be ‘try and enjoy your life as much as you can, get out there and enjoy’”, she said.

“I think that’s why she just can’t understand why they won’t apologise.” 

Ms Clarken lives in Germany with her husband and children. She also spends three months at a time with her mother in Portlaoise, alternating care duties with her sister.

“I really would like the apology for my mother, for all those mothers,” she told the Irish Examiner.

Reflecting on the impact of thalidomide, she said: “It was a horrific thing to happen”, adding that her mother had taken only one tablet containing thalidomide during pregnancy.

The drug was sold as an over-the-counter medication in pharmacies.

“It was just one, I was very lucky,” she said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris committed to an apology during a February meeting with the Irish Thalidomide Association, attended by Ms Clarken.

Last week, Mr Martin told RTÉ: “We are making good progress, and we would like to see this brought to a conclusion this year,” but he did not provide a date.

Ms Clarken said: “I find it hard.

“Mammy has said it would be really good (to have an apology) but she also thinks the apology should be to us, the children. She’d like to see an apology so we could get on with our lives.” 

However, she remains hopeful, saying Simon Harris had previously phoned her mother.

Artist and thalidomide survivor Mary Duffy turned 65 on Sunday. In a video posted on her Instagram account, she offered the Government some “pointers” on what it should apologise for.

“It’s the daily grind of being in the public gaze,” she said.

“I’m amazed the way I attract attention everywhere I go, I’m hyper-visible yet frequently I have my opinions ignored in conversations and especially where decisions are made that affect me.” 

Thalidomide, manufactured by a company now called Grünenthal, was sold in the 1950s and early 1960s to treat morning sickness during pregnancy.

It caused severe and life-changing birth defects in thousands of babies worldwide, while many others died or were stillborn.

More than 51,000 packets, sold under the brand name Softenon, were distributed in Ireland.

The drug was withdrawn from sale worldwide in 1961, but no effective withdrawal notice was issued in Ireland, allowing it to remain available on rural pharmacy shelves.

The youngest Irish survivor is Kerry farmer John Stack, who was born in January 1963.