Conall Ó Fátharta: Narrative of report on mother and baby homes needs to be challenged

Much has been made already of the basis for the conclusions of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, its choice of language and tone, and the discrepancy between the testimony and lived experience of the women and the report’s conclusions

Teddy bears laid at the gates of Bessborough during the Bessborough Mother and Baby Support Group memorial service in Cork. Picture: Provision

The word “narrative” was used a lot this past week. How it’s set, controlled, and shaped. 

Last Sunday, the nation awoke to the inevitable political leaking of the main findings of the long-awaited final report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation. Along with the expected headline figures around infant mortality, the media coverage outlined the commission’s view that the State and Church did not force women into the institutions.