Ellie O'Byrne: Ireland still marginalises the non-traditional family

The abhorrent concept of “illegitimacy” was used as permission to exclude and abuse

As the child of unmarried parents in the 1980s, Ellie O'Byrne experienced some of the abhorrent concept of illegitimacy firmly entrenched in the values of what was still Catholic Ireland.

Amongst the painful conversations of this past couple of weeks regarding the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes has been the commentary of disbelief that the attitudes that led to Ireland institutionalising more pregnant women than any other country in the world lasted for so long and ended so recently.

But I believe it. As the child of unmarried parents in the 1980s, I even experienced some of it first-hand. The abhorrent concept of illegitimacy was firmly entrenched in the values of what was still Catholic Ireland.