大象传媒

鈥淣uair a bha mi a鈥� sgreuchail 鈥榮 mi ann am pian chuir mi 矛mpidh orra fios a chur air mo mh脿thair. Chuir mi 矛mpidh orra.聽 Bha mi d矛reach ag iarraidh mo mh脿thair, ach dhi霉lt iad.聽 Tha am faidhle agad ag r脿dh gun fios a chur, thuirt iad.聽 Chr霉b i tarsainn orm.聽 Bha an t-eagal orm agus thuirt i rium, 鈥渋onnsaichidh sin dhut gun a bhith cho d脿na.聽 Cha bhi thu na do chaileag d脿na an ath thuras, am bi?鈥�

Bha Terri Harrison 18 bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois nuair a bha a鈥� chiad leanabh aice.聽 Cha robh i p貌sta.聽 Do chuid san teaghlach aice cha robh ach aon roghainn ann.聽 Cha b鈥� urrainn dhith a chumail.聽聽 Bha seo ann an 1973.聽 Bha Poblachd na h-脠ireann fhathast gu m貌r fo smachd na h-Eaglaise Caitligiche.聽 B鈥� e an cleachdadh an uair sin boireannaich leithid Terri a chur gu dachaigh m脿thair agus p脿iste agus an ceann greis, na leanabain a thoirt bhuapa agus an cuir gu teaghlaichean eile.聽 Sin na thachair dha Terri agus tha e air a bhith na ch霉is chr脿idh dhith bhon uair sin.

C貌rr is 40 bliadhna an d猫idh dha a mac a bhith air a thoirt bhuaipe tha Terri agus an t-uamhas dhaoine eile a bh鈥� ann an siostam nan dachaighean m脿thair agus p脿iste ann an 脠irinn an d貌chas gum faigh iad aithne phoblach air na chaidh iad troimhe. 聽Chuir Riaghaltas na h-脠ireann rannsachadh air d貌igh an-uiridh an d猫idh do dhaoine a bhith air an uamhasachadh mu aithrisean gur d貌cha gun robh faisg air 800 p脿iste air an tiodhlacadh ann an uaigh neo-chomharraichte aig seann dachaigh m脿thair agus p脿iste ann an Conntaidh Ghaillimh.聽 Ach le m貌ran dhaoine air an d鈥� thug an siostam buaidh a-nis suas ann am bliadhnaichean, tha cuid de luchd-iomairt ag r脿dh nach bu ch貌ir feitheamh ri toradh an rannsachaidh.聽 Tha iad airson gun teid leisgeul a thabhann dhaibh sa bhad.

聽鈥淲hen I was screaming out in pain I begged them to ring my mother. 聽I begged them.聽 I just wanted my mother and they kept saying no.聽 It鈥檚 on your file 鈥� no contact.聽 She bent over me and聽 I was so frightened and she just said to me, 鈥渢hat will teach you for being a bold girl, you won鈥檛 be a bold girl again in a hurry will you?鈥�

Terri Harrison was 18 years old when she had her first child.聽 She was unmarried.聽 For some members of her family there was only one option.聽 She wouldn鈥檛 be keeping her child.聽 It was 1973.聽聽 The Republic of Ireland was still heavily influenced by the Catholic Church.聽 It was practice then for women like Terri to be sent to a mother and baby home and, after some time, for her child to be given to another family.聽 That鈥檚 what happened to Terri and it has caused her anguish ever since.

Over 40 years since her son was taken from her Terri and many others who also went through the mother and baby system are hopeful of receiving a public acknowledgement of what they went through.聽 The Irish Government began an inquiry last year following reports that horrifed the public. A local historian had suggested that there could almost 800 babies buried in an unmarked grave at the site of a former mother and baby home in County Galway.聽 With many of those affected by the system now elderly, campaigners fear the inquiry could take too long. They want an apology now.