Bessborough survivors to host demo on Saturday in city

"I got out of there alive, I got out of there when children were still dying."

Those were the words of Noelle Browne, an elected member of Dublin City Council who was born in Bessborough, ahead of a demonstration against a planned residential development on the former site of the Mother and Baby Home. The protest will be held outside Cork City Library on Grand Parade at 2.30pm on Saturday 18 July.

The protest, which is being organised by survivors from the home, intends to call on the Government to purchase the land and take it out of reach of developers.

It will hear from survivors of the home, as well as supporters of the campaign from around Ireland. A compulsory purchase order (CPO) of the site is one of the key demands of demonstrators. They are also calling for a comprehensive survey of the remaining site to be carried out, so that any remains buried there can be recovered.

Cllr Browne said the entire process had been “deeply distressing”. “All of those children were failed so horribly in their short lives. When you read the causes of death, it is absolutely chilling.”

“That’s why I’m raising my voice, why a lot of people are raising their voices,” she said.

Senator Laura Harmon, who is helping to organise the demonstration, encouraged the public to attend the demonstration and said that the site should be in public ownership.

“Survivors and their families deserve justice, not to have this sacred site and history concreted over. Surveying using modern technology must be completed,” she said.

Permission for the development was granted by Cork City Council in February.

Appeals against the decision to grant permission were lodged by the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home Support Group, and Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan, but both were rejected by An Coimisiún Peanála earlier this month.

At the latest meeting of Cork City Council on Monday 13 July, the council agreed to suspend standing orders to reiterate its support for a motion passed in September 2025.

The motion, which was proposed by Horgan, instructed the council to begin the process with government to issue a compulsory purchase order for the land at Bessborough.

It called for the area to be turned into a public park with a memorial to the history of the site.

Cllr Horgan said: “A CPO is not easy, nor should it be viewed as such. But we must start the process on it”.

“I was heartened to have the support cross party on this site of national conscience.

“Do not underestimate the power of this City Council speaking with one vote,” he said.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.