The Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan will meet with survivors from Sean Ross Abbey, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. That Mother and Baby Home ran from 1931 to 1969 and admitted 6,414 women and 6,079 babies were born there. One of the most famous cases regarding that home was the story of Philomena Lee, who had her baby taken from her and had her story turned into the award-winning film Philomena.
The bishop said up until Monday, he had “not received any contact from anybody to meet regarding St Anne’s [School].” On Monday, the bishop told The Irish Catholic, he received an email from one of the survivors seeking a meeting, to which he “would be happy” to do.
“In early June I led a pilgrimage in Roscrea to Monaincha Abbey, and some locals may have mixed it up with Sean Ross Abbey.” After that mix up, “a journalist from the Examiner must have been in contact with some activists for the cause there and sent a query to the communications office in Maynooth asking if I had any intention of meeting survivors,” the bishop explained.
Following the journalist’s contact, Bishop Monahan wrote a statement explaining he was leading the walk to Monaincha Abbey, Roscrea and he was “not aware of any request for me to meet any campaign groups regarding Sean Ross Abbey”.
After his willingness to meet was published, survivors contacted him early this week. “I am happy to meet the two people who suggested a meeting and it will be an opportunity to share perspectives, dialogue and listen to each other. I look forward to that.”
