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Thursday 7 December 2023 Dublin: 11°C

# redacted lives

Journal Media wins two Headline Awards for excellence in mental health journalism
Journalists from The Journal and crowdfunded-investigative platform Northworthy won awards recognising their work covering mental health issues.
This year
2023
Underappreciated albums and harrowing histories: 4 Irish podcasts to subscribe to this summer
A guide to some of the great podcasts being produced in Ireland covering a range of fascinating topics.
The Journal's Redacted Lives wins silver at New York Festivals Radio Awards
The awards have celebrated broadcasting excellence since 1957.
The Journal and Noteworthy reporters nominated for Irish Red Cross Journalism Excellence Award
The award honours journalists who cover a range of humanitarian issues or who are committed to highlighting social injustices.
The Journal's Redacted Lives wins Best Podcast at 2023 Spider Awards
The 26th annual ceremony took place in Dublin today.
Get tickets for Redacted Lives: In Conversation, a live panel discussion on mother and baby homes
A live event to further explore the stories told in the Redacted Lives podcast.
Last year
2022
Redacted Lives: Catch up on our documentary series about Mother and Baby Homes
The six-part series follows survivors as they search for loved ones, answers and justice.
Redacted Lives: Listen to the final episode of our new documentary series here
NEW EPISODE: Roderic O’Gorman is the latest minister to be passed what some survivors call a poisoned chalice: tackling issues caused by Ireland’s mother and baby home system How much can he achieve while in office?
'Five grand can't give me my son back': Mother and Baby Home survivors hit out at redress plans
The final episode of Redacted Lives explores redress and plans to finally excavate the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam.
The final episode of Redacted Lives explores redress and plans to finally excavate the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam
Survivors believe State could face further legal action if so many people remain excluded from redress scheme, Órla Ryan reports
Maria Arbuckle says: "Five grand isn't going to change my life. My son being taken off me changed my life."
Redacted Lives: Final episode explores redress and plans to excavate Tuam mother and baby home site
The final episode in the series features an interview with Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman.
In the sixth and final episode in the series, A Living Wound, we hear from Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman
Also in this episode, survivors explain why they disagree with the Government’s approach to redress and other issues
As Maria Arbuckle said: "“Five grand isn’t going to change my life. My son being taken off me changed my life."
Redacted Lives: Listen to the fifth episode of our new documentary series here
NEW EPISODE: If or when they re-entered society, women sent to mother and baby homes were not expected to talk about what happened to them, let alone attempt to reconnect with their children. Many did, however – but with mixed success.
'I don't want to die not knowing': Adopted people share their search to find their identity
The penultimate episode of Redacted Lives follows people on their search for relatives and information about their early lives – and the jubilation and heartbreak that journey can bring.
The penultimate episode of Redacted Lives follows people on their search for relatives and information, Órla Ryan reports
"I'm getting older now, I don't want to die not knowing," Marguerite Penrose tells us
One man who believes he was illegally adopted also shares the impact this has had on his life
Redacted Lives: Mother and Baby Home survivors share if they found who they were looking for
In the penultimate episode in the series mothers and adopted people share the outcome of their searches.
In the penultimate episode in the series we find out if the survivors found who they were looking for
We also hear from adopted people about their search for their parents and information about their identity
Maria Arbuckle, like many women, spent decades looking for her son until a breakthrough in 2021
Redacted Lives: Listen to the fourth episode of our documentary series here
NEW EPISODE: Many survivors felt as though the Mother and Baby Homes Commission was a chance for society to learn what truly happened in these institutions. But it fell short of offering the closure many needed, leading experts to ask: how?
'Who paid for my flight? Who gave permission to take me out of England?'
Terri Harrison, who was taken from England to Ireland against her will in the 1970s because she was pregnant, wants answers.
Terri Harrison was taken from England to Ireland against her will in 1973 because she was pregnant and unmarried
She was forced into two different mother and baby institutions and her son was adopted without her consent
Decades later, she is still searching for answers, Órla Ryan reports
Redacted Lives: Why survivors felt let down by the Commission into Mother and Baby Homes
The latest episode in our podcast series examines how the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes gathered evidence.
The latest episode in our podcast series examines how the Commission into Mother and Baby Homes gathered evidence
Many survivors felt as though the inquiry was a chance for Irish society to finally find out what truly happened in these institutions
But the final report didn’t come to the conclusions that many experts expected, leading people to ask: How?
Gardaí investigating 20 alleged crimes related to Mother and Baby Homes
Redacted Lives: How boys robbing apples, and a local historian, uncovered a dark part of Irish history
Redacted Lives: Listen to the third episode of our new documentary series here
In 1975, two children looked under a slab of concrete and saw what appeared to be bones. Decades later, their accidental discovery led to a mass grave being uncovered on the grounds of a former mother and baby home.
Gardaí investigating 20 alleged crimes related to Mother and Baby Homes
In total, 89 complaints have been made to gardaí to date.
In total, 89 complaints have been made to gardaí to date, Órla Ryan reports
Most of those cases have been closed, but 20 remain open and are currently being investigated
Garda Commissioner says it would be difficult to prosecute people given the length of time that has passed
Redacted Lives: How boys robbing apples, and a local historian, uncovered a dark part of Irish history
The third episode of our new documentary series explores Tuam mother and baby home.
The third episode of our new documentary series explores Tuam mother and baby home
In 1975, two children hiding after being caught robbing apples uncovered what appeared to be piles of tiny bones
Decades later, their discovery was researched by a woman named Catherine Corless - who had no idea of the chain of events she would set into motion
Redacted Lives: Listen to the second episode of our new documentary series here
A system of mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries, and industrial schools flourished in 20th century Ireland. We examine how the Catholic Church’s hold on society allowed this to happen.
'We were a pure Catholic nation - and anyone who challenged that in any way was punished'
The latest episode of Redacted Lives, The Journal’s new podcast, explores the power nexus between Church and State in Ireland.
The latest episode of Redacted Lives, The Journal's new podcast, explores the power nexus between Church and State
High Walls examines how and why so many unmarried mothers and their children were incarcerated in Ireland
Éamon de Valera tried to have the Constitution approved by the pope in 1937, Órla Ryan reports
Redacted Lives: The second episode of our new documentary series is out now
Redacted Lives: The second episode of our new documentary series is out now
High Walls explores how and why so many unmarried mothers and their children were incarcerated in Ireland.
In 20th century Ireland, the Catholic Church exerted huge control over almost every aspect of people’s lives
Becoming pregnant outside marriage was viewed as one of the most shameful things a person could do
High Walls explores how and why so many unmarried mothers and their children were incarcerated in this country
Redacted Lives: The first episode of our new documentary series is out now
Redacted Lives: Listen to the first episode of our new documentary series here
Redacted Lives is a new documentary series from The Journal that tells the real story of mother and baby homes, and how the State continues to deny survivors access to information, proper redress and ownership of their true identities.
Redacted Lives: The first episode of our new documentary series is out now
The Journal has launched a new podcast series that explores the experiences of people who passed through mother and baby homes.
The Journal has launched a new podcast series that explores the experiences of people who passed through mother and baby homes.
More than 100,000 people spent time in these institutions in Ireland Their crime? Getting pregnant, or being born, outside marriage
Decades later, their search for answers continues
'Pregnant from Ireland' - A term many people didn't know until recently, even the women themselves
Redacted Lives, a new podcast series about mother and baby homes, was released this week.
Redacted Lives, a new podcast series about mother and baby homes, was released this week
Episode one explores a certain term you may not have heard before: 'Pregnant from Ireland'
Some women labelled PFIs were brought back from the UK to Ireland against their will, like Terri Harrison
Redacted Lives: The first episode of our new documentary series is out now
Listen to the teaser for our new podcast, Redacted Lives
Redacted Lives gives those women and their children the chance to tell the real story of mother and baby homes, and how the State continues to deny survivors access to information, proper redress and ownership of their true identities.
Opinion: 'I still don’t know why my name is Claire McGettrick and not Caitríona Palmer'
Adoption Rights campaigner Claire McGettrick says her ‘heart sank’ when she received the PDF of her records.
Redacted Lives: New podcast will explore how families were torn apart by Mother and Baby Homes
Survivors of the mother and baby home system are finally telling their true stories.