St Brigid's Orphanage The Coombe

MLS

Searching on behalf of my mother who was born "Mary Naughton" in Holles St. May 29, 1939. Her mother's name was also Mary Naughton. She was Baptized on June 1 1939 at St. Andrew's Westland Row, and the sponsor on her cert was Winifred Naughton. Her mother Mary resided at 1 Herbert Road, prior to giving birth, this apparently was a home where girls went before the babies were due. She was given up and placed in St. Mary's on Booterstown Ave for approximately 6 months and then moved to St. Brigid's Orphanage, at that time located in Eccles St. In Mid 1940 (?) She was fostered by a Mrs. Brigid O'Hare and Mr. Eoin O'Hare and raised as their child. In the 1992 I went to meet with a nun at St. Brigid's, The Coombe, where the records were held, the nun was not much help. My mother is now 75 and although her birth mother may have since died, it is quite possible that she has brothers and sisters. Of course depending on Mary Naughton's age at the time she gave birth, possible a teenager) she could be still alive. Any help would be amazing after all these years.

suddey

Hi I was adopted from here in 1967 and my sister was adopted in 1970 does anyone know if the place is still open??

Dermott Hayes

Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm an author and former journalist. That's created a dilemma for me, since, as a former journalist, I should have introduced myself throughout the media interaction page. Unfortunately, that's not possible, but, since I'm not a journalist, but a writer, I thought, maybe I should jump in and someone can help me.
I'm writing a novel that touches on the lives of people who were residents of state or convent run orphanages in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly St Brigid's, The Coombe. I have read many of the correspondents' messages on this discussion board regarding this particular orphanage and I've no doubt some of them could provide me with the kind of first hand experience I need, for the purpose of my book.
The curious thing, though, is the extraordinary lack of local information about the orphanage.this may come as no surprise to correspondents on this board. I asked a local businessman with contacts with the nuns in the current St Brigid's, to make enquiries. He came back with a vague acknowledgement of St Brigid's acting as a fostering staging house, as it were, but never a residential orphanage. I then asked a local woman, a random choice, who told me she'd attended St Brigid's as a student in the '70s when there was both air ate and public secondary school in operation. She had no recollection of an orphanage on this site. So, I wonder, what is going on? Are the remaining nuns in St Brigid's unwilling to acknowledge any involvement in 'adoption' activities that may have been illegal? Are there people alive today who can put a lie to their subterfuge and falsehoods? For my own purposes, can they and would they be willing to give me some insight to their experiences within this institution?

MLS

Have you spoke to Sr. Mary McDonagh ? She is now in the Coombe and handled the records for many years?

Dermott Hayes

No, I haven't spoken to her but a local businessman from Meath St, who has regular contact with her, told me he asked her about the orphanage and she denies there was ever an orphanage in The Coombe and that, at most, it facilitated some foster arrangements in the past.

rinsjwind

Hi Dermott

St Brigids Adoption Society moved from Eccles street in D7 to their current location in the Holy Faith convent in the Coombe in, i think, the late 80's/early 90's but as far as I know there was never any kind of residential institution in the Coombe (which might by why the locals never heard of it?). The Adoption Society is now closed down and they are in the long drawn out process of transferring their adoption records to the HSE but I think they only have records of kids who went on to be legally adopted.

There was however, also an orphanage in Eccles St run by the same order of nuns and some but by no means all of the children there may have been placed for adoption by St Brigids AS. The orphanage is , thankfully, long gone and I have no idea where any records might be or if you would get access to them. You might try the nuns head office or Tusla or the Barnardos Origins Service.

Good luck with de buke : -)

Rins

mariej122

I am currently trying to find my 2 brothers ( who wont know about me as I am the youngest). I spoke to sr McDonough and she tells me she cant give me any info as they are no longer accredited, she said the files are still there and awaiting to go to the hse still. Its really frustrating there is not enough help available, I have my brothers name and date of birth but that it

rinsjwind

Hi Marie

Oh dear, three times in a row! (see my last two posts) : -)

I heard that the AAI (01-2309300) will arrange for access (such as it is under our current ludicrous adoption laws) to the St Brigids files, I think through the Barnardos adoption service?

While you're on to the AAI, ask about their contact register which is also worth a try and if he is on it, it saves all concerned a lot of time and effort.

Barnardos will also , if you want them to, provide a tracing/first contact/mediation service. They also run very good preparation courses for both adoptees and birth relatives.

While you're on the inevitable waiting list for all that, you can always also have a look at the "fe*k it, I'll do it meself" trace guides on the stickys above and loads of folk on here who will give you advice on that. : - )



Cheers

Rins

mariej122

Hi Rins

I've sent my application for the contact register after phoning them I am told they have a bit of a backlog, they are up to the middle of july, I sent mine the middle of august so hopefully they will deal with it soon , just about to write to the hse. I emailed barnados a few weeks ago no reply up to now so will email them again. I have just sent an email to the catholic childrens society soo hopefully one of them may be able to help xx

Kevsomebody

Hi,

My name is Kevin Smith. I found out last Saturday (22 November 2014) that I was adopted. My 86- year-old adoptive mother told me that I came from an orphanage in Eccles Street, Dublin (I presume it is St. Brigids). She didn't know much other than the fact that my birth mother gave me the name of Kevin and that I was born on 11 June 1963. I was with my adoptive parents from six weeks. I have lived in Brisband Australia since 1966.

I would love to know more about my birth and my biological mother. I am getting some help from members of the adoption alliance who are just great.



Regards

Kev

Enda63

Hi Kevin,

Hope you have recovered from the shock.

Eccles Street was St Bridgets but it wasn't an orphanage really. It was an adoption agency. It it now based in the Holy Faith Convent, The Coombe, Dublin 8, but is no longer an accredited adoption agency. As far as I know they are planning/hoping to move their files to the health board but can't be 100% sure.

Being placed with your folks at 6 weeks was unusual back then.
I was born Feb 1963 and placed with my folks Oct 1963, St Bridgets was also my agency.

Enda

Kevsomebody

Enda63 wrote: »

Hi Kevin,

Hope you have recovered from the shock.

Eccles Street was St Bridgets but it wasn't an orphanage really. It was an adoption agency. It it now based in the Holy Faith Convent, The Coombe, Dublin 8, but is no longer an accredited adoption agency. As far as I know they are planning/hoping to move their files to the health board but can't be 100% sure.

Being placed with your folks at 6 weeks was unusual back then.
I was born Feb 1963 and placed with my folks Oct 1963, St Bridgets was also my agency.

Enda

Thank you very much Enda. The mystery goes on. I have no idea where I was born but I hope to find out one day.

Kind regards

Kev

rinsjwind

G'day Kev

See my reply to Marie above for details on tracking down the St Brigids records? you can also email the aai at tracing@aai.gov.ie

Have you thought about contacting a local adoption support service or peer support group in Oz? It can be very helpful to just have a chat over a coffee (or a beer!) with someone who has an understanding of the very complex emotions that can arise in such situations and it can also be handy to have such support around if you do decide to trace your birth family.



Best of luck.

Rins

Enda63

Kev,

do you happen to know where you were baptised? it probably would have been the church in the local area to where you were born.

Give me a shout if there is anything I can help with

Enda

sunnie

Hi. I was adopted from this orphanage in 1985.
my name is crystal higgins, i was in the middle of my search when all records where stopped because they are being moved down to waterford, as of yet they have still not been sent down. 3 yrs later. im at my witts end waiting. as im longing to find my bio mum. ive been to the GRO and i have found my bio mums name (annette farrell) this is her maiden name i think she is married now with would make her annette moore, i think she married in 1992. originally she is from down south of ireland. she finished off her pregnancy in dunboyne. this is all i know, my bio dads name is tim. i was born 8-9-1985, she wanted to call me catherine farrell.

i am writing all this as i hope someone will read it and hopefully be connected to me in someway to help me locate her.
any help would be fantastic as ive been at this for years with very success,

Thanks

Ghekko

Have you tried to find her birth certificate to get an address where she was born? It would give her parents names and then you could look up her siblings. Chances are someone in the area she came from would know of her.

sunnie

Ghekko wrote: »

Have you tried to find her birth certificate to get an address where she was born? It would give her parents names and then you could look up her siblings. Chances are someone in the area she came from would know of her.

Hi. Thanks for the post. That's a good idea. How would I go about tracking her brith cert?

Ghekko

Do you have any idea how old she was when you were born? You have her name so if you have an idea of her year of birth you would need to go to the GRO and look through the books. It should be relatively easy to find as her name isn't all that common. Even if you came up with a couple of possibilities you could get copies of birth records and take it from there. If you do find one you could then look at marriage records for the years around when you think she married. How did you find out about her married name?

Hermy

sunnie wrote: »

...ive been to the GRO and i have found my bio mums name (annette farrell) this is her maiden name i think she is married now with would make her annette moore, i think she married in 1992....

Hi Sunnie,

You seem to have quite a bit of information about your birth parents already so well done on that.
The bit I've quoted above, if correct, should be enough to get you the record of your birth mothers marriage in 1992.
If you don't have it already, this should provide you with some additional clues as to her whereabouts now.
Also, have you tried Facebook?

sunnie

Does anyone have any updates on when the adoption records will be released. I'm waiting over two years now. Do they not realise that they are putting people's life on hold. Or do they even care????
You can trace back the meat your eating to the farmer it came from but you can't trace living breathing people!!

sambo1978

Hi Does anyone know if theres any way I can get hold of my deceased Mums files?I beleive their in holybfaith convent in coombe. Would it be worth paying a visit to sr mary mcdonough? However I was advised this was not a good idea by adoption alliance any advise or help appreciated a lot.am desperate and at wits end to find my mums biological mum.

sunnie

Hermy wrote: »

Hi Sunnie,

You seem to have quite a bit of information about your birth parents already so well done on that.
The bit I've quoted above, if correct, should be enough to get you the record of your birth mothers marriage in 1992.
If you don't have it already, this should provide you with some additional clues as to her whereabouts now.
Also, have you tried Facebook?

I've tried all that and I keep coming up with nothing. I have just rang the HSE in Waterford and they now tell me that ST. Bridgits are not handing over their files.

Swampyjocks

Hi All,
I was told "off the record" by the HSE during this summer that they did take over the files from St. Bridgets. They are, however, holding out for funding. The ransom being that they do not have sufficient resources to manage those files. No funding no access to files...

It sickens me to the stomach that my personal information is sitting in a box somewhere and I cannot get access because of some bullsh!t politics.

sambo1978

hi all i just thought i would give an update on my situation.i found out during the summer my mum was adopted frm st.brigids eccles st 1956.after a lot of emailing desperate calls to various places we had success.myself and my sister visited holy faith convent in coombe and spoke with a sr mary mcdonough.It took a few weeks fir her to get back to us and we were told thry had no file as it was an illegal adoption we had been told there may be no paperwork however a few weeks later we received a call frm another nun frm holy faith gkasnevin that had found a file.we were lucky as my birth nan had tried to trace my mum in the 90's so we were given info as we got told the case was straightforward.it is completely wrong and frustrating that there are files sitting in a box that people are entitled to that information.it angered me so much but dont give up hope anyone who had an adoption with bridgets shud phone holy faith in coombe and arrange to meet sr mc donough.

Greenfairy114

Hi, not sure if anybody else has heard from this adoption agency lately but I rang last looking looking for info (adopted in '88) and was told the files were sealed etc, as posted by others. However I got a call before Christmas to let me know they are now being processed in the Glasnevin branch of the convent and that they'd be in touch soon when I reached the top of their list. Appointment on Monday next week to see what they have on file for me!

kathy finn

Yes St Bridgets are back in business doing traces, New SW not nuns running tracing service