junemay wrote: » Me too, after 35 years.
Laura1968 wrote: » I was in Dunboyne from Nov '84 to March 1985, not dates I have seen anyone else post about. At that stage there were no babies there, but one of the bedrooms was still called the nursery, which is what it had been. We were known by our first names, with the addition of our middle name if there were two girls there with the same first name at the same time. The taxi company used for night trips was the sixes (76 66 66) taxis in Dublin, as my uncle drove for them, and he told me about it. Thanks for the name of the retreiver dog, Jacko, and for Sr Ambrose who I had forgotten. Sr Claire was/is a midwife, and did the anti natal classes, with us all on mats spread down along the corridor. I was back to visit Sr Cait once when my daughter was about 2, and she was thrilled to see us, but it was strange to be in the "convent" side of the house. Does anyone remember the plane crash? A light aircraft came down in the field behind the house on weekwhile I was there. And the central heating packed in, and took weeks to get fixed :-( Siobhan, from Cork, Siobhan Mary from Donegal, Bernie from Galway, Cathy from North Dublin, I wonder where you are now. Other faces I can remember, but not the names. Chrissy was the domestic lady, daft as a brush, but heart of gold :-)
sunshine1799 wrote: » Sorry I didnt mean to insult anyone its just you hear so much in the media vilifying the nuns because they never made me feel bad the opposite really. Sorry again I was very insensitive to others who feel they were mistreated by the orders. I was there in the 80s and it was ok the only person that made me feel bad was myself I am not saying it didnt affect me, it did, as I was so young but I was luckier than most as my circumstances was ok. Lou
Black Witch101 wrote: » I found my birth mother a few years ago - she is one of the most vile persons I have ever met - thank God she did give me up - absolute horror of a human being. For those searching, tread lightly, is my advice. I wishI'd let sleeping dogs lie. Thankfull I am a very strong person, so it didn't bother me, but weaker people could get very hurt if they met a birth mother like that thing who gave birth to me.
survived wrote: » hi sunshine 1799 glad to hear you had a very good experience in dunboyne and were treated so well, unfortunately not all of us were so lucky I feel quite insulted that you would say we were lying, could so many people be telling untruths ? Yes some days were ok but believe me there were others that werent but sadly we all have our own memories and our own ghosts.
Jackeen68 wrote: » Does anyone remember Fr. George Aggar who would come once a month to say Mass and hear confessions? He was so sweet and kind. I kept in touch with him for a few years after but then he left for a mission in Africa and we lost touch.
Breda Kelly wrote: » My son was born in holles st hospital in 1973" we were in the good shepherd convent until march 1973" when he was adopted. When I did try to find him ..it was too late he has died in 2002" he would have been 40 this feb.
Penny Dreadful wrote: » He died a few years ago, quite a sad death really as he had Alzheimers and Parkinsons but he and his wife were an aunt and uncle that I was really close to, almost like another mum and dad. I used to go on my "holidays" to their house in Dunboyne and thought I was in clover as I got away from my brother and sisters and got to do fun stuff like to to bingo (:o the expectations of kids on their holidays all those years ago eh?). I often think about them both and remember him talking about the convent and the girls there and taking them to the hospital for appointments and other such things. I never understood what was happening in the convent (good ol' Ireland back then, such things were never openly discussed and the damage that caused:() but remember the tone he and my aunt spoke in was always one of gentleness and kindness. Maybe this was because they had adopted two girls themselves as they were unable to have children I don't know. I just really do hope that he was nice to everyone
survived wrote: » hi junemay . I found my trip to dunboyne castle very overwhelming i had a lot of flashbacks it was all surreal things and memories you have in your head get shifted around. we walked around the hotel. and there were a lot of doors that said strictly private no entry but without thinking we opened the doors and they brought us to parts of the home( not the posh part where the visitors seen ) the stairs at the back seemed so narrow it was all very weird . what was more weird was the fact that no security gaurd came after us and there were cameras everywhere !!! Since being there last year ive found im a little bit more at peace. Unfortunately adoption stories on telly and the madelene laundry report is stirring up a lot for me as im sure it is for everyone. Unlike you i always felt we were very badly treated and the scars stayed with me for life even after many years of councelling.
vinosol wrote: » Hi , i remember the work down at the back of the convent putting cards into cellophane..also the kindness of the taxi driver Ger Kelly, his was the only name i can remember and Sr. Ambrose...she too was kind.
Roland9 wrote: » Hi, It's strange how the mind works. I am in work and suddenly I'm on this site and on this thread. My mother was pregnant with me in Dunboyne for several months until April 1976. She was unmarried and sent there by her parents because of the shame (hard to imagine now). My birth father found a sudden desire to visit England and not come back. My mother gave birth to me in Holles Street. I was due to be given up for adoption but something happened, I was kept. My mother doesn't talk about that time, some things she has mentioned have been echoed by other comments from posters. She is not doing so well now, she has trouble dealing (or not dealing) with her emotions. Her family were not particularly caring to her, though her parents were good to me. She won't go to counselling. I would like to hear other accounts of peoples time there. It might help me get through to her. I don't think that everything that happened in Dunboyne was just circumstance.
