A number of callers spoke to Philip Boucher-Hayes on Liveline about the revelations regarding the improper registration of adopted babies by the St Patrick’s Guild between 1946 and 1969.
Paula, who was raised in America by Irish parents, told Philip that when she found out that she had been adopted, she watched the film Philomena and contacted a group listed on the film’s website for help.
“I basically grew up in California. I’d only been back to Ireland a couple of times. I had no idea of the history of the Magdalene Laundries, the forced adoptions. I was always just told, you know, ‘your Mom couldn’t keep you. You were adopted’. And it just kind of sent me on a mission that I had to make things right and figure out what happened.“
Some digging around led Paula to the Adoption Authority of Ireland.
“That’s when I found out my birth certificate was actually an original birth certificate. There was no adoption certificate. And they told me, ‘You were illegally registered’.”
According to Paula, the person she spoke to at the St Patrick’s Guild said that she had had “a good life” in an attempt to placate her.
“That’s not the point. I mean, I’ve been very fortunate. Growing up in California was a great experience. My [adopted] parents loved me but that’s not the point and lies were told…I don’t know what happened.”
Paula remembers her mother trying to explain what had happened all that time ago.
“She just remembers bits and pieces. She goes, ‘Oh no, you weren’t adopted, we just kind of took you. And I know that my parents that adopted me, they really did not believe they were doing anything wrong and I know that they were led by the nuns.”
By talking about her story publicly, Paula hopes that she might finally get some answers.
“Maybe I’ll get some answers and maybe some other people will get some answers when they’ve been lied to for all these years and information has been withheld.”
Another caller, Marian, described how it feels to look back on family photos you once analysed and used to compare your likeness to your relatives knowing that she is in fact adopted.
“One of the things that shocked me and hurts me is when I look at photographs I used to say ‘such a body looks like such a body else. Oh gosh, they’re the image of their Dad’. I can’t say that anymore and that’s my biggest loss…I have a wonderful, wonderful life. I’ve had fantastic luck in my life. And the luck is I was loved and still am – unconditionally. And I believe that for others, that won’t change but your…trust breaks down.”
Listen back to the whole discussion on Liveline here.