Bill Donohue comments on the alleged number of persons who died in Ireland’s Mother and Baby homes in the twentieth century:
Paul Redmond is chairman of the Coalition of Mother and Baby Home Survivors. He was born in one of the homes in 1964, and was adopted 17 days later. He has become the leading activist involved in the search for answers to what actually happened in these homes.
As with many others associated with this cause, Redmond’s “evidence” is slippery.
- On January 30, 2015, the Irish Mirror reported that Redmond claimed he had evidence of 7,000 babies and children who died in homes across Ireland in the last century.
- On March 3, 2017, just as the latest Tuam “mass grave” story was being reported, Redmond told Ireland’s BreakingNews that “at least 6,000 babies and children” had died in the homes. No one asked him to explain the missing 1,000.
- On March 6, 2017, three days after he cited the 6,000 figure to BreakingNews, he told the same media outlet that 7,000 died in the care of the nuns. No one asked him to explain the additional 1,000.
- On March 7, the Irish Sun reported that Redmond said there were 6,000 women and children who died in the homes. No one asked him to explain the missing 1,000, nor did they ask why he now included women in his estimate.
Redmond outdid himself on March 3 when he told UPI that “well over 4,000 babies and children” were buried in three of the homes. But where? Redmond said they were buried “in shoeboxes and rags.” No one asked him to prove a thing.
And some wonder why I am so skeptical.