Homepage

Welcome to Adopted Illegally - Ireland

Call for an independent investigation into illegal adoptions

Even though the Irish Adoption Bill came into force in 1952, astonishingly, illegal adoptions continued up until the late 80s. 42 mother and baby homes mainly run by nurses involved in this informal or illegal practice closed suddenly in 1972 when the new Health Act came into force. An astounding co-incidence I would say. But what's even more astounding is out of those 42 nursing homes, there is reportedly not one set of files available, which is statistically unrealistic. Somewhere these files are hidden away in archives and informal adoptees should have the right to access these files. The 2010 Adoption Bill was passed without a single provision to help facilitate both legally adopted people and illegal adoptees to access files concerning their birth. They have been subjected to a closed secret adoption system since 1952.

SEARCH FOR AN IDENTITY - Ger Willis

For generations, most adoptees were told or assumed, if they were told nothing at all-that they should view their adoptive parents' backgrounds as their own. They did that, and for the most part, they still do, because it feels right and good to embrace every aspect of the family in which we grow up.
The adoptees always knew that they had a second background, too, the one that explained their appearance, that accounted for some of their talents and traits. the family in which we grow up. The adoptees always knew that they had a second background too, the one that explained their appearance, that accounted for some of their talents and traits. For generations, most adoptees were told - or assumed, if they were told nothing at all - that they should view their adoptive parents' backgrounds as their own.
They did that, and for the most part, they still do, because it feels good and right to embrace every aspect of the family in which we grow up.
The adoptees always knew that they had a second background, too, the one that explained their appearance, that accounted for some of their talents and traits.
They knew there were people out there from whom they'd inherited their strong chins or weak hearts, a woman with whom they had shared at least nine months of early life. Hundreds of years of history. Adoptees care deeply about all this.
We need our voices to be heard through the deafening silence on Adoption.
We want our questions to be answered.
We need our Identities to be released and revealed.
We want our Medical Histories unveiled.

Finally, then Adoptees will begin to share equal rights to this little thing called "Life"

Orphaned / 1954

What years have passed and shadows cast

On a person's right to know
Their parents that had sown the seed
To make this baby grow

What rights have they in following years
To lock it all away
And keep these secrets from the child
Until the present day

And even now the lips are sealed
And documents amiss
The cruelty of adoption
Is like a Judas kiss

So to fight for right to find the name
For those children in the past
Some self-imposed office fool
Will make their torment last

And those people with the right to know
Their years will slip away
Unless the records are released
To give them peace of mind today

By Tony Gorman

Back to top