Memorial to survivors of abuse 'better late than never'

THE memorial to survivors of historical institutional abuse due to be unveiled at parliament buildings is long overdue. 

This is the opinion of Good Shepard Convent survivor Mary Nolan regarding a plaque set to be installed  at Stormont  acknowledging the harm caused to those housed in church ran institutions.   

 Whilst Mrs Nolan, who spent a year  resident in the Good Shepard Convent in 1972, is of the opinion that  something like this should have been done years ago at least it is going to” let society know what happened” to both her and those who were in her company during her tenure at the facility situated on  Newry’s Armagh Road.   

     Acknowledgement

“The monument is being unveiled in remembrance to all those who went through the institutions “ explained Mary. “It will be unveiled at midday.”

“It should have been done sooner, years ago but it is better late than never. At least it is going to let society know what happened.  

“I will be in attendance. I got the message through The Truth Recovery Programme. Perhaps Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little Pengelly will be there to unveil the plaque? 

“The main point is that this is in Stormont. This is a start. I am sure Westminster will know about it as well. It is more important than money as money can be spent but this plaque will remain there for the next generation to see, question and find out what happened. This plague means more than money, it is keeping the subject alive with recognition.”

  Warm Invite       

The unveiling of the plaque will be held on Friday February 20, with the Executive Office extending the warmest of invites to any and all survivors of historical institutional abuse to attend the ceremony. 

 Fully aware that this may be an emotive event for those who have the lived experience of historical institutional abuse, on hand to support those in need will be the Victims and Survivors Service, as well as representatives from the WAVE Trauma centre and Advice NI. 

  Whilst the plaque will act as an eternal commemoration to the memory of those who suffered abuse at the hands of church run institutions who are both now living and dead, Mary also shared in the fact that she has conceived of her own bespoke way of ensuring that the personalities of those she was housed with in the Good Shepard Convent are never forgotten.   

 Memorial journal

 “I will be writing a short journal about all the people that I knew who were in the Good Shepard Convent between 72 and 73. 

“I am going on a residential at the end of March with  The Truth Recovery Programme. There is going to  be a guy their Danny Taggert. I am going to ask him to put this journal together and put it somewhere for future reference in the same manner as the digital exhibition  in Derry. 

“I am going to keep the memory of the people I knew alive, giving them names, descriptions and write wee stories about them so somewhere along the line people are going to be able to read about them,  the kind of characters  that I encountered.     

“I will publish it somewhere. I will do a page on each of them or a page or a half, whatever I have. This will be something to let people know who was there and what type of character they were. This is to let people know what type of people were there at that time. This is what I am going to do in remembrance so that they will be remembered somewhere.”   

Whilst the plaque scheduled to be unveiled at Stormont is specifically to commemorate those children and young people who were victims of historical institutional abuse and not those women accommodated in mother and baby homes, Marianvale survivor Adele Johnstone stated that she would not be opposed to a similar memorial being installed at the site of the infamous mother and baby institution situated on the Armagh Road.

Marianvale monument

“I am glad to see that survivors of historical institutional abuse are getting some acknowledgement. Some people feel a similar memorial should be placed at the site of mother and baby homes and some people feel it shouldn’t.

“A small area to acknowledge what happened there, I do think it should be placed instead of just wiping it completely of.

“At times it was cited that they would put a seat up somewhere but to me it would be far better to make some acknowledgement such as a remberance  garden.”