Survivor of cross-border institutional care demands justice and accountability

A SURVIVOR of cross-border institutional care has told of how he has accused systems in both jurisdictions of leaving him in limbo, with more questions than answers.

Cathal Morrison has taken the step to speak out publicly to demand justice for his infant years, the scars of which he says he carries with him to this day.

Soon after his birth in Cork on April 3,1980, Cathal came under the care of the North Western Health Board. As a baby, he was moved between institutions in the North, The Castle in Newtowncunningham and Bessborough in Cork.

Cathal has described how his early life was “controlled by systems that operated in secrecy and without proper consent”.

When he was aged between 18 months and two years, Cathal was adopted by Charlie and Kathleen Morrison in Derry.

While he enjoyed a loving upbringing, the father-of-two has vowed to use his voice to continue his fight for truth, accountability and justice for not only himself but for other survivors of mother and baby institutions.

He has formally contacted the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, the Sisters of Nazareth, the Catholic Church, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to demand a full public apology from all responsible bodies.

The 45-year-old is also seeking access to his records, recognition of the psychological and emotional harm inflicted on him, and accountability for any medical or vaccine testing carried out without consent in the institutions connected to his case.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Cathal said he believes what happened to him as a baby amounted to no more than “child trafficking”.

“In effect, I was taken or stolen. It was child trafficking. What followed was years of confusion, loss of identity, and psychological trauma that has affected every part of my life.

“Survivors like me, people moved between Ireland and Northern Ireland, have been left in limbo, forgotten by both systems. We are still here, still waiting for truth, and still carrying the scars of what was done to us.

“I’m not only thinking of my own personal trauma but the trauma of everyone affected by my scenario,” said Cathal.

WEDLOCK

“I found out that I have four sisters. They had to find me. I didn’t know they existed until I was 30. A year ago, I did a My Heritage test and through that I discovered I had a half brother. It turns out I have another four brothers and a sister from my birth father’s side.

“I was born out of wedlock. My birth mother and birth father parted ways. She didn’t want to give me up, that’s very evident from the documents I do have. Her mother, who was a great advocate of the Catholic Church, was petrified of the stigma of her daughter having a child outside of wedlock.”

Cathal said his personal trauma seeped into his later years.

“My birth mum has since died. She wasn’t allowed to make contact with me. She suffered with alcoholism due to the trauma she experienced.

“I have two children now, and it has been hard. I have been put on anti-depressants and probably drank too much to block it out. Growing up, if I saw nuns or priests I would run and hide. The Americans call it therapy. I call it needing a third party, because otherwise what you’re doing is passing a burden to a loved one. It has taken its toll over the years.”

Cathal told of how he met his birth father only recently.

“I knocked on his door and he knew who I was straight away even though he never knew about me. He lives in Cork still. He was an absolute gentleman. He said he and my mother were together for quite a while.”

While Cathal has no memory of his time in The Castle in Newtowncunningham, he said records indicate he was there prior to his birth and afterwards for a time.

Medical experiments were conducted on children as young as three months old in Irish mother and baby homes. Vaccines were tested on them, as was baby formula by companies now in the GSK (Glaxo Smith Kline) group.

Nearly 1,500 children were experimented on during a 50-year period until 1973. This was without the consent of their parents.

Cathal said his records have thrown up questions about the care he received while in mother and baby institutions.

MEDICAL RECORDS

“Some of the medical records show that I had a reaction to something and was violently sick. It was blamed on milk, but that’s where I believe GlaxoSmithKline come in.

“I have an indent above my right eye. I asked my parents about it when I was younger because they were always open about the fact that I was adopted, and they told me that I had that mark when they adopted me. I’ve been told by doctors privately that it looks like an impact wound.”

Cathal is seeking transparency from Tusla and an apology from State organisations and the Church.

“I believe Tusla has deliberately kept information back, including about my being in The Castle in Newtowncunningham. It has been a living nightmare trying to access my own records.

“The Church needs to apologise. The Church allowed trials to happen on children, and the truth about that needs to come out. I have written to Vatican City but have had zero back. They need to be held accountable. They knew what was happening and profited from it.

“I’m one of the lucky survivors because I had a good upbringing but for every one child that had a good upbringing after being adopted, there are five who have had a hell of a life and maybe five who have died because of it.”

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation final report, published in 2021, found 343 children who were in Stranorlar County Home died in infancy or early childhood.

“How did they die?”, said Cathal.

“Every living survivor deserves more than words. We deserve individual apologies, records, redress, and recognition of the human rights violations we endured.

“I am calling on public representatives and anyone who believes in justice to stand with survivors and to ensure that what happened to us is never hidden again. I just want the truth.”

We contacted Tusla for a response. It had not been received at the time of going to press.