Former Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin John Gregg termed The Bethany Home in Rathgar, south Dublin, as a home for “fallen” women when he presided at its opening in 1922. The stigma of that insult remains today, and needs to be reversed.
Protestant women were obliged by the dictates of religious and social prejudice to have their babies out of sight and out of mind, before being pressurised into giving them up. I am a lifelong victim of that prejudice, and The Bethany Home was guilty of documented gross neglect until it closed in 1972.
I’m taking this opportunity to ask the heads of all Protestant churches in Ireland to publicly support my demand that The Bethany Home be counted under the terms of the Irish Government’s redress and compensation scheme, by placing it in the official list of homes within the redress scheme.
I ask you support my demand that the conduct and running of The Bethany Home be subject to a public investigation by a competent and independent person or body.
I also ask you to direct that all church records and correspondence with regard to The Bethany Home be released to me at your earliest convenience and that you assist me in identifying all sources of such possible correspondence or records.
Derek Leinster,
Former Bethany Home resident
Wakefield. England
