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Marianvale home in Newry PA

Report into Northern Ireland's mother and baby homes to be published today

Stormont’s leaders are facing calls to establish a public inquiry into the institutions.

A REPORT INTO the operation of institutions for women and babies in Northern Ireland is to be published later today.

The academic research on mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries will be considered by Stormont ministers this morning.

First Minister Arlene Foster is due to outline the findings to the Assembly this afternoon.

Prior to that, Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill are due to meet survivors at Stormont.

The region’s political leaders are already facing calls to establish a public inquiry into the institutions and those are likely to intensify after the release of the Stormont-commissioned research.

Amnesty International says there were more than a dozen mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundry-type institutions in Northern Ireland, with the last one closing its doors as recently as 1990.

Some former residents of the homes, along with Amnesty, have been calling for a public inquiry since 2013.

Foster tweeted: “Conclusions will be examined. Comparisons will be made. However, the lives impacted must be foremost in our thoughts.”

A probe into similar institutions in the Irish Republic prompted an apology from Taoiseach Michael Martin.

Martin said former residents had been failed by the state.

‘Hellhole’

A woman who was sent to the Marianvale home in Newry after becoming pregnant at 17 described it as a “hellhole” and recounted a culture of shame and secrecy behind its doors.

She attributed depression, anxiety and physical symptoms she has suffered throughout her life to that experience and the forced secrecy around it.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland programme director of Amnesty International, said he believes the report will “shed new light on the appalling extent and vast scale of the suffering experienced by generations of women and girls in these institutions”.

“Amnesty has received allegations of arbitrary detention, forced labour, ill-treatment, and the removal and forced adoption of babies,” he said.

It’s time for ministers to listen to the survivors – both the women and girls forced into the homes and the children born there.

An inter-departmental working group on mother and baby homes, Magdalene Laundries and historical clerical abuse was set up in 2016 to look into the homes, which operated between 1922 and 1999.

These institutions were run across the region by both the Catholic orders and Protestant clergy. 

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    Mute Donie Keyes
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:50 PM

    Now this is the duo for the Eurovision instead of Nicky nobody! Raw natural talent can’t be beaten! Well done lads.

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    Mute Owen Lynch
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:34 AM

    These lads can chant .

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Mar 6th 2016, 5:58 PM

    don’t kill their careers before they even start

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    Mute James Darcy
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:06 PM

    Good man Glen and Co! Brother Ben would be proud!…

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    Mute Louise Ní Riain
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:10 PM

    Brilliant

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    Mute Oran Joyce
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:09 PM

    Whenever I see a singer with his hands in his pockets I just know he’s going to be ace.

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    Mute Chantelle Hughes
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:19 PM

    Just, wow!! Gave me chills.

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    Mute Andrew Farrell
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:15 PM

    Heard these lads a couple of years ago, absolutely brilliant, these are international stars, they would sell worldwide, keep it up lads, big things expected

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    Mute Mondoburley
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:00 PM

    AdeadlyAdelemAdeley

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    Mute John O Neill
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    Mar 5th 2016, 3:59 PM

    Adele better watch out

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    Mute REA North*s
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:09 PM

    Stunning !

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    Mute Eddie Barrett
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:18 PM

    Fabulous voices

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:31 PM

    Very good and very different.

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    Mute Denis Silver
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    Mar 5th 2016, 11:39 PM

    She brought them up on stage today and got them sing the medley …result standing ovation and even more respect for Adele

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    Mute john dunne
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:18 PM

    Genius

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    Mute Kevin Lynch
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:04 PM

    beautiful

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    Mute Mark Fitzmaurice
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:23 PM

    Fair play lads. Gorgeous

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    Mute Has-an
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:12 PM

    What a voice.

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    Mute moe
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    Mar 5th 2016, 7:08 PM

    That was class lads . Fair play to yeh .

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    Mute Christopher murray
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    Mar 5th 2016, 8:29 PM

    They have some covers on YouTube under the name trillogy too. Well worth a look

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    Mute Has-an
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    Mar 5th 2016, 6:13 PM

    What a voice!

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    Mute Stephen Luco
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    Mar 5th 2016, 7:59 PM

    Very Good

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    Mute Del Haven
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    Mar 5th 2016, 4:34 PM

    Ronan is very good but Glenn’s where the money’s at.

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:31 PM

    Ronan is a fabulous composer, Glen’s voice is pure velvet

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    Mute cníchi
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    Mar 5th 2016, 10:39 PM

    Lovely harmonies

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    Mute Catherine O'Connor
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    Mar 5th 2016, 8:58 PM

    WOW!!!

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    Mute Scott Kincaid
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    Mar 6th 2016, 9:59 AM

    I just keep seeing James Corden.

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    Mute D'Murph
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    Mar 6th 2016, 10:15 AM

    Exceptional… We should send these two to the Eurovision.

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    Mute Patrick Agnew
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:14 PM

    The guys in the high kings group would wipe the floor with them. They are very good though.

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Mar 5th 2016, 5:23 PM

    High Kings = plastic paddies

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