The Home Babies: An Irish tragedy

The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):

The story of how one woman discovered the secret which lay beneath the site of an old mother and baby home in the west of Ireland. Her discovery shocked the country and the world.

Series or standalone:

Series

Begin listening to:

The Wall

Format:

Investigative reporting

Sound/production quality:

Very good

Rating/age suitability:

Best for adults

Approximate length of episodes:

15-20 minutes

Curricular ties:

N/A

Similar recommended pods:

N/A

Podcast Librarian’s Review: This pod is about a “mother and child home” in Tuam (Co. Galway, Ireland), which was revealed in recent years to have been a place of abuse and horror for its residents. If you’re a fellow Call the Midwife fan, then you may recognize this concept. Young pregnant women would be sent to the home during their pregnancy and after birth so that they could be hidden from society in order to avoid the shame and judgement of others for their immoral choices. 🙄 In many cases, the children were adopted out to other families, and the girls would return to their former lives. This podcast interviews those who lived near the home and had memories of the residents, including the local historian who, in 2014, revealed the gruesome discovery of the remains of 798 children and infants, some of which were found in septic tanks. (This is not giving anything away; it’s stated at the top and was all over the news.) As is typical of BBC podcasts, it is informative, engaging, and well-researched, but never sensationalizes its topic. With 10 episodes, it’s an easy binge of a tragic but fascinating part of Irish history.