There have been calls for the former mother & baby home in Fermoy, known as the Nursery Rescue Society, to be included in the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes announced earlier this month. The Nursery Rescue Society operated from St Patrick's Hospital in what was once a poorhouse, and a graveyard adjoining the hospital has a memorial stone and a cross in memory of the babies that were buried there.

The memorial stone reads: “… For special babies and for those who have no one left to pray for them. May the peace of God which passes all understanding comfort them, day by day, until we meet again.”

According to local historian Christy Roche, the poorhouse was built in 1857 and the orphanage or mother and baby home known as the 'Nursery Rescue Society' continued to operate from there.

"They had their own school there and the adults that died in the poorhouse would have been paupers and would be buried in unmarked graves in the adjoining graveyard," Christy explained. He also said that the former matron Ann O'Connor, was instrumental in getting the memorial stone and a new cross erected there some years ago.

When asked if he had any idea of how many babies might have been buried there, Christy said he didn't know, but would hazard a guess at 'possibly hundreds'.

The state of the graveyard and the requirement for a plaque and cross was often the subject of debate at the former Urban District Council, later known as Fermoy Town Council.

Cork East TD, Sinn Féin’s Sandra McLellan had 'urged strongly’ for the inclusion of the Nursery Rescue Society in the Commission of Investigation, while fellow Sinn Féin TD, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin told the Dáil he was ‘deeply concerned’ over the exclusion of a number of homes including the Fermoy-based Nursery Rescue Society.

Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy McLellan said: “While the inclusion of Bessboro House of Blackrock, Cork, in the list of institutions in the investigations is welcome, I urge strongly the inclusion of Braemar House and the Nursery Rescue Society, Fermoy. We call for all victims from other related institutions also to be included.”

Deputy McLellan also broached the subject of trial vaccinations on vulnerable children within care. “In my own constituency of East Cork I have met with several individuals who have been subjected to vaccine trials while in Mother and Baby Homes.

“The main concern for these individuals is the lack of information around the drugs prescribed. In some cases there have been residual effects. Understandably this causes huge ongoing distress”

She added: “At least ten mother and baby homes were involved and it is believed the trials took place between 1960 to 1976. Fresh reports suggest that at least 3,000 children in 24 residential institutions and as many as 40,000 children among the general child population were administered experimental vaccines.

“We need to find out exactly what happened, who sanctioned these decisions, and why these children were held in such low regard by those who should have protected them. The State must ensure that the orders and other institutions are held fully accountable and make a full proportionate contribution towards remedy and reparation.”

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