Baby Marion Howe

On May 17th 1955, Christina Howe gave her beloved healthy baby daughter Marion into the care of the nuns at Goldenbridge Orphanage, Ireland, for two weeks, while she recovered from illness. Just four days later Marion's father Myles, who was working in England, received a bald telegram saying that Marion had died. In spite of being told to let the nuns make arrangements for Marion, Myles returned and demanded to see his eleven month old daughter. He found two identical 'silver dollar' sized burns on the inner part of her knees so deep that he could see the bone. Myles went to the police who told him that it was an unfortunate accident and that he should let it go. The death certificate recorded Marion's cause of death as acute dysentery infection. 

The police re-opened the case in 1996. Upon initial questioning the Sister of Mercy denied having ever had a Marion Howe staying at Goldenbridge. Following a search of the records, the police found Marion recorded in the 'sick book' beside the entry 'leg burnt/history of vomiting.' The Sisters of Mercy never admitted any liability for what happened to baby Marion although they did pay an out of court settlement to the family of 20,000 pounds in 1977.  Today the family are still fighting to have Marion's body exhumed so that they can discover the full truth about her death.

I am full of sadness today for Marion Howe, her deceased parents and all her siblings. I am full of respect for Marion's family. They have fought for all these years for justice for Marion. It is bad enough that they had to cope with Marion's death but unacceptably cruel that they have been lied to for so long.  It is time for a new law in Ireland requiring the religious orders to produce all their records on pain of imprisonment. Can you see another way to end this needless suffering for all families seeking information about their loved ones? I can't.