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Baby Marion Howe

4/20/2012

6 Comments

 
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.

6 Comments
Martine Brennan link
4/20/2012 10:11:02 am

Thank you to all my readers all over the world. Thank you for remembering Marion with her family. Please leave a note to say where you are in the world it would mean a lot to the family. With sincere thanks Martine

Reply
Catherine Crout-Habel link
4/23/2012 03:16:24 am

Sending much love and healing energy, from South Australia, to little Marion's loved ones. Congratulations to them for their persistance for truth and justice. Little lives, especially those cut short, must be honoured.
It's crucial that all organisations, religious or not, are legally required to release their records. Why the secrecy?
May public outrage honour the life of Marion Howe by bringing about overdue legal change in Ireland. xxx Catherine

Reply
Martine Brennan link
4/23/2012 03:29:02 am

Thank you for remembering Marion, Catherine. I couldn't agree more. I think it will take a public outcry to bring about legal changes to force the organisations to make their records public. Sadly, what has happened until now is that each family has been isolated and forced to seek their own family members records for years. Each family has had to put so much energy into their own individual case. An Irish journalist Mary Raftery, made great strides on behalf of the families but sadly she died recently. It beggars belief that now that even adoption records have been unsealed that people are still struggling with this cruel system. Justice for the Magdalens have produced a pdf which is very helpful for anyone searching. It is available on their website http://www.magdalenelaundries.com/
There is no central repository for the records at this time.

Reply
M Brophy
6/27/2014 03:15:59 am

The priests and nuns who were supposed to be doing the work of God all these years were worse than the Devil himself. All the land and properties still owned by the religious orders in Ireland and overseas needs to be seized and sold to compensate the families of their victims.

Reply
Frances Howe
1/22/2016 07:01:24 pm

Hi Martine My Name is Frances Howe Baby Marion's sister delighted to see you still have the Story out there well 2016 and still no answers still fighting to get Marion's body exhumed so sad xx

Reply
Martine Brennan link
1/23/2016 12:07:27 am

Frances, there are no words so I won't even try... I don't know where you find the strength to keep going, it is cruel that your simple honest request continues to be unheard.
Martine

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