State of the World from NPR Looking Back: Uncovering the Secrets of an Irish Home for Unwed Mothers
Dec 31, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Lauren Frayer, an NPR London correspondent, shares her gripping uncovering of a mass grave at a former Irish home for unwed mothers. She reveals the shocking stigma surrounding unmarried pregnancy in Ireland and the community's long silence about the horrors within these institutions. Frayer also discovers a personal twist, learning of her own cousin's adoption connection to the town. With tales from survivors and insights into ongoing investigations, this conversation sheds light on a painful chapter in Ireland's history.
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Reporter Finds Family Link While Covering Grave
- Lauren Frayer discovered her cousin was adopted from the same Irish town where she reported on a mass grave.
- They are now investigating the cousin's adoption and possible links to the mother and baby home.
Family Secrets Revealed Through Records
- Anna Corrigan found documents showing her mother spent time in a mother and baby home and that two older brothers existed.
- She believes one brother may have been adopted abroad while the other has a death certificate on file.
Man Reunites With Birth Mother Decades Later
- P.J. Haverty described being separated from his mother, placed in foster care, and later reuniting with her in 1977.
- His mother had written to the nuns begging custody while they demanded money instead.