Sean Ross Abbey Roscrea survivors release ground scan results

The We are Still Here Sean Ross Abbey Group has released the report relating to the ground scans undertaken at Sean Ross Abbey last year after a delay in a response from government.

The survivors group believe the remains of almost one-thousand children who died at the facility on the outskirts of Roscrea may be interred in unmarked ground adjacent to a burial plot known as the Angel's Plot and employed a company to visit Roscrea and perform underground scans of a piece of land.

The Sean Ross mother-and-baby home opened in Roscrea in 1931 and closed in 1969, and was among the homes run by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. During that time, 6,414 women were admitted and 6,079 babies were born there.

Records exist for 1,090 children born in Sean Ross during the 38 years of its operation who died there, with most of those deaths between 1932 and 1947. Most died as infants aged under three months from respiratory infections, influenza and gastroenteritis, and other non-specific infections.

The company who carried out the ground scans last year said their work identified "several anomalies" which "may originate from isolated objects or areas with distinct ground conditions compared to their surroundings."

"The most intriguing anomalies were discovered on the southern side of the inspected site.

"Despite our efforts, the ongoing processing has not revealed a definitive or specific image that can provide an absolute assurance regarding the identity or characteristics of the object in question, but all the features identified during our survey strongly indicate the availability of valuable information pertaining to the scope of our research", Precision Utility Mapping, the company who carried out the ground scans, said.

The decision to release the scan was taken on foot of a delay by the Department of Children, Integration, Equality, Disability and Youth in providing a review of the survey to ascertain the next step that should be taken.

Speaking upon the release of the scan report, Teresa Collins, founder of the group who was born in Sean Ross said: “We are grateful to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for providing the funding to conduct ground scans at Sean Ross Abbey. Those scans were an important step in ascertaining whether further, undocumented burials took place at a parcel of land adjacent to the Angel’s Plot.

“When the results of the scans were furnished to us, they showed a number of anomalies in separate locations in the site. The exact nature of these anomalies had to be determined as they could be due to a number of factors.

“So, we forwarded them to the Department of Children, Integration, Equality, Disability and Youth for the purposes of enabling qualified personnel to examine the specific areas of interest with a view to suggesting whether, in their opinion any further excavations were necessary.

“To avoid any undue pressure being placed on the Department while this examination of the results took place, as an act of good faith we did not publish the results.

“During the time that has since gone by, the Department of Children, Integration, Equality, Disability and Youth sent the survey results to the Department of Heritage so that the technical experts they have on-hand, such as archaeologists, could carry out an informed examination of the results.

“We were subsequently told that this review had been sent back to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Youth.

“Unfortunately, we have heard nothing back from the Department since.

“Due to this ongoing delay, we believe it is only appropriate and in the interests of the many people affected by decades of abuse at Sean Ross Abbey, that we now publish the scan results.

“It is unfortunate that we must take this action. However, we feel that enough time has gone by for the Department to indicate its views on the way forward.

“Survivors of Sean Ross Abbey, and their families, have gone through decades of waiting for justice. We just cannot tolerate any further, undue delays.

“Additionally, it must be noted that any view the Department may eventually express may not necessarily be in line with our views on whether the areas of interest warrant further excavation.

“We need the Department to furnish us with their review of the scans, so that we can begin to negotiate a way forward in giving a voice to those who were silenced for so long.”

In 1969, Sean Ross ceased to admit single expectant mothers and the last mother and baby were discharged from there around Christmas 1969. In August 1970, it opened as St Anne's home for children with a mental and physical disability.