Description
Book SynopsisThe story of baby trafficking organised by nuns, sanctioned by an archbishop, administered by civil servants and approved by politicians who tried to keep it secret…
In this re-issue of the 2012 second edition of his highly acclaimed Banished Babies, Mike Milotte uncovers in vivid detail how the State colluded with the Church to facilitate the export of thousands of ‘illegitimate’ children in the 1950s and 60s, and how a black market existed in which Irish babies were bought and sold beyond the fringes of the official scheme.
Mike Milotte's damning exposé was first published to critical acclaim in 1997, and quickly achieved iconic status. In this second edition, the author has added previously untold personal stories from some of the 'banished babies' he met in the intervening period, stories that further illuminate the murky shadows of this official, but long-concealed child-export business.
Banished Babies will shock and anger anyone who is prepared to confront the truth about Ireland’s dark and sordid past.
Trade ReviewAn astonishing story, meticulously told – and an excellent piece of journalism.
* An Phoblacht *
This book would make your blood boil...one of the finest pieces of journalism this reader has come across for many a day. The author, Mike Milotte, has done his profession proud.
-- Padraig O'Morain * The Irish Times *
A brilliant exposé of the shabby history of sectarian cruelty to unmarried women who became pregnant in Ireland in the 1950s.
-- Susan McKay * Sunday Tribune *
Milotte’s work has been of immense importance in the opening up of adoption stories in Ireland.
-- Dr Valerie O'Brien & Dr Sahana Mitra * Research on Adoption in Ireland *
A salutary story, too long untold, and another nail in the coffin of Dev’s mythical mystical Ireland.
* The Big Issue *
