Philomena Says Hospital Row Is "Crazy"

Irish Independent
May 4, 2017

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/philomena-says-hospital-row-is-crazy-35679033.html

Philomena Lee and Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone at the conference. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Philomena Lee has spoken of her disbelief at the Order of the Sisters of Charity involvement with the new National Maternity Hospital.

Ms Lee - who was the subject of the Oscar-nominated film 'Philomena' - told the Irish Independent that she believed the order's nuns were "digging their heels in" to hold onto ownership of the hospital.

"I only heard this through my sisters the other day and it's gone crazy," she said. "They ran the Magdalene Laundries and they were horrific altogether. I don't think the Church should be involved in running hospitals, I mean they ran the homes.

"We never knew what was going on, they never told us anything, you believed every word you were told," she added.

"Being in a convent school from 16 years of age, you just believed everything and they made you just feel so guilty."

Ms Lee was speaking yesterday at a conference organised by the Adoption Authority of Ireland which discussed proposed legislative changes on the issues of information, tracing and identity for adults who were adopted.