NORTHERN IRELAND
News Letter
Illegitimacy was historically viewed by some as a moral failure not just on the part of the parents but for the child his or herself, it was claimed in Banbridge yesterday.
Counsel for the inquiry Christine Smith QC yesterday detailed the development of the care system both before and after partition.
In the 1800s a wave of Catholic institutions were built, with French models of care imported. Larger institutions were seen as giving economies of scale.
The intention was to save souls and the Victorian idea of redeeming individuals was also a factor.
From 1859 to 1969, she said that 1,005 children passed through industrial schools on the island.
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