More than 250 people attend a vigil and commemoration at Bessborough on Sunday, where survivors of the mother and baby home and supporters say they will not accept a proposed apartment development on the site. The planned project involves building 140 apartments at Bessborough, a location associated with the deaths of 923 children, according to reporting. Speakers at the gathering also reference the graveyard and the “graveyard folly” area in Bessborough, where the vigil takes place, and they call attention to the history of the mother and baby home.
Survivors and supporters say they are prepared to take direct action to stop construction if planning is approved and work begins. Accounts state that they intend to chain themselves to diggers at the site, framing the vow as a way to prevent demolition and development from moving forward. The event includes statements from attendees who say they will continue to oppose the apartment plans. No sources provide details of when construction would start, who is responsible for the development, or whether authorities have responded to the proposed protest.
