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23rd Aug 2018

Dublin councillor explains why memorial to children who died in care was covered up ahead of Papal visit

Paul Moore

Somebody's Child memorial

The memorial includes the names of the 796 children who died in Tuam.

A Dublin memorial to children who died in the care of the state has been covered up ahead of the Pope’s visit this weekend but there’s a valid reason for doing so.

Councillor Mannix Flynn said that a sheet of netting was placed over the Somebody’s Child memorial in Temple Bar in Dublin because the netting allowed them to put up a “new response to Pope Francis’s visit” at the weekend.

“This temp piece of work sends out a clear message and is in keeping with the 15-year project that we have been working on on this site,” Flynn said.

After news emerged that the memorial was covered up, JOE reached out to Dublin City Council and they released the following statement: “This artwork was the initiative of Cllr Mannix Flynn and it was placed on a hoarding which is privately owned and with the agreement with the landlord.”

The memorial lists the names and birthdates of children who died in care in Ireland. This list includes the names of the 796 children who died in care at St Mary’s Mother and Baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Beneath the text and list of names are dozens of empty silver nameplates. This resembles the design that usually appears on coffins.

As you can see below, a green tarp was placed over the memorial, which is located in Essex Street in Temple Bar, ahead of the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland this weekend.

Sinn Féin councillor Louise Dunne admitted that she and others tore down the covering after it had initially been put up.

Councillor Mannix Flynn released a statement on the issue saying: “This netting was to allow us to put up a new response to Pope Francis’s visit. This temp piece of work sends out a clear message and is in keeping with the 15-year project that we have been working on on this site.

“A lot of hard work went into last nights work and it all has to be redone today. You are all welcome to visit the site today as we will be erecting the new piece at 9am this morning and we hope to be finished by this afternoon.”

He added: “I appreciate the concerns of people who thought that someone was covering up ‘Somebody’s Child’ work and Disband the Artane Band panels but the person who took the image and put up the blog last night inciting people to tear down the protective netting never bothered to ask me, as I was on the site putting up the net, what was happening. Instead, they chose to incite others to attack the site.

“This is all time consuming and costly. So again, I invite anybody who has any concerns to come to the site today as we inaugurate the new temporary work.

“Indeed Dublin City Council Planning Department is legally threatening me to take down some of the work but that’s another issue. I will be seeking your support on that.”

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Topics:

News,Papal Visit