The God Squad

Dear Archbishop,

Congratulations on your election as Archbishop of Dublin.

The Bethany Survivors Group wishes to thank you for your words regarding the horrific conditions and inhuman care that the survivors of the Bethany Home endured, to which those who did not survive succumbed. After 13 long years and 219 graves we are still trying and get official recognition for what happened at the Bethany Home. It has given great joy that at last your good office and interviewers like Joe Little from RTE are now recognising this injustice to a minority group of people. The former residents, who are now getting on in years have been given an extra bounce in their step with the belief that we may finally get the justice that has been denied for so long.

One practical thing we ask (in fact we ask again) is that you examine all records within the diocese that may mention Bethany Home. Such records as have emerged, including the minutes of the Bethany Home Managing Committee, have been discovered by us or, in the case of a letter from your predecessor Dr Barton to the then Minister for Justice in 1945, by the civil service. The latter correspondence indicates that other records exist. We ask you to identify it and hand it to our researcher, Niall Meehan, so that we are able to engage the newly elected government with all documents.

The crimes that took place against defenceless children were neither Christian or civilized. As thousands from the majority religion have been compensated for similar crimes, it cannot be right that a minority group of survivors must continue to suffer.
We trust that you will leave no stone unturned when you engage the Government on our behalf.

With best wishes,

Derek Linster
Chairperson of Bethany Survivors Group
(Tel: 00 44 1 788 817311)
42 Southey Road
Rugby CV22 6HF
Warwickshire
England