Single Mothers in Twentieth-century Ireland and Britain
Pregnancy, Migration and Institutionalization
Book •
Lorraine Grimes' book examines the journeys of Irish women who left for Britain during unplanned pregnancies and the institutional networks they encountered between 1926 and 1973.
Prioritizing oral histories, archival records and interviews with survivors, children born in institutions, and staff, the book reconstructs experiences of stigma, institutional care, adoption practices and repatriation schemes.
It compares institutions and policies in Ireland and Britain, revealing cases of abuse, prejudice and the varied treatment across religious and state-run homes.
The work situates these personal stories within broader social, legal and political frameworks, and discusses legacies including searches for family members and contemporary redress debates.
Grimes' research derives from her doctoral work and contributes new survivor-centered perspectives to the historiography of mother and baby homes.
Prioritizing oral histories, archival records and interviews with survivors, children born in institutions, and staff, the book reconstructs experiences of stigma, institutional care, adoption practices and repatriation schemes.
It compares institutions and policies in Ireland and Britain, revealing cases of abuse, prejudice and the varied treatment across religious and state-run homes.
The work situates these personal stories within broader social, legal and political frameworks, and discusses legacies including searches for family members and contemporary redress debates.
Grimes' research derives from her doctoral work and contributes new survivor-centered perspectives to the historiography of mother and baby homes.
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Mentioned by host Miranda Melcher as the book authored by the interviewee exploring Irish single mothers' migration and institutionalization in Britain.
Lorraine Grimes, "Single Mothers in Twentieth-century Ireland and Britain: Pregnancy, Migration and Institutionalization" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
Mentioned by 
Miranda Melcher
Lorraine Grimes, "Single Mothers in Twentieth-century Ireland and Britain: Pregnancy, Migration and Institutionalization" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
