The best books about Irish Industrial Schools and Mother Baby Homes

Heidi Daniele Author Of The House Children
By Heidi Daniele

Who am I?

I am first generation American - my mother is from Ireland and my father is from Germany. I’ve always had an interest in my heritage and developed a passion for genealogy. My curiosity led me to researching Industrial Schools and Mother Baby Homes in Ireland. I’ve read many books about these institutions and also wrote a book of my own based on stories of former residents of St. Joseph’s Industrial School in Ballinasloe, Galway.

I wrote...

The House Children

By Heidi Daniele

Book cover of The House Children

What is my book about?

Based on actual events, The House Children is a compelling story of familial love, shameful secrets, and life inside Ireland’s infamous industrial schools.

In 1937, Mary Margaret Joyce is born in the Tuam Home for unwed mothers. After spending her early years in an uncaring foster home, she is sentenced by a judge to an industrial school, where she is given the name Peg, and assigned the number 27. Amid one hundred other unwanted girls, Peg quickly learns the rigid routine of prayer, work, and silence under the watchful eye of Sister Constance. When Peg accidentally learns the identity of her birth mother she struggles with feelings of anger and abandonment, while her mother grapples with the shame of having borne a child out of wedlock.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

The Books I Picked & Why

The Light in the Window

By June Goulding

Book cover of The Light in the Window

Why this book?

The Light in the Window was recommended to me by a woman born in a Mother Baby Home, and it is the book that ignited my curiosity about these institutions. The author, June Goulding a midwife, gives a firsthand account of what happened in the Mother Baby Home where she spent a year working as a midwife. Goulding shares her experience and the cruelty she witnessed. The Light in the Window is one of those books that is difficult to put down. When you’re done reading it, you can’t help but shake your head and wonder how this was allowed to happen. 

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Fear of the Collar: The True Story of the Boy They Couldn't Break

By Patrick Touher

Book cover of Fear of the Collar: The True Story of the Boy They Couldn't Break

Why this book?

Fear of the Collar is Patrick Touher’s personal account of his experience in the Artane Industrial School. Artane was the largest Industrial School in Ireland and operated from 1870 – 1969.

At times Artane housed nearly 1,000 boys and was known to be self-sufficient – with the “inmates” making their own clothes, shoes, and the boys produced and grew their own food.

Touher takes the reader through the daily military-like regiment and discipline imposed upon young boys being cared for by the Christian Brothers. His story will evoke an array of feelings. It is important to read the epilogue as you will be in awe of the man Patrick Touher has become despite the harshness of his childhood.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

For the Love of My Mother

By John Rodgers

Book cover of For the Love of My Mother

Why this book?

John Rodgers tells the story of his mother’s experience in three Irish institutions, including an industrial school, a Mother Baby Home, and a Magdalene Laundry. Bridie Rodgers’ story reveals the psychological and emotional burdens of an inmate and how they are also felt by their future generations. It is a devastating reality to learn of the many innocent children and women who had been isolated from society and powerless over their own lives. 

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Belonging: A Memoir

By Catherine Corless

Book cover of Belonging: A Memoir

Why this book?

In her book Belonging: A Memoir of Place, along with her personal journey, Corless shares her research and activism work towards justice for the lost babies of the Tuam Mother Baby Home. Her book is an excellent resource to learn about the institutions where unmarried mothers paid their penance and gave birth to their “illegitimate” children. Her book includes heart-wrenching accounts from former residents. 

I’ve had several exchanges with Catherine since 2010 when she responded to a query I had posted regarding the Tuam Mother Baby Home. Catherine Corless has brought worldwide attention to a scandal she uncovered: 796 missing burial records of children born in the Tuam Mother Baby Home.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Precarious Childhood in Post-Independence Ireland

By Moira J. Maguire

Book cover of Precarious Childhood in Post-Independence Ireland

Why this book?

Moira J. Maguire has written a book that could be used by academics yet still fascinates a curious reader. Precarious Childhood in Post-Independence Ireland gives a full view of the system implemented to care for needy children. The study examines the roles of religion and state involved in providing services. Maguire references documents and quotes from reports to give the reader an authentic view of how destitute, abused, and illegitimate children were cared for. 

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.