She was buried at the hospital with a metal cross and a number, 339, instead of name
Campaign to build memorial to those who died in ‘asylum’
IRISH musician Bressie has backed a campaign to remember the lives of up to 1,300 people buried in unmarked graves in the overgrown grounds of an ex “mental asylum”.
Relatives of the deceased are intent to give dignity to those who were interred in St Loman’s Hospital in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and who were buried with just a number on a simple metal cross, which have all been removed.
Now the graves lie unmarked in an overgrown area, many of them deliberately forgotten by families, “ashamed” to admit to having a relative in a psychiatric hospital.
Niall Breslin is lending his support to those families who want the HSE to install a memorial to properly acknowledge those who lie on the site.
Among those are psychotherapist and musician Kathy Crinion and her cousin Julianne Clarke who founded the website Friends of Julia as a platform to encourage other families to reach out.
Burials took place at the facility between 1907 and 1970 and crosses were removed due to decay over the years, with the last 300 crosses taken down in about 2011.
Kathy’s great, great grandmother Julia Leonard (nee Caffrey) was institutionalised into the hospital for, what the family say, was throwing scalding water on her husband after accusing him of having an affair.
Kathy, who is writing a book on Julia’s life, said: “According to our family’s research, Julia was 32 and a mum of five when she was placed in the care of the hospital, pregnant on her sixth child.
“She had a row with her husband and accused him of having an affair, that’s what we believe, has been handed down through the family.
“She was carted off to St Loman’s mental asylum and her children, aged between 18 months and nine years of age, were sent to the workhouse in Trim.
“Her husband, we discovered, went to Dublin and had six more children with another woman.
“Julia gave birth to a little boy in the hospital and he was taken away at three months and also sent to the workhouse in Mullingar.
“She never saw her children again and the baby was told she had died.
“She eventually died of heart failure at the age of 54 and was buried at the hospital with a metal cross over her and just a number – 339 – instead of a name to denote who she was.
“The crosses were taken down over the years and not replaced and the final crosses were removed in about 2011 due to, the HSE say, vandalism concerns, as well as maintenance issues.
“However, they were put in storage and never replaced.
“These poor souls, many of whom had no mental health issues when placed in the institution, led a tragic life only to be left in unmarked and overgrown graves, without any dignity or respect. They were people. They were human beings.
“The graves weren’t even grid marked to take note of where the crosses were so we have no way of knowing the exact location of each grave.
“There still is a stigma attached to having someone in a psychiatric hospital so a lot of families, down through the generations, may not even know about their ancestors who lie here. I’m not ashamed of Julia and neither is our family and that’s why we have placed a small headstone up on her grave. We
We hid it away and in some cases buried it BRESSIE ON HOW WE TREATED MENTALLY ILL
knew the location as our family visited it many times before the cross was taken down.
“I feel they are owed some kind of remembrance memorial. The cemetery looks like a field. The only proper cross there is at the grave of a psychiatric doctor.
“It is such a sad reminder that these people can just be thrown away, disrespected and forgotten about. They all have names.”
Kathy said the group are in talks with the HSE to get the graveyard reinstated with a memorial which would include the names and not numbers but they faced obstacles due to GDPR rules.
Kathy said: “Niall Breslin, or Bressie, has got behind us and his media presence is a great boost to the campaign along with his passion for the project.
“In my mind, this is yet another sad episode in Ireland’s rich history, which is reminiscent of the Magdalene laundries and the Tuam babies. Remember them.”
In an Instagram post in recent months Niall said: “I grew up in Mullingar, St Lomans always interested me.
“Over 1,300 people died in the hospital and are buried in the grounds.
“For whatever reason, all the grave crosses were lifted up and all that’s left is a field. This is symbolic of how Ireland viewed and treated mental health.
“We hid it away and in some cases buried it.
“Our past can’t be changed but we can certainly pay respects to those who were buried there (many of which had very little wrong with them).
“We also want to reach out to the families who may have loved ones there. The aim is to build a memorial wall and garden in the cemetery.”
A meeting will take place tomorrow in the Annebrook Hotel in Mullingar at 3pm or more information can be found at friendsofjulia.ie. The HSE has been contacted for comment.