‘No Building Over Bessborough’: Soda Blonde’s Faye O’Rourke and more announced for demonstration this weekend

A demonstration against building on the site of the former mother and baby home in Bessborough, Co Cork will be held this Saturday, July 18,  at 2:30 pm outside the Cork City Library.

Last week, An Coimisiún Pleanála upheld permission for Estuary View Enterprises to build 106 apartments at the site. The upcoming demonstration seeks to rally against the development.

Speakers and performers include Soda Blonde’s Faye O’Rourke, Irish actress Hilda Fay, journalist Connal Ó Fátharta and several survivors, among others.

O’Rourke has spent years as a canvasser and campaigner. In 2020, she was active around the marriage equality referendum and the abortion referendum. Since then, she’s demonstrated and spoken for various issues, most recently to protect creative rights against AI and against the building over Bessborough.

Plans to develop the site have faced years of opposition from campaigners and survivors, arguing that parts of the land may contain undocumented burials and that any development could permanently disturb evidence before investigations are complete.

Over 923 children died at the site as a result of overcrowding, poor conditions and malnutrition. Only 64 of these graves have been identified on the site and it is believed by survivors and campaigners that remains are still on the site.

Earlier this week, Labor Councillor Peter Horgan proposed a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on the Bessborough land to make it into a new public park and memorial for the site’s history.

The Cork City Council then backed a motion to begin the process of CPO earlier this week.

Support for the CPO does not automatically mean there will be a CPO, though it does increase pressure on the government.

 

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