Cabra History.Com

Dear Martin Coffey

I live in Bournemouth near a good friend of mine named May Fahey from Cabra who suggested I write to you. When you read the attached draft you will understand why I am contacting this site…my parents lived in Cabra for five years from 1949-1954 and I was there as a new baby for the first six months of my life at 518 Carnlough Rd, Cabra West. I am hoping that you can print my message and perhaps reach someone who can help me as its getting increasingly difficult to find further information. I came here in the seventies…lived abroad for a long time then returned here…had a mother (adoptive I have found out since) that wouldn’t have a divorced woman under her roof….which is why I am not in Ireland but such is life. My name is MARGARET O’GRADY…that is not what is written on my birth cert. What it says is I am Theresa Hiney…daughter of James and Kathleen Hiney….518 Carnlough Rd, Cabra West’…born 9^th June 1954. Seven years ago my uncle told me I was adopted, albeit illegally. I have several times gone to see my (adoptive) mother and this is the story she told me. She and my father were approached by the Almoner of the Coombe Hospital in Dublin called Mareece Hannon. The Coombe Hospital has subsequently denied she ever worked there. However I have evidence to say that she did. She asked my parents if they were interested in adopting a baby that was due in June 1954 of which they agreed. I was two days old when I was handed over at a house on Collins Avenue, Dublin. I was registered in the name of my adoptive parents James and Kathleen Hiney. I was totally unaware of this until 7yrs ago and have since spent the time searching but have now reached a blank wall. I do have a file on myself from the age of 2-16yrs given to me by the Eastern Health Board. Presumably they must have felt a duty of care, as a social worker was assigned to me until I was 16yrs of age, of which I was not aware. It also confirms the address where I was born, the nurse involved and also mentions the Almoner Mareece Hannon. It also suggests that they visited the house where I was handed over but there was no one there by the name of Nurse Doody (now deceased), that, I do not believe to be true, as to this day her daughter in- law still lives in the house.  

There was a slip of paper among my files with the name of foster mother Kathleen Hiney and foster child Margaret O’Grady, which I assume is me. However, they have no idea where the name has come from and neither does my adoptive mother or so they say. Having just read The Lost Child of Philomena Lee which was launched on 4^th Sept, I can identify with the intense sorrow which that child felt all his life, having been sold by the nuns to America when he was 3yrs old, along with thousands of Irish children. What the book highlights is corruption of a magnitude that went on between the Catholic Church and the Irish government. Even though adoption laws came into force in 1952…they were deliberately ignored by the church as this book highlights.  I am beseeching anyone who can help me…I live in the south of England but go home regularly…if anyone in from Cabra can help me or knows anything of the events surrounding my birth please contact me…we moved when I was six months old to Rathfarnham as people started to find out the truth…If anyone can help me someone in the legal profession who can take my case to the court of Human Rights I will be forever in their debt…as my rights have been violate

Thanking you…Theresa Tinggal (nee Hiney)