Mayo woman to make 796 climbs in memory of Tuam babies

A Mayo woman is in the midst of an epic challenge to climb Knockma 796 times – one time for each of the babies whose remains have been located in a septic tank at Tuam’s former mother-and-baby home.

And to coincide with her mission, Anne Fahey Ronayne recently held an evening of reflection at the Old Kirk and Manse in Hollymount.

The Irishtown native actually started her climbs of the 167-metre high Knockma, which is located eight kilometres from Tuam, on January 1, 2023 and is already approaching her 390th climb. Her aim is to have the challenge completed by the end of 2025.

Mayo Rape Crisis Centre are on board as charity partners for the incredible task that Anne has set herself, and their Director of Services Loretta McDonagh was among the guest speakers at last month’s reflection. MC Angelina Nugent also spoke to advocate and singer/songwriter Sharon Murphy, Maureen Sullivan, author of Girl in the Tunnel, fellow advocate Maria Moylett and Valerie Jennings who among several events to mark the awful uncovering at Tuam, previously organised a relay of 36 walkers who completed a journey on foot from Islandeady to Tuam while carrying a lantern, all in memory of the 796 babies.

Valerie’s sister-in-law Maria spoke as a birth mother of her lived experience and the pain and suffering associated. Author and survivor Maureen Sullivan spoke of her lived experience of being forcibly put into a Magdalene laundry at the age of 12 years, where she remained for years. In Girl in the Tunnel, she sets out her harrowing and brave story of survival despite the physical and sexual abuse, violence and abandonment.

As an Irish person with Caribbean heritage, Sharon Murphy has experienced the dynamics of racism in Irish society. Much of her music addresses the exclusion and isolation she feels in her home country. Her advocacy work has involved monitoring racism in the Irish media. Sharon treated the audience to some incredibly moving songs as well as speaking about her incredibly difficult life growing up in an industrial school.

Anne Fahey Ronayne said that it was a humbling experience to listen to the women’s stories and hear their incredible stories of survival despite everything that has been hurled at them.

“I was delighted to host this evening to bring focus on equality and create awareness around these women’s lived experience,” she said, while revealing the purpose to completing her 796 climbs by next year.

“2025 is exactly 100 years from when the first little baby, Patrick Derrane, was put in the sewage system in Tuam. He was five months old.

“We have so much to thank the wonderful Catherine Corless for. Without her, perhaps this awful truth would have remained a secret. My wish, like hers, is that these little souls will be given a dignified burial sooner rather than later.” 

The Old Kirk and Manse was the perfect setting for a powerful performance of an excerpt from their production of Eclipsed by actors from the Ray Leonard Players. Eclipsed was written by Patricia Burke Brogan, who herself spent time as a novitiate in Galway and left because of what she saw and experienced of the Magdalene Laundries.

Lisa Dowd Hynes and Aishling Costello performed as Mother Victoria and Sr Virginia respectively in the Magdalene laundry office scene. Their fellow actor Sonja Stevens read a powerful poem about the Tuam babies which was written by Tuam-based ceramic artist and poet Holly Mullarkey.

Anne Fahey Ronayne has invited anyone who would like to accompany her on a climb or two of Knockma to message her and said that those who would like to support Mayo Rape Crisis Centre can do so on the idonate.ie platform.