Oral Histories of survivors of Ireland’s institutions in the North of England

20th century Ireland was marked by institutionalisation and emigration. Many survivors experienced both fates. Since 2025, Fréa Renewing Roots have been collecting oral histories of survivors who moved to the north of England. They give their testimonies both on the institutions and their subsequent lives. The project also works with children of survivors who talk about the impact of inter-generational trauma. ‘This event amplifies some of the first-hand accounts of new lives being set up in England by sharing some of the stories collected through the oral history project the first time these oral histories are being presented in Ireland, so that more people are aware of this important but untold part of Irish history.

Seminar Highlights

• To enable people in Ireland to hear, first hand, the wide-ranging experiences of those survivors who emigrated.
• To demonstrate the range of experiences that survivors lived beyond Ireland.
• To present and amplify the voices of survivors – to enable them to tell their stories