Marianvale Mother and Baby Home opened in 1955 on the site of the Good Shepherd Convent at 132 Armagh Road, Newry, Co. Down. The institution was run by the Good Shepherd Sisters and shared a site with St Mary’s Laundry.  Entry numbers were at their highest in the 1960s, with 630 admissions for the decade. They fell to 492 in the 1970s and 154 between 1980 and the closure of Marianvale in 1984. Women and girls were generally, but not always, placed there in their third trimester of pregnancy, and gave birth locally at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, or transferred to a private nursing home. 

What Records Exist and What Do They Contain?

Surviving records include entrance registers for the period 1955 - 1967. These registers include the name, address, date of admission and discharge of each woman and girl placed in the institution. In addition, the admission registers include the name, date of birth and date of discharge of their babies. Some entries include remarks about the baby which may include details of plans made or being prepared for the baby. 

There are more recent admission files for the period 1967 - 1984. These include one page for a mother and one page for their baby, with additional correspondence possibly relating to medical information, personal information or social services correspondence. 

Marianvale records held also include an adoption register for the period 1955 - 1961 containing the name and address of mother, name and place of birth of their baby, who adopted the baby, and their address. 

To What Period Do the Records Relate?

The records relate to the period 1955 - 1984. 

Who Is the Controller of the Records?

The records are controlled by the Good Shepherd Sisters but under a data processing agreement, applications for access to records are processed by Family Care Adoption Services. 

How Best Can the Records Be Accessed?

Records Relating to Adoption

Records relating to adoptions originating from Marianvale can be accessed by making an application under the Adoption Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1989. 

If an individual is seeking a copy of the personal data held about them in adoption related records, they can also make a Subject Access Request under the UK GDPR. 

Applications should be made to Family Care Adoption Services.

Personal Records

Other personal records can be accessed by submitting a Subject Access Request for information under UK GDPR to Family Care Adoption Services. For details of how to make such an application please refer to the guidance on our Accessing Records and Your Rights page.

Contacting Family Care Adoption Services

It is recommended that all communication with Family Care Adoption Services should be in writing and copies of correspondence should be kept. The responsible person is Ms Maggie McSorley, CEO.

The contact details for Family Care Adoption Services are as follows: 

Ms Maggie McSorley

Family Care Adoption Services
50 Knockbreda Road
Belfast
BT6 0JB

Email: email@familycareadoption.org