Banished Babies: The Secret History of Ireland's Baby Export Business

Mike Milotte's damning expose of Church-State collusion in banishing thousands of vulnerable 'illegitimate' children from Ireland in the 1950s and 60s was first published to critical acclaim in 1997, and quickly achieved iconic status. For this new, updated, and expanded edition, the author has added previously untold personal stories from some of the 'banished babies' he met in the intervening period - stories that further illuminate the murky shadows of this official, but long-concealed child-export business. Most of the banished babies ended up in adoptions in the USA, and this Ireland to US adoption practice is revealed here. The book also examines the Irish State's failure to fulfill promises - made in the wake of the book's first appearance - to adequately facilitate search and reunion among the 'banished babies' and their natural parents.