Wednesday 13 May 2015

Angles Plot

Today we visited Glasnevin Cemetery in Ireland.

This was one of the first Catholic Cemeteries to allow miscarried, stillborn and infant babies (non baptized)  to be buried on consecrated ground. There are over 50,000 babies buried in what is called "Angles Plot". Going here felt like a little pilgrimage on behalf of both of Luca and Elisa.

The plot is full of unmarked graves, but along side are the names and birth and death dates of each child burried there, and some with memorial messages from family members. 


Information from the Cemetery's website 
Up to 20 years ago, Mothers who delivered their stillborn babies in the Dublin Maternity Hospitals or Dublin Nursing Homes never saw their baby at birth. It was considered to be ‘better’ for them not to. Dads were totally excluded from the experience of childbirth anyway. The Hospital involved would see that the baby was buried in the Old Angels Plot in Glasnevin and for many parents the ‘bill’ for this is the only recognition they had for their baby

Because of babies being taken away after birth and buried without the parent present, some went unknown until years later.  We even saw some memorial stones with messages such as "we are so glad we found you, love your brother and sister"

I cannot imagine going through the loss and grief of losing a child and not being allowed to see them. The 8 hours we had with Elisa in the hospital after her birth, although the hardest moments of my life, were also my most treasured.  

Seeing the place where so many other mothers and fathers who have experience the loss of a child like Mark and I have visited made me feel as if I had an invisible bond with thousands of people I have never met. 

One of the most moving moments of this was the inscription on the memorial



angels surrounding the memorial

Tuesday 12 May 2015

Baby Beluga in Ireland


After Elisa was stillborn in January, we felt we needed a trip to just get away. We spent two weeks in Ireland, traveling throughout the country, here are some of our pictures






Our hotel, the Eliza lodge, close, but just off by a bit in spelling. And the hostes' name was Adrianna, Luca's middle name :)



We went to St. Patrick's Cathedral

























We stopped at the Guinness brewery, and went on a tour