A Kerry councillor is calling for a permanent memorial to honour those that spent time in Tralee’s industrial schools and Magdalene laundry.
Sinn Féin councillor Deirdre Ferris raised the matter in a motion at the recent Tralee Municipal District meeting.
Cllr Ferris also proposed an opt-in, live register for children and women who attended these institutions.
Cllr Deirdre Ferris said this memorial garden should be located on the Island of Geese site.
She said she recently attended the talk by Alannah O’Sullivan about the legacy of the former St Joseph’s Industrial School and the Nazareth, an orphanage and Magdalene laundry.
The talk was part of Heritage Week, and was organised by Kerry County Museum in conjunction with the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society.
Cllr Ferris said there was a sense from survivors at this event that there was a failure of acknowledgement from society about what happened there, and they were ignored by society.
The reply to Cllr Ferris’ motion said there is no opportunity to facilitate her request as proposed, as the remaining green spaces on the Island of Geese are identified as future development sites.
The reply states that the Tralee MD shall progress plans to develop a Garden of Contemplation in Tralee Town Park, which will be designed to provide a peaceful setting for contemplation and reflection.
The reply added that once finalised, a suitable funding source for the memorial would have to be identified.
Following further questioning from Cllr Ferris at the meeting, the MD Manager Niamh O’Sullivan said she will link in with the county museum about a possible live register, and will re-visit the garden idea and look at funding opportunities.
