Carmel Cantwell

They have found baby William's grave now?

Carmel Cantwell is a campaigner with the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home Support Group.

Carmel's mother, Madeleine Walsh, was sent to Bessborough when she was pregnant in 1960.

Today, Carmel is now appealing against a proposed development on the site.

How does the granting of the planning permission affect survivors and families such as yourself?

I believe there's an instruction to carry out archaeological excavations as part of the development.

Would this not be some way of bringing campaigners the answers they're looking for?

Planning permission was granted for 140 apartments and with such a demand for housing, I wanted to find out what those living nearby think of the proposed development.

Support for the development from people on the streets near Bessborough is rare.

Labour councillor Peter Horgan has lodged an appeal against the development and believes the lands should be CPO'd.

As a local public representative, I'm sure many constituents come to you with housing needs.

Can it be difficult then or can it be contradictory to object then to a development?

And some survivors indeed there's a motion with the council as well to establish a memorial here, maybe a shrine but they're not fully against the development.

The impact of Ireland's dark history of mother and baby homes is still very much being felt today.

A decision on the appeals against the development of apartments is due on the 9th of July and Carmel Cantwell says she will not give up campaigning against it.