Long Lost Family foundlings

[Onefliesoverthecuckoosnest]

Just thought I would let everyone know that there are two Long Lost Family specials tonight and tomorrow on ITV1. They are following three foundlings and tracing their families using DNA.

Definitely worth a watch.

That was to Normal

Mamia. He stopped having kids with his wife in 1960. The foundlingS were born after

We won't know...only the family will know the true painful story but it was apparent that some family at least knew of the affair

What shocked me was the mother's wider family refused to have her identity revealed. That even now they obviously feel there is stigma and shame around what happened. Whereas, the father's family didn't feel the same way.

I didn't think they showed any pictures of the mother or the father, I thought the one picture they did show was of the mother's father ? But I could be wrong.

I might have missed it, but did it say at all whether any of the remaining out of the 14 were happy to meet the two siblings?

It was a picture of the siblings father. It said at the end they had met 3 of the remaining 11 (3 had died).

Yes it was a pic of the father.

He looked like his Dad.

Also the brother & sisters female children (cousins) looked very similar.

It was compelling to watch. And very brave of them to allow the cameras in, but I guess that was the easier way to find out.

So glad the brother and sister found each other.I can only imagine what it would be like to have to view yourself through a different lens.

Hope they find some peace with the answers they have received.

I always find it sad when they find out their parent only died in the last couple of years so they only just missed them.

The ending where they stood at the grave together made me feel very emotional.

If his last child was born in 1960, the dad would have been 50. Presumably his wife was in the same age region. So the foundlings were born in '62 and '68 after his wife may have gone through menopause or who had said no more after 14 pregnancies.

He was a bit of a git in my eyes.

@covetingthepreciousthings definitely a pic of the father - he was holding his trumpet. Helen held the picture up next to her brother commenting on the likeness.

At the end it mentioned meeting the half siblings. I think it said that David has met 3 of them.

I think the father would have been 58 when the daughter was born, as her mother was 41 when she had her.

It's possible that a lot of the half siblings went to the States or Australia; it is also possible that the mum has a sibling who is a nun or priest so her family didn't want to be identified. The dna database is incredible.
As well as the differing religions, the island was very divided in the sixties - two police forces, two lots of media, little interaction. A baby found either side of the border now would be in all media, and police would share information.
Leaving them in two states, and away from Dublin was canny!

So incredibly sad but I can't help wondering why the mother didn't trace them when her lover died; Assuming here that he was the reason she gave the babies up. That's the backstory I created.

She had what, 14 years at the end of her life alone.

24 years actually

Maybe she just didn't know how to begin. She hadn't gone through adoption societies, and even if she had adoption was final. She might have been scared as she had broken the law. She might have had learning issues, and not known what to do. She might have been given money to keep quiet.
Poor lady, it must have been hard.

I think older generations very much have/had the attitude that you "let sleeping dogs lie" and that stirring things up tends to end up with more trouble/ heartache.

Initially i had a theory that the dad was a priest with a secret lover. That was obviously wrong, but my theory that the dad was Catholic and wanted his son brought up catholic and the mum was protestant so wanted the daughter brought up protestant by leaving her in a protestant area was right. (Might have been vice versa)

It was vice versa. Dad was Protestant, son was brought up Protestant by adoptive parents, mum was catholic and girl brought up catholic.

I wondered if the poor mother wanted it to be discovered that her two babies were brother and sister and that's why she abandoned them in identical red tartan bags .

Tartan duffel bags were everywhere in the sixties, dh and I both had them for sports kit. Yer man might have had 14 of them lying around.

The father with 14 children had his first child in 1938 (aged 17) and his last child with his wife in 1960. Foundling David was born in 1962 (mother aged 34 and father 51) and Foundling Helen was born in 1968 (mother aged 40 and father 57). So David and Helen's half siblings will now age from 60 to 82.

A fascinating but sad story. At least they have answers and each other. It must be amazing to find a blood relative after all those years of searching.

Long lost families does a lot of good.

Anyone watching now?