It was the mid 1950’s in County Offaly, Ireland when seventeen year old Margaret (Peg) Holland discovered she was carrying a child and was already seven months along!  Learning of their daughter’s pregnancy, Peg’s parents brought her to an unwed mother’s home called Sean Ross Abbey in County Tipperary. It was there, after a difficult breach delivery, that Peg gave birth to a baby girl and she called her Mary.

Peg’s parents arrived three days after Mary’s birth to bring Peg and her baby home. Sadly, despite the love received from her family, Peg was the target of unrelenting judgement and cruel comments from people in her community. In order to give Mary the best possible future, Peg made the heartbreaking decision to place her daughter up for adoption and Mary was eventually adopted by a loving family from the United Sates and grew up in Illinois. 

Sometime after parting with her daughter, Peg decided that there was nothing left for her at home in Ireland, as it only reminded her of recent heartache and tears.  Therefore, Peg left Ireland and moved to the New York area and started working as a nanny.

As the years passed, Peg married Mick O’Hagen and had four more children. Meanwhile, Mary grew up in a happy household, married Tom Boler and had a family of her own. Upon the death of her adoptive mother, Mary began to search for her birth mother. 

One day in September 2008, Peg received a phone call that would change her life and the lives of her family…

In this episode of Your History Your Story, we will be speaking with Tom Gorman, who, along with his late mother in law, Peg O’Hagen, co-authored the book titled “I Called Her Mary”, which tells a story of love, adoption and the reuniting of a mother and daughter. We will also be joined by Mary herself, who will tell  how her journey to find her birth mother resulted in the joy of an extended and loving family. 

Photo(s): Courtesy of Tom Gorman

Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man

www.yourhistoryyourstory.com 

www.icalledhermary.com 

https://www.amazon.com/I-Called-Her-Mary-Memoir/dp/0578981939/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ICQSBMBLNFL5&keywords=i+called+her+mary&qid=1659114483&s=books&sprefix=i+called%2Cstripbooks%2C98&sr=1-1