The memory of church-run institutions, such as mother and baby homes, continues to cast a shadow over many people in Ireland whose lives were directly impacted.
Caelainn Hogan has written a new book, Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for Fallen Women, which examines the legacy of these institutions through the accounts of survivors and those who were involved in running them.
'Fallen women' was a term used to describe women who were perceived to have committed a sin, and who were sent to institutions run by religious orders between the 1920s and late 1990s.
Some of the women were there for becoming pregnant out of wedlock, while many other people were born in these institutions, and were so-called 'illegitimate' children.
Caelainn joined us on The Last Word to discuss the history of these places and the culture of shame they created.
Listen to the interview in full by pressing the play button on this page.
