Philomena

And I think I'm pretty clever. 387 00:33:54,084 --> 00:33:56,208 Well, maybe you're not. 388 00:33:59,625 --> 00:34:03,499 - How'd it go? - What, from the Sisters of Little Mercy? 389 00:34:03,667 --> 00:34:05,749 Right, so just tea and cake, then? 390 00:34:07,709 --> 00:34:10,291 That's all they've ever given you, isn't it, Mum? 391 00:34:12,084 --> 00:34:13,999 It's not their fault, Jane. 392 00:34:14,167 --> 00:34:16,541 They had a fire and all the records were lost. 393 00:34:16,709 --> 00:34:19,124 - No, thank you. It's past your bedtime. - Thank you. 394 00:34:19,292 --> 00:34:22,333 Now, he's just poured it now. Sláinte. 395 00:34:22,834 --> 00:34:24,499 Mother. 396 00:34:28,959 --> 00:34:31,916 - Right. Night, Martin. - Night, Jane. 397 00:34:32,084 --> 00:34:35,416 - Night-night, Martin. - Night, Philomena. Sleep well. 398 00:34:38,542 --> 00:34:39,958 Cheers. 399 00:34:40,125 --> 00:34:42,208 - Been up to the Abbey? - Mm. 400 00:34:42,750 --> 00:34:44,333 Yes. Yes, it's um... 401 00:34:45,084 --> 00:34:47,958 Things obviously very different now. The nuns are different. 402 00:34:48,125 --> 00:34:50,749 Not the same ones they had when the Magdalen girls were there. 403 00:34:50,917 --> 00:34:53,499 Sure. They're all gone now! 404 00:34:53,667 --> 00:34:57,708 We've had a few staying here, looking to find what happened to their sons or daughters. 405 00:34:57,875 --> 00:34:59,624 Not many of them get any joy from there. 406 00:34:59,792 --> 00:35:03,124 And the big fire that destroyed everything. Do you know how that started? 407 00:35:03,292 --> 00:35:06,249 - I should think they put a match to it. - Who? 408 00:35:06,417 --> 00:35:09,624 The Sisters. Sure they had a great fire on the field out the back. 409 00:35:09,792 --> 00:35:11,874 What, so the Abbey wasn't on fire? 410 00:35:12,042 --> 00:35:15,749 They had a bloody big bonfire. Burnt all the records. Thousands of 'em. 411 00:35:15,917 --> 00:35:18,124 - Why? I mean... - This is years ago. 412 00:35:18,292 --> 00:35:21,291 I suppose they were embarrassed about selling babies to America. 413 00:35:21,459 --> 00:35:23,458 And they don't want people telling tales. 414 00:35:23,625 --> 00:35:27,208 - That's me mother. - You say they sold babies to Americans? 415 00:35:27,375 --> 00:35:30,249 A lot of the Yanks came over to Ireland to look for babies. 416 00:35:30,417 --> 00:35:32,499 They were the only ones who could afford them. 417 00:35:32,667 --> 00:35:34,416 £1,000. 418 00:35:34,584 --> 00:35:38,249 Jane Russell bought a baby from Derry in 1952 - the film star. 419 00:35:38,417 --> 00:35:41,874 - I can't believe they sold babies. - She came in here looking for Bourbon, 420 00:35:42,042 --> 00:35:44,874 but they had to give her a glass of Paddy instead. 421 00:35:45,042 --> 00:35:47,916 If you were a Catholic with £1,000, you could buy a baby. 422 00:35:48,084 --> 00:35:51,166 Jane Russell bought one to take home with her. 423 00:35:51,334 --> 00:35:53,041 But I'm not one to repeat gossip. 424 00:35:53,209 --> 00:35:55,208 No, no, I can see that. 425 00:35:55,375 --> 00:35:58,249 - Sláinte. - Yes, cheers. 426 00:36:14,250 --> 00:36:18,416 Sally, you told me to call you if I came up with something and this fell into my lap. 427 00:36:18,584 --> 00:36:21,333 - Go on. - It's quite interesting, actually. 428 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:25,541 I think there are themes about people searching for their family trees 429 00:36:25,709 --> 00:36:28,708 and the whole Irish Diaspora... 430 00:36:28,875 --> 00:36:31,041 Don't use words like diaspora, Martin. 431 00:36:31,209 --> 00:36:33,499 I can't spell it and people don't know what it means. 432 00:36:33,667 --> 00:36:35,458 The exodus that followed the Irish famine. 433 00:36:35,625 --> 00:36:39,208 No, no, no. I'm genuinely not interested in what it means. 434 00:36:39,375 --> 00:36:40,374 OK. 435 00:36:40,542 --> 00:36:42,666 Who are the goodies? Who are the baddies? 436 00:36:42,834 --> 00:36:45,958 Well, it's about a little old Irish lady, 437 00:36:46,125 --> 00:36:50,916 a retired nurse, who is searching for her long lost son who was taken - 438 00:36:51,084 --> 00:36:55,374 snatched from her at birth - by... evil nuns. 439 00:36:56,625 --> 00:37:00,333 So how does it end? And it's got to be really happy or really sad. 440 00:37:00,500 --> 00:37:03,874 Either he's chairman of I BM or a hobo, it doesn't matter. 441 00:37:04,042 --> 00:37:11,624 The years melted away as a 50-year silence was broken by two simple words, "Hello, Mum." 442 00:37:11,792 --> 00:37:13,041 I could write it now. 443 00:37:15,292 --> 00:37:17,499 I didn't know you were so cynical. 444 00:37:17,667 --> 00:37:20,583 My guess is that Anthony was adopted and sent to America. 445 00:37:20,750 --> 00:37:24,291 The Abbey dealt almost exclusively with American customers. 446 00:37:24,459 --> 00:37:28,083 - I can't believe they sold babies. - They were trying to give him a better life. 447 00:37:28,250 --> 00:37:30,749 - They tried to