Monica Dolan on Portraying Catherine Corless in The Lost Children of Tuam
Frank Berry’s new film The Lost Children of Tuam tells the story of how local woman and amateur historian Catherine Corless uncovered the dark truth about her hometown’s mother and baby home. Produced by Liam Neeson and starring Monica Dolan, the project brings one of the most significant scandals in the history of the Irish Catholic Church to the screen.
Unlocking the Portrayal of Catherine Corless
Playing a real-life person requires careful research and immersion into their daily environment. To prepare for the role, Laurence Olivier Award-winning English actress Monica Dolan spent significant time with Catherine Corless in Tuam. According to Dolan, a walk in the garden on Corless's small holding alongside her dog Shadow proved decisive in shaping the portrayal. Corless showed Dolan a detailed model she had built of the mother and baby home because period photographs were scarce, providing a tangible resource meant for survivors.
Corless insisted the film focus squarely on the babies and the survivors rather than on her own biography. Dolan noted that Corless operates entirely without ego, driven strictly by a desire to get the truth into the public domain. Exploring Corless's personal journey meant capturing her reluctance toward public speaking, a hurdle culminating in a key scene where she addresses an audience at a hotel.
Reliving the History Through Survivors
The production featured profound moments involving actual survivors of the institutions. During filming at a hotel where Dolan’s character addresses the survivors and challenges them to organize an event when the Pope visits Ireland, the atmosphere on set carried immense emotional weight. Dolan described the second-last day of shooting as extraordinary, noting that the collective support and bravery in the room required her to pause during the scene.
The historical reality underscoring the film remains stark, given that the last of these mother and baby homes closed as recently as 1998. Dolan recalled that her own parents, hailing from Enniscorthy and Swords in Dublin, maintained a protective stance regarding Irish culture when moving to England. They had not discussed the homes with her, but seeing the film Philomena later in life left them ashen-faced while simultaneously providing a sense of release. Dolan also drew on her awareness of friends appearing in The Magdalene Sisters and her father’s difficult schooling under the Christian Brothers.
The Creative Approach Behind the Drama
Adapted from Dan Barry’s 2017 New York Times article, the film avoids sensationalism in favor of pacing, script, and tone that document an ordinary life colliding with institutional wrongdoing. When addressing potential public reception, Dolan confirmed she has not expected opposition to the project.
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