At 95 years old, Mary Clarken's heart still aches for an apology from the Irish government. Her daughter, Sharon, was born with a deformed arm due to the harmful effects of Thalidomide, a drug once prescribed to pregnant women as an anti-morning sickness treatment. Despite sending a letter on July 24, 2024, to then-Taoiseach Simon Harris, the Department of Taoiseach acknowledged it but never replied. Clarken's letter emphasized the shame and reprehensibility of keeping Thalidomide on the market long after its removal worldwide, causing unnecessary pain and suffering to newborns and their families. She argues that the government's failure to alert pregnant women to the drug's dangers in the 1960s was a deliberate decision, rooted in misogyny, to avoid potential hysteria. The Irish Thalidomide Association supports this view, calling for a truthful explanation of the state's actions. With Sharon set to meet Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris, the hope for an apology and a deeper understanding of the government's role in this tragic chapter of Irish history remains alive.
