Judged: A Mother's Love - 2. All Lies Take Their Toll

Patrick FitzSymons seeks justice for an illegal adoption that rewrote his identity. His story helps uncover decades of secrecy, cross-border adoptions, and a state that turned a blind eye. As Ireland’s Taoiseach issues a historic apology on this issue, Patrick takes legal action - one of the first to do so. But after years of struggle, what does justice look like for Patrick, and for his birth & adoptive mothers whose choices, he believes, were shaped by shame?

Writer and Producer: Katie Bridget Murphy
Senior Producer: Ophelia Byrne
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Clark
Sound Engineers: John Benson and Davy Neill
Sound Design: Bill Maul
Artwork: Tom Cunningham
Assistant Commissioner: Prabhjit Bains
Commissioning Editor: Khaliq Meer

Judged: A Mother’s Love is a BBC Audio Northern Ireland production with BBC Sounds Audio Lab.

Published on Tuesday, 10th February 2026.

Available Podcasts from Judged: A Mother's Love

Subscribe to Judged: A Mother's Love

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Judged: A Mother's Love webpage.