What's in this week's Meath Chronicle...

The mother and baby homes in Dunboyne and Castlepollard have come under intense scrutiny since the publication of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes.

Many horrific stories from former institutions across the country have been recounted over the past week.

The Castlepollard Home which catered for women and girls from Westmeath and Meath from 1935 was “grossly overcrowded” in the 1940s with women and children forced to sleep in “unheated lofts above stables”, while in 1940 the infant mortality rate was 26 per cent.

However the Commission received few complaints about the conditions in Dunboyne.

In fact, one Beauparc woman who spent nearly two years there says she was very well treated, however, Anna Burke was heartbroken when she gave up her son for adoption.

“I will never forget seeing him leave, and the little coat and hat he was wearing."

Meanwhile, Navan resident Patrick Keegan, who was born in a mother and baby home, has called for everybody who was adopted or brought up in a children's home to be able to access their own birth information.

Paul Redmond of the Castlepollard Mother and Baby home survivors group has called on the Taoiseach Micheal Martin to follow the State apology with the introduction of a number of support measures for supporting survivors.

Among those who raised concerns about the conditions in Castlepollard at the time was Meath councillor, Sean Doyle, who drew attention to the treatment of women there in 1945.

We've also got poignant and hard-hitting columns from Gavan Reilly and Paul Hopkins.

We speak to a brave Navan man, Daryl Noonan, who has opened up about how his battle with addiction spurred him on to help young people access the tools needed to cope with their mental health.

We also have the story of the frustrated mother of a teenage boy with special needs from Rathkenny who has has spoken of how her son has regressed due to being unable to attend school which she says is vital for his development.

There's also the chat with Sean Boylan and his battle with Covid-19 and Rathbeggan Lakes owner Dave Robinson who was thrilled to get his beloved Land Rover 'Helga back after it was stolen and how social media came to his rescue.

In sport, find out what standout sporting moments were for the Royal County sports journalists working in the national media.

There's lots more in there too, so hopefully you can pick up a copy!