New adoption law sees 900 register to trace families

An 81-year-old adopted as a child and a 74-year-old mother who gave up her baby for adoption are among 900 people who have registered to trace their parents or children after the country passed landmark legislation.

The new laws, which came into force on 1 July, have opened decades-old wounds for children and parents who were separated at birth, some sent to the UK or the US, during the past 100 years. The Adoption Authority of Ireland said the oldest person to request their data was 81, and the mean age of applicants (parent and child) was 50. The youngest was a five-yearold whose adoptive parents had registered on their behalf.