麻豆社

Brothers Fred and Jimmy O'Donnell spent 80 years apart. Their Irish mother gave birth out of wedlock, first to Jimmy, who was placed in an orphanage, and later to Fred, who grew up in a Catholic boy's institution. Both boys grew up completely unaware of each other's existence, and their mother was sent to one of Ireland's notorious Magdalene laundries, where she remained as a 'fallen woman' for the rest of her life.

As soon as he could, Fred left Ireland, settled in Bradford and got on with raising a family. But the thought of what had become of his mother played on his mind. Determined to help, Fred's daughter, Theresa, made it her mission to trace her grandmother. Her search reveals a tragic story, but she also makes a major discovery - her dad had a brother called Jimmy. According to records, this brother would now be 80 years old. Could he still be alive? And if so, could he be found? Newspaper appeals to find Jimmy met with no joy, and then a family-tracing agency stepped in.

And it was a chance conversation with a friend at a drinks party that led to another incredible family discovery. Sisters Tessa and Jan's father died when they were young. They later found out that, whilst continuing to live under the same roof, their mother and father had been divorced for some time before he died and that he had been in a relationship with another woman, called Rosemary. But there was something else - soon after their father died, Rosemary had given birth to twins.

Many years passed without the siblings crossing paths, until a conversation at a party revealed the twins' existence. Delighted by the discovery, genealogical detective work carried out by Tessa's husband revealed they had all spent their lives living close by. Now Tessa and Jan meet with twins Chris and Jennie to exchange photographs and memories before an emotional visit to their shared father's grave - a first for Chris and Jennie.