Christine Buckley,R.I.P. A great and inspirational woman has died

sillyoulfool

Christine Buckley, a survivor or institutional abuse, and whose story was told in the 1996 RTE documentary Dear Daughter has died.
In telling her story Christine opened the debate into the horrors that had been perpetrated against generations of Ireland most vulnerable kids by those charged with caring for them.
She continued up to her death to campaign against abuse and for the rights of survivors.
R.I.P. Christine.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/institutional-abuse-campaigner-christine-buckley-dies-1.1720348

goose06

Very sad, RIP

dublinman1990

A really sad story to hear about this morning. May she R.I.P.

Kristopherus

May she have the peace & happiness now that she did'nt have in her childhood. RIP brave spirit.

LynnGrace

R.I.P.

Jack1985

R.I.P. - What an absolutely outstanding and great women.

Lapin

RIP.

Great respect for her for never giving in and taking her fight against the bastards all the way.

Soups123

RIP

Remarkable women, sleep well

Femme_Fatale

sillyoulfool wrote: »

Christine Buckley, a survivor or institutional abuse, and whose story was told in the 1996 RTE documentary Dear Daughter has died.
In telling her story Christine opened the debate into the horrors that had been perpetrated against generations of Ireland most vulnerable kids by those charged with caring for them.
She continued up to her death to campaign against abuse and for the rights of survivors.
R.I.P. Christine.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/institutional-abuse-campaigner-christine-buckley-dies-1.1720348

Wow, this gave me a jolt. I was haunted by her tale. Utter horror. As well as the abuse, there was indifference from her mother when she finally got in contact with her. Cancer then on top of it all. Some people just don't get a break. "Karma" my hole. :rolleyes:
I remember so well hearing her on the radio the morning after Dear Daughter was aired. It was February 1996 (same day my nana died) and up to then I had absolutely no idea that abuse was so widespread in religious order-run institutions.
It'd actually surprise younger people how genuinely little was known.

Gone too soon anyway. R.I.P.

Muise...

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Wow, this gave me a jolt. I was haunted by her tale. Utter horror. As well as the abuse, there was indifference from her mother when she finally got in contact with her. Cancer then on top of it all. Some people just don't get a break. "Karma" my hole. :rolleyes:
I remember so well hearing her on the radio the morning after Dear Daughter was aired. It was February 1996 (same day my nana died) and up to then I had absolutely no idea that abuse was so widespread in religious order-run institutions.
It'd actually surprise younger people how genuinely little was known.

Gone too soon anyway. R.I.P.

You reminded me of my own grandmother, who read in one of the reports that a Brother at the school my youngest uncle went to was guilty of abusing children. My grandmother was a devout Catholic and also one of those who had no idea what was going on in these homes and schools. The uncle told me she called him into the kitchen and could barely hold it together as she asked him if anything had happened to him. Fortunately, it hadn't, but my poor Grandmother was utterly heartbroken over all the others.

Acedia.

RIP to a great and inspirational woman.

People like her, so brave and committed to justice, are a rare treasure.

(Would you ever edit the title to contain her name?)

sillyoulfool

Acedia. wrote: »

RIP to a great and inspirational woman.

People like her, so brave and committed to justice, are a rare treasure.

(Would you ever edit the title to contain her name?)[/QUOTE]

Done.

diomed

Well played, brave woman. RIP.

branie

She was a great lady

Legs.Eleven

Coincidentally, I read this news just after posting my documents to the archbishop of Dublin to officially defect from the RC church (something I meant to do and should've done years ago) so today I do it in her honour. RIP Christine.

Birroc

Great lady, she should be celebrated. Brave brave woman.

So many years of torment and abuse. Then more years of being ridiculed and called a liar. She was a pioneer for the thousands that were abused by the Roman catholic church and the State.

I have an elderly relative who "blames" her for the decline of the church, saying she started the criticism and 'lies'.

RIP Christine, you did your country a great service.

RhubarbCrumble

Birroc wrote: »

I have an elderly relative who "blames" her for the decline of the church, saying she started the criticism and 'lies'.

I have a relative who blames Annie Murphy for the same thing. Apparently "she ruined that poor mans life (Eamonn Casey) when she led him astray" :rolleyes:

RIP Christine.

Lisha

Christine Buckley was a brave and noble woman who courage and determination are a lesson to us all.

Lou.m

sillyoulfool wrote: »

Christine Buckley, a survivor or institutional abuse, and whose story was told in the 1996 RTE documentary Dear Daughter has died.
In telling her story Christine opened the debate into the horrors that had been perpetrated against generations of Ireland most vulnerable kids by those charged with caring for them.
She continued up to her death to campaign against abuse and for the rights of survivors.
R.I.P. Christine.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/institutional-abuse-campaigner-christine-buckley-dies-1.1720348

My Grandmother was in the same orphanage as this lady.


The abuse was daily and was basically like a horror film.

It was awful.

This woman started the ball rolling. She helped so many.

When my nana told me the stories of what was done to her it was Dickensian.

Of course not all nuns were evil but a substantial number were criminal.

They were the sisters of mercy my nana called them the 'sisters of cruelty'.

My nana had the last laugh though. She left at 18 and for a while ended up in another brutal situation of abuse. But she got out!

And in her 20's she met my grandad and had kids and was possibly the sweetest fun loving lady ever!

So they lost and she won.

She taught me many a life lesson ...mostly about loving unconditionally.

But I wish she had felt higher self esteem and knew how wonderful she was.

I loved her.

My Dad mentioned this today.

I love you Nana. YOU WON YOU OVERCAME THEM!

Benny_Cake

A brave and inspirational woman. It's difficult to understate the impact "Dear Daughter" had. RIP Christine.

ArnoldJRimmer

RIP, she was an extremely brave woman. As someone already alluded to, Ireland was a very different place when she first spoke out. People just didn't want to believe how widespread and how evil the abuse was, but despite this, she refused to be silenced.

Muise...

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

RIP, she was an extremely brave woman. As someone already alluded to, Ireland was a very different place when she first spoke out. People just didn't want to believe how widespread and how evil the abuse was, but despite this, she refused to be silenced.

I think this needs qualification -

People didn't want to believe it because

a) it undermined everything they had been taught about the church

b) if true, they may have been unwittingly complicit,

and, overwhelmingly,

c) it was so ****ing awful every braincell and tearduct recoiled and vomited.

harry Bailey esq

sillyoulfool wrote: »

Christine Buckley, a survivor or institutional abuse, and whose story was told in the 1996 RTE documentary Dear Daughter has died.
In telling her story Christine opened the debate into the horrors that had been perpetrated against generations of Ireland most vulnerable kids by those charged with caring for them.
She continued up to her death to campaign against abuse and for the rights of survivors.
R.I.P. Christine.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/institutional-abuse-campaigner-christine-buckley-dies-1.1720348

couldn't agree more.a very courageous lady.she more or less single handedly opened the floodgates for people who were nothing more than slaves,both physical and sexual.if heaven really exists,she is travelling club class.may she rest in peace.

beks101

An exceptional woman.
I had the pleasure of talking to her over the phone on a number of occasions and her straight-talking nature and absolute passion for justice always struck me.
A woman who put the needs of others indefinitely ahead of her own.
I'm so sad to hear this news.
Rest well Christine, job well done.

Muise...

beks101 wrote: »

An exceptional woman.
I had the pleasure of talking to her over the phone on a number of occasions and her straight-talking nature and absolute passion for justice always struck me.
A woman who put the needs of others indefinitely ahead of her own.
I'm so sad to hear this news.
Rest well Christine, job well done.

Well said. The thing that makes her death less sad is that she managed, despite the damage done to her, to have her own family -who adored her- and she was surrounded by friends and supporters throughout her campaigns. Job well done indeed.

sillyoulfool

Fergus Finlay, on Newstalk this evening, suggested that such was the service that Christine did for the state she should be given a full state funeral.
First time I have ever agreed with Fergus, though I doubt she will receive one.

Red Pepper

sillyoulfool wrote: »

Fergus Finlay, on Newstalk this evening, suggested that such was the service that Christine did for the state she should be given a full state funeral.
First time I have ever agreed with Fergus, though I doubt she will receive one.

Yes she should. History will show how influential she was to bringing our country out of the dark ages.

Annasopra

Very sad that after everything in her life she suffered through the cancer.

Femme_Fatale

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

RIP, she was an extremely brave woman. As someone already alluded to, Ireland was a very different place when she first spoke out. People just didn't want to believe how widespread and how evil the abuse was, but despite this, she refused to be silenced.

I was only 17 and not particularly religious. In my case, it wasn't a case of "didn't want to believe", it was more "couldn't believe". It was the stuff of reeling.
So, so difficult to get your head around: these people (nuns) whom I'd been led to believe by my lovely, gentle grandmother were instruments of god's love (plenty of whom were of course good people)... how was it actually possible that any of their number could beat, torture, starve, psychologically torment, enslave, and sexually assault children?
It's hard to get your head around anyone doing this, let alone people whom you fully believe are nothing but good.

Plenty of laypeople were abusers too, it should be acknowledged.

Knight who says Meh

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I was only 17 and not particularly religious. In my case, it wasn't a case of "didn't want to believe", it was more "couldn't believe". It was the stuff of reeling.
So, so difficult to get your head around: these people (nuns) whom I'd been led to believe by my lovely, gentle grandmother were instruments of god's love (plenty of whom were of course good people)... how was it actually possible that any of their number could beat, torture, starve, psychologically torment, enslave, and sexually assault children?
It's hard to get your head around anyone doing this, let alone people whom you fully believe are nothing but good.

Plenty of laypeople were abusers too, it should be acknowledged.

Maybe a simplistic analogy from a simplistic poster but in my mind, a Priest/ Nun abusing and battering kids is a lot like a a fire man whos an arsonist or a cop whos a drug dealer or in ISPCA worker who drowns puppies as a hobby.
Yes lay people do all of the above but its worse when its a person who is meant to be the polar opposite perpetrating the same crimes.

Birroc

Knight who says Meh wrote: »

Maybe a simplistic analogy from a simplistic poster but in my mind, a Priest/ Nun abusing and battering kids is a lot like a a fire man whos an arsonist or a cop whos a drug dealer or in ISPCA worker who drowns puppies as a hobby.
Yes lay people do all of the above but its worse when its a person who is meant to be the polar opposite perpetrating the same crimes.

+1

And what always annoys me are the people that say "it was a few bad apples" etc. The priests/nuns that stood idly by are as much to blame as the cruel abusers. Where was the internal agitation for reform during all those decades of shame? No evidence of it.

I have to say I chuckled at this one: "an ISPCA worker who drowns puppies as a hobby". :eek::)

Femme_Fatale

It's still important to mention that some of the abusers were laypeople though. That's just the truth, not whataboutery.

Knight who says Meh

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

It's still important to mention that some of the abusers were laypeople though. That's just the truth, not whataboutery.

Not to go off track here but
I fully accept that lay people commit abuse but lay people are not a collective with a power structure and hierarchy. They are simply individuals.
What i find most vile about Church abuse is the cover up and self preservation from the top and the fact that Church people are meant to be working on behalf of a loving God and hold themselves as guardians of all that is good and moral in irish society. Individuals dont have that.
Again with my ISPCA worker drowning puppies analogy!


Any way sorry for going off track.

Muise...

Knight who says Meh wrote: »

Not to go off track here but
I fully accept that lay people commit abuse but lay people are not a collective with a power structure and hierarchy. They are simply individuals.
What i find most vile about Church abuse is the cover up and self preservation from the top and the fact that Church people are meant to be working on behalf of a loving God and hold themselves as guardians of all that is good and moral in irish society. Individuals dont have that.
Again with my ISPCA worker drowning puppies analogy!


Any way sorry for going off track.

Many lay people who were abusers were working within the Church. The term 'lay' indicates a non-ordained but active participant in the Church.

Other lay or non-religious people who were and are abusers have the protection of family and community - which are very much collectives with a power structure and hierarchy.

I don't think it really matters to a child how hypocritical or depraved their abuser seems to the rest of the world.

Knight who says Meh

Muise... wrote: »

Many lay people who were abusers were working within the Church. The term 'lay' indicates a non-ordained but active participant in the Church.

Other lay or non-religious people who were and are abusers have the protection of family and community - which are very much collectives with a power structure and hierarchy.

I don't think it really matters to a child how hypocritical or depraved their abuser seems to the rest of the world.

Opps. My bad. I didnt twig to that. Lay people being unordained church workers as opposed to general public. Gotcha.:o

Spring Onion

Good program about here just finished on TV3. She was a great lady.
I cant help but think she will be forgotten despite all she has done for Irish people.

JP Liz V1

RIP

cruais

Spring Onion wrote: »

Good program about here just finished on TV3. She was a great lady.
I cant help but think she will be forgotten despite all she has done for Irish people.

The Aislinn centre.

This will hopefully keep this marvellous womans spirit alive.

Ann Landers

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I was only 17 and not particularly religious. In my case, it wasn't a case of "didn't want to believe", it was more "couldn't believe". It was the stuff of reeling.
So, so difficult to get your head around: these people (nuns) whom I'd been led to believe by my lovely, gentle grandmother were instruments of god's love (plenty of whom were of course good people)... how was it actually possible that any of their number could beat, torture, starve, psychologically torment, enslave, and sexually assault children?
It's hard to get your head around anyone doing this, let alone people whom you fully believe are nothing but good.

I dunno, I was 12 in 1996 and it honestly didn't shock me too much. Nuns always gave me the heebies and many I met up that point struck me as not very nice people at all. Many had formidable, sort of had-faced quality to them.

Of course, I never would guessed the extent of the cruelty of which some were capable, just that I never really saw the ones I met as benevolent really.

branie

RTE1 is reshowing Dear Daughter tomorrow night

Dyr

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Coincidentally, I read this news just after posting my documents to the archbishop of Dublin to officially defect from the RC church (something I meant to do and should've done years ago) so today I do it in her honour. RIP Christine.

Is it still possible to do that?

branie

Bambi wrote: »

Is it still possible to do that?

No, the church stopped accepting defections a couple of years ago.

poundapunnet

Muise... wrote: »

Many lay people who were abusers were working within the Church. The term 'lay' indicates a non-ordained but active participant in the Church.

Other lay or non-religious people who were and are abusers have the protection of family and community - which are very much collectives with a power structure and hierarchy.

I don't think it really matters to a child how hypocritical or depraved their abuser seems to the rest of the world.

As well as the abuse and the cover-ups, I think it's the continued presumption of moral authority that the Church displays, and their wielding of that authority to influence current matters (especially gay marriage and abortion but also things like the HPV vaccine and the education system in this country) that really rankles.

Families and communities certainly did participate in their own abuses and cover ups, but they are not comparable to the church in terms of actual proper organisational hierarchies, material resources etc. And you don't have, for example, representatives of the community of Dalkey or the family of Murphy speaking out against gay marriage and abortion, saying that it's not compatible with the teachings of the organisation of Dalkey, that it's sinful and immoral and that their opinion is worth listening to because they have followed the teachings of Dalkey. But that DOES happen with the church. It's still the same organisation, with a lot of the same people working there, with the same vast amounts of money, and the same tendency to try and control people's lives-even if their actual ability to do that has waned. As far as most people are concerned a lot of the apologies have been pretty half-hearted, there have not been enough convictions, especially at the higher levels, and the constant whataboutery and reluctance to pay out to victims really does make all their 'live the spiritual life' and 'we're so sorry' crap all the harder to swallow.

In this country anyway the gards certainly have a hell of a lot to answer to as a comparable organisation though.

Legs.Eleven

Bambi wrote: »

Is it still possible to do that?

Nope. I sent off my forms and got a letter back there a few weeks ago to tell me they can't as they Canon Law of the Catholic Church has been changed recently on this matter (why? ) but I've been put some register where my de facto defection from the Catholic church has been recorded.

I find this so ridiculously frustrating and unfair that it makes me want to do an angry flash dance all over my sitting room.


I'll try again if/when it is possible. It's an absolute farce that I can't get my name off the records officially.

road_high

Watching it now. Brings tears to the eyes again.
Religious orders are/were absolute scum. The sooner they are erased from the country the better as far as i'm
concerned.

Smidge

Watching it now myself.
Very, very tough viewing.
Watching this again(watched it the first time it came on years ago)makes the woman even more outstanding in my eyes.

All of those other poor children, un-named and unremembered who suffered at the hands of the "servants of God" shouldn't be forgotten either.

branie

It was very disturbing

Femme_Fatale

Finished watching it now. Had to pause it numerous times to get my head around it. It was like a horror film in places, no exaggeration.

Smidge

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Finished watching it now. Had to pause it numerous times to get my head around it. It was like a horror film in places, no exaggeration.

I had to do that myself!
At parts, I thought I just have to switch this off even though I watched it the first time years ago when it first came out. For some reason it just hit me like a brick this time.
I didn't switch it off tbh out of respect for those women who were brave enough to relive that horrendous time of their lives so we could be able to listen to their story.

branie

A scene that sticks in my mind is that of the girl who was forced to say the rosary all night when she was standing in place of the statue of Our Lady that she had accidently broken.

Birroc

Watched that program last night. Went to bed angry and yet so glad I turned away from that sick/criminal organisation.